PH Fleet: Mazda Eunos Roadster
Look, I was kidding about removing the spoiler meaning less rear-wheel grip...says Dan
Quick, a sunny evening - get the Eunos out!
Well, you would be were it not for the ridiculous rain of late. Yet another reason to be impressed by this little car? Not even a trace of a leak from the roof, no matter how hard it's been raining.
Wings clipped
What to report though? Well, the spoilerless bootlid kindly sourced for me by Classic & Sports Car compadre James Page - via MX5 Central in Wales - is now in place. And was, genuinely, the work of a moment, even though the 'five-minute job' is now accepted in my household as code for over-ambitious assessments of how long these things usually take.
Definitely neater, loss of downforce acceptable
And, tongue now removed from cheek, there has been no apparent difference in handling without the mighty downforce generated by the previous winged bootlid. And I think the car looks neater without.
GT looks great
Elsewhere on planet MX-5 I was heartened to hear about the MX-5 GT Concept prepared for Goodwood by the Jota race team with whom I've been lucky enough to drive on occasion.
Dan (and Eunos) pose with the Jota race car
Plenty of folk make MX-5s go faster with forced induction and the temptations are obvious. But I can't help feel it's not quite in character with the old Jinba Ittai spirit somehow. I speak having never driven a supercharged or turbocharged current shape MX-5 of course (the BBR Le Mans was fun though) and will probably eat my words having done so.
Jota's road-going GT looks a barrel of laughs
Fact sheet:
Car: 1993 Eunos Roadster (JDM import model)
Run by: Dan Trent
Bought: January 2011
Purchase price: £1,250
Last month at a glance: The Eunos has been resting up after its Scottish adventures and getting used to life without a wing
Previous reports:
The Eunos returns to Scotland for another road trip
Has Dan killed his Eunos?
Snowed-in Eunos gets a mini facelift
Taxed, insured, MOT'd, re-tyred - it's been an expensive month
Eunos gets a loud exhaust and new suspension
New suspension offered but am I worthy?
Purchase price only half the story...
Open Season heralds rare 'money where mouth is' moment...
No other car I've owned or driven, except perhaps my old 1976 Mini 1000 delivered so much fun at such sane speeds, and motivated me to simply drive it for the sake of it. Best of all, the little Mazda was no more demanding an ownership experience, and cost us no more to run or own over 3 years than a typical Japanese family hatchback. Brilliant little package. I will always have a soft spot for them.
I wonder how many OEMs were kicking themselves that they didn't do that back in '89 ?
I WILL have another one at some point !
No other car I've owned or driven, except perhaps my old 1976 Mini 1000 delivered so much fun at such sane speeds, and motivated me to simply drive it for the sake of it. Best of all, the little Mazda was no more demanding an ownership experience, and cost us no more to run or own over 3 years than a typical Japanese family hatchback. Brilliant little package. I will always have a soft spot for them.
The really mad thing is that I'd sooner have one than a BMW 540/740 which I used to look on so fondly
Still though, it would have to be a series 1
Regarding roof leaks: Any MX5 owners reading; leaky roofs can normally be cured by moving/sealing the rubber seals around the windows - no need for forking out for a new roof (which wont cure these issues, anyway)
The really mad thing is that I'd sooner have one than a BMW 540/740 which I used to look on so fondly
Still though, it would have to be a series 1
I still sometimes think I'd like to return, probably to a Mk2 RS 6-speed in white with white rims
The really mad thing is that I'd sooner have one than a BMW 540/740 which I used to look on so fondly
Still though, it would have to be a series 1
Got quite a few hairdresser comments at the time, but frankly I enjoyed driving the car so much, I couldn't have cared less. On the right road, the MX-5 just felt brilliant, without smashing speed limits or attracting unwanted attention. It seemed to strike a near perfect compromise between agility and stability. You could feel the chassis moving about when pressing on, but never to the point where it threatened to put you in the ditch. When it did slide, you felt it through the seat of your pants and corrected it so naturally that it never became dramatic. The engine wasn't very powerful, but was so responsive and willing that you could use the throttle to trim the line ridiculously precisely in fast sweeping corners, and feel the weight transfer affect each end of the car in such a predictable way. The nose would go exactly where you wanted it, and you could manipulate the rear end to suit almost by telepathy. Not a fast car by any stretch of the imagination (my current F30 320d would leave it standing in a straight line), but a real drivers car. I have so many great memories.
I'm the first to admit I am no driving God, but the outer edges of the Mazda's handling envelope were just so accessible and exploitable to anyone with even a vague clue about how a RWD car behaves. Every response was just what you'd expect, and it never threw any unpleasant surprises. Benign is the wrong word because it implies boring, which the MX-5 certainly wasn't, but predictable, consistent and most importantly, accessible are definitely suitable. I can appreciate that more experienced pilots might want something that challenges them more, but for us mere mortals, it flatters and rewards like few other cars.
Bit gushing and waffly, sorry. I'll be quiet now.
I'm a powerfully built driving god sporting an angry look, beautiful watch and a full can of Red bull ready for the hurling
The Roadster surprised me, mainly due to the feel of the thing as it had such short gearing which made it feel so much quicker not to mention the 35mm drop on an already lowered car. The amount of people that asked me to slow down when I was sticking to the speed limit was hilarious.
I must admit, just for the drifting pleasure I'd be tempted to get an extra 40 or more HP out of that cracking little 1.6, but other than that it was just about perfect
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