MX5 Image change.

Author
Discussion

Tannedbaldhead

Original Poster:

2,952 posts

131 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
Back in the very early 1990s I bought a brand new MK1 Mazda MX5 not long after they had been released. Am not out to debate whether or not the MX5 was a good or bad car. There are those who like them and those (and being fair I see where they are coming from) who don't.

Regardless of whether the car was for you it was universally accepted as a car that turned heads, received rave reviews from the press, was considered as the modern day Lotus Elan and was driven almost exclusively by male sportscar enthusiasts.

Nowadays the car has that not taken seriously, girlie, hairdresser image.

What happened?


OwenK

3,472 posts

194 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
Really? I see it as the exact opposite to you... Hairdresser image (to the average Joe) when new.
Nowadays when I see one 99% of the time it's driven by some kind of enthusiast (male or female)

dlockhart

434 posts

171 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
The 1.6 litre engine didn't evolve into a 3.2 v6 and could be driven by anyone , some people brought it for its looks and then drove it sensibly. Rarely have I see one of these driven hard on the road unlike say ford focuses.


So it wasn't "hairy chested enough" for wide boys

CaptainCosworth

5,832 posts

92 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
The way I see it, a new or newish MX-5 is more "hairdresser" or girly, whereas an older version is driven more by enthusiasts...

Not sure at what age the switch happens... perhaps when it's about 8 years old?

eybic

9,212 posts

173 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
OwenK said:
Really? I see it as the exact opposite to you... Hairdresser image (to the average Joe) when new.
Nowadays when I see one 99% of the time it's driven by some kind of enthusiast (male or female)
Agreed.

tankplanker

2,479 posts

278 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
dlockhart said:
The 1.6 litre engine didn't evolve into a 3.2 v6 and could be driven by anyone , some people brought it for its looks and then drove it sensibly. Rarely have I see one of these driven hard on the road unlike say ford focuses.


So it wasn't "hairy chested enough" for wide boys
Agreed, its not kept up with the power creep that other cars have enjoyed. The Golf GTI went from ~137 BHP to ~230 BHP, makes the 160 BHP in the current seem weedy, despite the big weight advantage in the MX-5.

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

245 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
Tannedbaldhead said:
Nowadays the car has that not taken seriously, girlie, hairdresser image.
I'm not sure there's any convertible which is "taken seriously" these days. Everybody seems to want a big shiny lump of diesel SUV on the drive.

If I didn't already have a sportscar I'd certainly give serious thought to an MX5. Looks an absolute bargain.

SirSquidalot

4,039 posts

164 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
I think the Mk2 caused the girly remarks, the Mk1 was quite a cool looking car, and still is! The Mk2 softened the looks of the car and it then became abit hair dresser for the rest of its life. Unfair as the current Mk4 is a fantastic looking thing.

I drive a Mk2 purely because of its spec, I always wanted a Mk1!

SuperchargedVR6

3,138 posts

219 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
It is possible for some people to just not like them for reasons other than the stereotyped ones.

I've never liked them. Too small, nowhere enough power and boring inside.

J4CKO

41,287 posts

199 months

Friday 30th September 2016
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dlockhart said:
brought it
Brought it where ?


Charlie Michael

2,750 posts

183 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
SuperchargedVR6 said:
It is possible for some people to just not like them for reasons other than the stereotyped ones.

I've never liked them. Too small, nowhere enough power and boring inside.
Genuine question, and yes I do have one, but why do you think it doesn't have enough power?

I can very comfortably keep up with traffic in any given situation. I perform overtakes with no issue at all. I literally cannot think of when I've been driving my car and thought that it needed more oomph.

simonr100

640 posts

116 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
My friends and I always viewed them as a girly car when launched, now you see lots of enthusiasts driving them. It needed more power in my opinion. All show and not much go was the phrase used back in the day.

ambuletz

10,692 posts

180 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
hairdressers earnt money, they then got some sort of convertible.

many hatchbacks got turned into convertibles so I guess the MX-5 got lumped into 'being the same' as them.

megane carbio
golf cabrio
escort cabrio, etc.. that's what they normally bought no?

motco

15,919 posts

245 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
simonr100 said:
My friends and I always viewed them as a girly car when launched, now you see lots of enthusiasts driving them. It needed more power in my opinion. All show and not much go was the phrase used back in the day.
More MGB than Lotus Elan IMHO

jkh112

21,889 posts

157 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
eybic said:
OwenK said:
Really? I see it as the exact opposite to you... Hairdresser image (to the average Joe) when new.
Nowadays when I see one 99% of the time it's driven by some kind of enthusiast (male or female)
Agreed.
yes

simonr100

640 posts

116 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
motco said:
simonr100 said:
My friends and I always viewed them as a girly car when launched, now you see lots of enthusiasts driving them. It needed more power in my opinion. All show and not much go was the phrase used back in the day.
More MGB than Lotus Elan IMHO
Yes, exactly. Well said.

aka_kerrly

12,416 posts

209 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
The mx5 stereotypes are rather amusing, you have blokes who insist it is a proper sports car (mostly because they own one) you get blokes who think they are girls cars and you have women who think they are cute.

However nearly all the MX5s fit into two groups, driven by 20 something year old bloke and often modified or driven my a 50 something year old bold bloke who has stuck some MX5parts chrome tat on.

Personally I find modified ones far more interesting than the standard ones and woudln't mind a mk2 1.8rs with a Eaton/rotrex supercharger kit and I'd likely bin the soft top and use a hardtop most of the year and if it's nice take my chances with no roof.

krarkol

109 posts

109 months

Friday 30th September 2016
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I get the hairdresser/girls car comments a lot, mostly just a bit of banter

But when I take people for a spin in it or they're trying to keep up with it on some B roads, they soon change their mind smile

coppice

8,564 posts

143 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
Lovely little cars - and you see a damn sight more in hot competition on race tracks than just about any hot hatch you can name. Bloody entertaining too - and not slow.

Ninja59

3,691 posts

111 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
First thing to say I own a 3.5 NC.

It has taught me much about cars in general as even the 3.5 is easy ish to take a part, I agree in the "modern" age it needs more go, and in my cars case it needs an extra gear on the motorway to lower the revs.

However, if you want to just have a bit of fun out on the public road and genuinely feel like you can thrash a car then it is perfect*. Also they just make you feel "better", I think some people try to take it to seriously, when in fact if it is about feel good factor, being "fun", with a good community behind it you will "get it".

The MX5 you either "get" or "do not". Rather like the GT86/BRZ. Furthermore, parts are reasonable in cost and availability so why not enjoy yourself?

This is the main problem even with my 640d, lovely car not a "mad" amount of BHP today with just over 300 bhp, but is it really properly useful in the UK? Answer sadly not, I never really feel like I can push the pedal that much and stay within this country's ever decreasing speed limits, something where the MX5 wins hands down.

At this point I will admit to nearly spending the money I originally paid for it on bits and pieces for it (including the replacement engine).

Edited by Ninja59 on Friday 30th September 18:54