1997 Melbourne Motorshow - MRJ

From: greta@melbpc.org.au (Greta Young)
Date: Sun, 2 Mar 1997 13:21:24 +1100 (EST)
Subject: MRJ - Melbourne Motorshow

Well I have sat in an MRJ!!!

John Simpson and I went along in our official capacities (Editor and editors slave, altho at the moment I am not sure which is which....) for the MR2 Owners Club of Australia (VIC) inc. ;-)

On arriving, the first place we headed for was the MRJ. After spending the last 3 nights up till 12 and 1 and 1am working on the mag, I wanted to see the MRJ FIRST! incase I crumpled in a little heap before I got around everything!!!

Ah there is was!

John was kicking himself that he hadn't taken up on my bet to pay for dinner as I was sure the car would be RED, No he had reckoned an orangy colour. Well for a male that wasn't a bad guess.. personally I would call it russet. It was a metallic colour... hmmnn first thing to put me off.

Standing there trying to take it all in someone steps up beside me and says "so when is this going to grace your garage?? It was club president Kevin! Independently John and Kevin organised us access to the MRJ stage!. heh heh I could see the envy on some of the other peoples faces!! Kevin and I got in while John snapped photos madly.. owww what's this?? how???? A a man with a remote control had the auto roof doing its thing.. not to well though it needed a helping hand!

I felt very very claustrophobic in it with the roof on. I don't know how a tall person would go. Although kevin looke dcomfortable enough in the drivers seat!

The interior was also .. yes well how do I put it.... different..... patterned fabric on the seats, sort of pale blue and russet. Suede steering wheel and gear knob (nice feel) but the interior.. PUKE.. still I guess it is still a concept car! (I will be having the photos scanned in the next few days and will send them to Todd.. so checkout the MR2 Australia home page soon.) For those of you lucky enough to be getting y publication there will be black and white photos, for those of you O/S I will be enclosing some colour photocopies...

I think it's safe to say that even if I could afford one... I don't think I want one.... 2+2 is right. You couldn't put anyone in the back unless

the people in the front were midgets like me and had the seats forward.
They were babies or amputees with no legs!

Sorry don't really see the point of a 2+2 give me my MISTER 2 anyday...

They had one on show, a dark green bathurst. And yes it had "clear" corners.

Loads of nice cars there.. including a Maclaren F1. They also had Jacques Villeneuve F1 car that he won his first GP in! Talking of Gp's roll on next week!! I'll be there in the Schumacher stand!

John also arranged for me to sit in the Lotus Elise. Yes well..... It's very minimalistic inside. And not very practicle for a shorty like me. It is VERY low and you have to step over this great high "thing" to get inside. I was certainly glad I had gone with the jeans option rather than a skirt! The sales guy gave me a few instructions how to get in, and as I managed to get leg 2 in, and then sit down.... ahhh where is the *&^%%$#@@ seat! It felt like I fell about a foot! John was busy snapping and giving directions hey what.. what's that you say (hmmn I like this I cant hear him).....I felt like I was in a pit.. and I couldn't hear a thing he was saying :-) .. just take photos John and stop giving the Editor From Hell orders!

All in all a great show, and I enjoyed every moment of the two and a half hours we spent there.