Chris Harris becomes a modern-day Salman Rushdie
Discussion
I expect PH to declare a fatwa on him very shortly.
http://community.evo.co.uk/users/Monkey-Harris/blo...
http://community.evo.co.uk/users/Monkey-Harris/blo...
To be fair I've never quite understood what was so good about Chris Harris anyway. I don't find either his writing, or on-screen reviews to be that interesting and his style of presenting borders on irksome arrogance, without the sort of charm that someone like Clarkson manages to wrap his up in.
Can someone please copy the article, whenever i try clicking the link it goes to some feedback page....
Edit : Fixed, java was turned off.
Anyway
Edit : Fixed, java was turned off.
Anyway
Mr Harris said said:
To suspect yourself of being the only person in the known universe to hold a particular belief can be both frustrating and, in a strange way, enormously liberating.
It seems I am alone in being completely ambivalent as to the existence of the Mazda MX-5. Apparently the 900,000th example has just rolled out of Hiroshima, which means there will be yet more public outpourings of emotion for a machine which drives with all the precision of boneless limb.
Truth be told, I think MX-5s are, well, sh*t .
This will not endear me to anyone who has ever owned or loved an MX-5, and it isn’t intended as some dramatic broadside to wind-them-up. I just always judge sportscars on the way they drive and I’ve always found the ‘ickle Mazda slow, imprecise and unsatisfying. Of course the principle behind the MX-5 is fantastic: affordable open-air fun in a cute little RWD package, but the reality on sticky modern rubber has never even approached delivering on that promise. And the driving position is terrible.
In fact, beyond the car’s outward specification, I don’t really see it as a sportscar at all - it never feels like one through your legs, feet and bottom - because sportscars are supposed to be exciting. And the MX-5 isn’t exciting. An Elise is exciting because it’s a proper sports car, whereas the MX-5 is just a way of being a little more expose to the elements.
So, gather round and have a good pop at me for being rude about a national treasure. Or, use this opportunity to finally admit in public that you too think the MX-5 is pants.
It seems I am alone in being completely ambivalent as to the existence of the Mazda MX-5. Apparently the 900,000th example has just rolled out of Hiroshima, which means there will be yet more public outpourings of emotion for a machine which drives with all the precision of boneless limb.
Truth be told, I think MX-5s are, well, sh*t .
This will not endear me to anyone who has ever owned or loved an MX-5, and it isn’t intended as some dramatic broadside to wind-them-up. I just always judge sportscars on the way they drive and I’ve always found the ‘ickle Mazda slow, imprecise and unsatisfying. Of course the principle behind the MX-5 is fantastic: affordable open-air fun in a cute little RWD package, but the reality on sticky modern rubber has never even approached delivering on that promise. And the driving position is terrible.
In fact, beyond the car’s outward specification, I don’t really see it as a sportscar at all - it never feels like one through your legs, feet and bottom - because sportscars are supposed to be exciting. And the MX-5 isn’t exciting. An Elise is exciting because it’s a proper sports car, whereas the MX-5 is just a way of being a little more expose to the elements.
So, gather round and have a good pop at me for being rude about a national treasure. Or, use this opportunity to finally admit in public that you too think the MX-5 is pants.
Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 7th February 13:49
Chris Harris is a great journalist - his writing is interesting and fun to read, plus he can actually drive well too, so you can trust what he says. I don't understand why people feel that they need to agree with everything that a journalist writes in order to respect them or enjoy their other work? I'm glad Mr Harris has some opinions that he's not scared to write about! How boring and uninformative would journalism be if journalists were worried about negatively criticising cars all the time?
Edited to add my opinion on the MX5: I quite like the MX5, although I must confess for the money I'd far rather have an MR2 mk1 or mk3. As an owner of two slow but great to drive cars, you'll very rarely hear me say what's comeing next, but I always felt that the MX5 was a bit underpowered. I don't desire huge dollops of power out of the MX5 to fling me off roundabouts into three figure speeds and engage in power oversteer antics, but I do think a car needs enough to feel alive - not a lot, but enough. Given that I love the similarly endowed mk3 MR2 so much, I can only assume that this need of mine for "enough" power is not just a power to weight thing, but more based on a car's handling, stability and grip. With a similar power output and power/weight ratio, both mk1 and mk3 MR2s always felt more alive than the MX5 to me. That said, my experience of the MX5 is based on just a few short drives.
