Drive in a MX-5!

[topgeartom]

My friend came knocked on the door half an hour ago and i expected to look out of my window and see his usualy old diesel 205, instead there was a 1.8i MX-5 sat waiting!

Its his mums and hes been badgering her for a go in it for ages - obviously she grew bored of the nagging and give him a go!

We went round the block a few times in it and my god that things quick. I know its not breathtaking fast but i am only used to lowly 1.4s and the like. It was a dream to ride in - i expected it to be crashy and harsh but it was actually pretty smooth - felt very composed. He booted it in 2nd a fair few times and my god it shifted!
We went round to my best friends in it to show him, turned it round and headed back for my house along a small back road where the sub 8 second 0-60 was relaised. Theres not much before 2k, then after that everything goes a bit mental!.

Safe to say, i now want one.

It has also made me realise that if an mx5 with 130bhp can be that fast, i really need to take my dads 290bhp xk8 out and drive it properly

[sentra_dude]

8)

Sweet, any pics for us? What year was it? Miatas are very nice cars, a perfect example of why tons of power is not required to have a really fun car.

[topgeartom]

no pics unfortuenately dude, but i can get him to take some of the car. Looks nice, its a special edition with leather and everything and the decent sized alloys, definately proves the point that power isnt in direct proportion to fun!

[PaulGT2164]

miatas are great cars.

[ae86_16v]

Even the first generation MX-5s are worth it. And plenty of Spec Miata parts available. . .

[ae86_16v]

they arent bad cars, and the fact that you will catch alot of them at auto-x events speaks for its self. cheap, and plenty of aftermarket parts for them!!

Not just auto-x but even at open track events.

[Shinigami]

Was it a first, second or third generation MX5?

With each generation, the chassis stifness has been improved, alas it has also gained some weight, but not a lot! It's a very decent car, and you can buy some NA's and NB's for super cheap! A great car to learn to drive a stick and you can really toss the ass around.

It also feels very fast because you're sitting quite low. The near 50/50 weight distribution and handling means this car has often outrun other considerably more powerful vehicles on the track, and there's some outrageous mods for it. V8 engine swaps, superchargers and turbos, and of course some people who strip it dry to shave precious kilos off the car :D And the MX5 is one of the most reliable cars you can find (constantly at the top of the list of most reliable vehicles ever). There's just very little that can go wrong with this car.

Good luck if you buy one! Most MX5 owners suggest getting a 99-2000 "second version" car, since they have 140hp and are lighter then the ones which came in the following year. Usually the best model to go for is the 10th Anniversary Edition, which comes with a fabulous blue exterior paint job, and a nice alcantara style dual color blue/black interior. They can be had for less then $10,000 with less then 50,000miles on the clock.

Tips for buying a used Miata: http://www.miata.net/faq/usedmx5.html