KahnBB6
Well-Known Member
^^ I agree with you about the MKIV. Iāll get some actual driving time in an MKV before long for a firsthand comparison but already I am very impressed with its chassis considering itās got a shorter wheelbase than before.My experience driving both the MKIV and MKV one after the other was that the MKV was obviously faster and more comfortable than the MKIV...but also very very refined for high speed driving. The MKIV (if your not 100% focused on the road) can whip it's rear end very quickly under hard acceleration (Viper-like characteristics). I almost lost control going onto the freeway in a MKIV. That doesn't make it a bad car, however, the age of the car is very apparent when that happens. An LSD in a MKIV is one thing, but all the other tech a MKV has to keep you out of trouble is a whole different ball game. I tried several times to get the MKV to break the rear end loose, and it didn't budge....however, if you hit a bump at high speed, the MKV does get a little squirrelly (reminiscent of the 90's SVT Cobra's). Amplify either one of those two cars' horsepower to double or triple, and you will quickly appreciate the new tech.
I use to believe the engine was the only thing important in a sports car....nope! It's a complete package (i.e., engine, trans, suspension, traction, etc...). The new high-performance sports cars are very very good if you plan on going big power.
The MKIV is old technology and design all around but very good old technology and design. At least from its chassis design with the best of what Toyota could do in 1990 or so it was intended for stable high speed driving at around 150mph. The SC chassis I am on is similar enough even though it is a bit more compromised in comparison.
But even so, none of the modern traction control, LSD, tire and shock absorber technology were available back when the MKIV came out in 1992. The tires and shocks can be upgraded now and there are a *couple* of available aftermarket diffs that are superior to the factory Torsen T-1 LSD (mostly the OS Giken 1.5-way) and aftermarket ECU control can provide improved traction control over stock under acceleration...
...But it is still a high performance vehicle released from 1992. And youāre right, it can, especially with the stock rear 255mm tires and stock Torsen T-1 LSD, get squirrely under some acceleration and low traction circumstances.
Itās manageable at the stock power level and as long as you do some key modifications at 500whp and above AND are always 100% focused on the road and feeling what the back end is doing it can be fine.
I do agree with the almost Viper-like snap-oversteer you can encounter under some circumstances. But this is far more pronounced in an old Viper than it is in an MKIV TT, let alone a stock MKIV TT.
But I have no doubt that modern high performance cars including the MKV are better equipped for safety with double or triple their stock horsepower.
Iām fine with the MKIV driveline at the stock power level for many reasons. Mostly because of CA emissions compliance and because itās enough power to enjoy the classic car practically and still have everyday fun with it. The engine if modified would make the car much faster (and Iād need a better LSD than the Torsen T-1 and a different suspension and different tires) but Iām not worried about matching what a stock MKV can do with this thing even though I could.
With a real MKIV now Iād probably be tempted to keep it stock for the sake of original value anyway.
But then there is also the high speed handling on track which I feel is also a factor but I donāt see anyone keeping either an MKIV or MKV totally stock for that purpose anyway: the MKIV because big improvements in available aftermarket parts to improve it for track use are commonly available and the MKV because youād also want, at the very least, to tune the suspension to the settings to exactly the characteristics youād want to get the best lap times out of it on a racetrack.
Just on the road though... I feel that itās different from any track scenario. Just on the road, whether or not someoneās MKIV is made as fast as a stock or modified MKV or faster, I feel itās about fun for the driver rather than maximum lap times or maximum 0-60.
Which is why I do feel that even a stock 2JZ-GTE engine with only ā320hpā (more like 340-345hp or so at the crank, stock) with a manual transmission can be a lot of fun along with that edge of being just a touch āscaryā sometimes.
Iād expect a MKV to be even safer with its modern traction control and modern ABS but I still like the idea of an MKV having that little edge of fright that the most iconic classic high performance cars give you.
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