Edited to add my opinion on the MX5: I quite like the MX5, although I must confess for the money I'd far rather have an MR2 mk1 or mk3. As an owner of two slow but great to drive cars, you'll very rarely hear me say what's comeing next, but I always felt that the MX5 was a bit underpowered. I don't desire huge dollops of power out of the MX5 to fling me off roundabouts into three figure speeds and engage in power oversteer antics, but I do think a car needs enough to feel alive - not a lot, but enough. Given that I love the similarly endowed mk3 MR2 so much, I can only assume that this need of mine for "enough" power is not just a power to weight thing, but more based on a car's handling, stability and grip. With a similar power output and power/weight ratio, both mk1 and mk3 MR2s always felt more alive than the MX5 to me. That said, my experience of the MX5 is based on just a few short drives.
Edited by RobM77 on Monday 7th February 13:57
The blog piece in full:
CHRIS HARRIS: THE MAZDA MX-5 IS PANTS (DUCKS)
February 7, 2011 12:51 PM | Posted By: Monkey Harris
To suspect yourself of being the only person in the known universe to hold a particular belief can be both frustrating and, in a strange way, enormously liberating.
It seems I am alone in being completely ambivalent as to the existence of the Mazda MX-5. Apparently the 900,000th example has just rolled out of Hiroshima, which means there will be yet more public outpourings of emotion for a machine which drives with all the precision of boneless limb.
Truth be told, I think MX-5s are, well, sh*t .
This will not endear me to anyone who has ever owned or loved an MX-5, and it isn’t intended as some dramatic broadside to wind-them-up. I just always judge sportscars on the way they drive and I’ve always found the ‘ickle Mazda slow, imprecise and unsatisfying. Of course the principle behind the MX-5 is fantastic: affordable open-air fun in a cute little RWD package, but the reality on sticky modern rubber has never even approached delivering on that promise. And the driving position is terrible.
In fact, beyond the car’s outward specification, I don’t really see it as a sportscar at all - it never feels like one through your legs, feet and bottom - because sportscars are supposed to be exciting. And the MX-5 isn’t exciting. An Elise is exciting because it’s a proper sports car, whereas the MX-5 is just a way of being a little more expose to the elements.
So, gather round and have a good pop at me for being rude about a national treasure. Or, use this opportunity to finally admit in public that you too think the MX-5 is pants.
CHRIS HARRIS: THE MAZDA MX-5 IS PANTS (DUCKS)
February 7, 2011 12:51 PM | Posted By: Monkey Harris
To suspect yourself of being the only person in the known universe to hold a particular belief can be both frustrating and, in a strange way, enormously liberating.
It seems I am alone in being completely ambivalent as to the existence of the Mazda MX-5. Apparently the 900,000th example has just rolled out of Hiroshima, which means there will be yet more public outpourings of emotion for a machine which drives with all the precision of boneless limb.
Truth be told, I think MX-5s are, well, sh*t .
This will not endear me to anyone who has ever owned or loved an MX-5, and it isn’t intended as some dramatic broadside to wind-them-up. I just always judge sportscars on the way they drive and I’ve always found the ‘ickle Mazda slow, imprecise and unsatisfying. Of course the principle behind the MX-5 is fantastic: affordable open-air fun in a cute little RWD package, but the reality on sticky modern rubber has never even approached delivering on that promise. And the driving position is terrible.
In fact, beyond the car’s outward specification, I don’t really see it as a sportscar at all - it never feels like one through your legs, feet and bottom - because sportscars are supposed to be exciting. And the MX-5 isn’t exciting. An Elise is exciting because it’s a proper sports car, whereas the MX-5 is just a way of being a little more expose to the elements.
So, gather round and have a good pop at me for being rude about a national treasure. Or, use this opportunity to finally admit in public that you too think the MX-5 is pants.
I'd certainly say they're somewhat overrated as an outright driver's car. They offer an impressively competent all-round package for the price, but the way some people talk on here you'd expect them to be untouchable, and they're really not.
It is somewhat ironic that he'd criticise one of the few affordable (often LSD-equipped) RWD cars as dull after his recent column on the joys of oversteer, though. It was wet roundabouts and a mk1 MX5 daily driver that taught me to (sort of ... vaguely) drive!
It is somewhat ironic that he'd criticise one of the few affordable (often LSD-equipped) RWD cars as dull after his recent column on the joys of oversteer, though. It was wet roundabouts and a mk1 MX5 daily driver that taught me to (sort of ... vaguely) drive!
My missus, my son and I share a Mk2, we all have other cars but the little mazda is a joy to drive, it is not powerful but that means you can use more of what performance there is, the handling is not perfect but it is fun, we all enjoy driving it and given the choice, and weather, would probably use it more often than the other cars.
That to me is what the car is about - Fun. It was cheap(ish) it puts a smile on my face, and when it is not raining it puts the wind in my hair.
I think Mr Harris may have missed the point.
That to me is what the car is about - Fun. It was cheap(ish) it puts a smile on my face, and when it is not raining it puts the wind in my hair.
I think Mr Harris may have missed the point.
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