RE: Mazda MX-5 2.0 (2019): Driven

[HorneyMX5]

If you want to see a quick normaly aspirated Mx5, then watch this:

https://youtu.be/hhWwl4bqeoY

Robert is a bit handy, but then it’s his car and he knows it and the circuit well. He’s also the Koenigsegg test driver, that helps a bit.

[NorthernSky]

RSTurboPaul said:

Jon_S_Rally said:

While I'm pleased this car exists, I don't think I would ever buy one. The looks put me off. The high bonnet line which suddenly drops away at the nose makes it looks really odd from side-on. A sad necessity due to pedestrian protection I suspect, but it's ruined the looks of the car for me. That and a two-seater sports car is still useless to most people. It would always have to be a second car for me and, if it's a second car, it can be more hardcore, so the MX-5 would just never register on my list.

Like I say though, I'm glad Mazda are still knocking them out and that they're still producing vaguely interesting NA four pots.

How often do any of us of working age drive with more than one passenger in the car?

If we have kids, fair enough, and they also seem to come with enough paraphenalia to fill a small van, but if one is not blessed with progeny, how regularly does one play taxi to more than one other person, usually one's partner?

Commuting seems to form a majority of one's mileage and is usually done alone or, at most, with said partner, and if going out at the weekend, Car Sharing as a group is usually only done for big trips to occasional events.

Surely it would make sense, in those circumstances, to get the MX5 and enjoy it for the 90% of trips that it is all you really need, and then just have an account at the local car hire place so you can pay, what, £100 for a weekend in an estate or a van if needed?

This is the sensible view to take! I put work miles on my motorbike, which will achieve 75-80 mpg. Then I can take the s2000 out for fun trips with my bae.

The only addition to RSTurboPaul's view is the need (occasionally) for those 4 seat requirements. Enter the sub 2 grand retro barge.

2 seat sports car - check
passenger barge - check
quick, cheap transport bike - check

Win! (-:

[TheDrBrian]

Luke. said:

Helicopter123 said:

Luke. said:

Brilliant. Can't wait for Abarth to come back with a 200bhp 124.

That will be a very short queue you are in...

Have you been in one?

Yes and it’s exactly the same as the mx5, which is sad as it shows up the rest of the fiat range.

[ninepoint2]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

You are for the crappy Fiat what RamboLambo is for McLaren

In the real world, this sounds like the best MX5 in history. I can't wait to try it.

The Fiat is far from crap believe me, (what do you drive?) my wife has a Fiat 124 Spider, I have two cars, one a naturally aspirated 4.2 V8, the other a twin turbo 5.0 V10. I have often found myself recently saying "lets just take your's shall we", they are great fun to drive, the little 1.4 engine can be driven almost flat out all the time, and as we have had a decent summer this year the tops been down a lot too...love it. Oh and if that's Apple nonsense in the Mazda thast another reason the Fiat is much better

Edited by ninepoint2 on Thursday 30th August 23:24

[Luke.]

TheDrBrian said:

Yes and it’s exactly the same as the mx5, which is sad as it shows up the rest of the fiat range.

It far from the exactly the same as the MX5. Methinks you're talking bullst. No offense, like.

[otolith]

Jon_S_Rally said:

That and a two-seater sports car is still useless to most people. It would always have to be a second car for me and, if it's a second car, it can be more hardcore, so the MX-5 would just never register on my list.

I suspect the market for hardcore two seaters to be a weekend car is a lot smaller than the market for a commutable two seater for two car families. If you’re running two cars as a couple there’s no need for both to be highly practical as long as they’re both usable dailies.

When I was married, my wife had an MX-5, then a 350Z, then a Z4M, all of which she commuted in. The other car was a Civic Type-R, then an RX-8, then an Impreza estate, then a Saab 9-5 estate. Along the way I picked up an Elise, which I think she drove once. These days I have a Merc E-class estate, my Elise, and her Z4M, which I really kept after she died for sentimental reasons. As a single bloke I could live with the Merc and the Lotus, and as you say wouldn’t buy something like an MX-5 or Z4, but for a couple they make perfect sense.

[ChimpOnGas]

Conscript said:

SloCoach said:

So nearly 20 years since Honda brought us the S2000 with 240 BHP from 2 litres the Mazda can manage 184.

A little bit of an unfair comparison, I feel. They're managing 184BHP with CO2 @ 156g/Km and 40.9MPG. A quick Google suggests that the S2000 is 235g/Km and closer to ~30MPG. Efficiency stats might mean nothing to you, but the reality is, they do to manufacturers. If anything, I think Mazda should be applauded for achieving such a decent blend of power/economy without resorting to forced induction.

Hmmm, is this little four banger buzz box really progress

My 22 year old TVR Chimaera makes 250hp and 263 ft/lbs while weighing in the same as the little lightweight Mazda.



And my TVR averages a MX5 beating super low carbon 48* mpg too!

Don't believe me



https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Gas is good


Petrol Cost Equivalent *

[TheDrBrian]

Luke. said:

TheDrBrian said:

Yes and it’s exactly the same as the mx5, which is sad as it shows up the rest of the fiat range.

It far from the exactly the same as the MX5. Methinks you're talking bullst. No offense, like.

What’s different besides the seats?

[Mike335i]

TheDrBrian said:

Luke. said:

TheDrBrian said:

Yes and it’s exactly the same as the mx5, which is sad as it shows up the rest of the fiat range.

It far from the exactly the same as the MX5. Methinks you're talking bullst. No offense, like.

What’s different besides the seats?

The engine is different, the looks and there is a slight suspension tuning difference. Bar that, its the same car.

Edited by Mike335i on Friday 31st August 10:22

[cheddar]

ChimpOnGas said:

Hmmm, is this little four banger buzz box really progress

My 22 year old TVR Chimaera makes 250hp and 263 ft/lbs while weighing in the same as the little lightweight.


Petrol Cost Equivalent *

Thanks Chimp but pointless comparison

[Mike335i]

cheddar said:

Thanks Chimp but pointless comparison

Is it though? A 2.0 is producing not too far from a 4.0 from 22 years ago and still meeting the strictest emissions regs, all without a turbo in sight?

[coppice]

Yes indeed - but before having a nostalgia fest about rorty TVRs with big engines let's think 1963, 1558cc Lotus Elan . The S3 SE and S4 Sprint had nearly identical performance, but in a package which was tiny but still accommodated fat sods like me. And , as is well known , the Elan was the inspiration for the Mk 1 MX5 . Last Elan I saw was a 26R on track , humiliating Cobras and Griffiths - as usual

[chrispmartha]

TheDrBrian said:

Luke. said:

Helicopter123 said:

Luke. said:

Brilliant. Can't wait for Abarth to come back with a 200bhp 124.

That will be a very short queue you are in...

Have you been in one?

Yes and it’s exactly the same as the mx5, which is sad as it shows up the rest of the fiat range.

Exactly the same, apart from the body, engine, dampers, suspension and of course the exhaust system. So not exactly the same at all.

Edited by chrispmartha on Friday 31st August 08:02

[Luke.]

chrispmartha said:

Exactly the same, apart from the body, engine, dampers, suspension and of course the exhaust system. So not exactly the same at all.

Edited by chrispmartha on Friday 31st August 08:02

The Racing Monza exhaust is a wonderful thing.

[Tannedbaldhead]

ninepoint2 said:

LaurasOtherHalf said:

You are for the crappy Fiat what RamboLambo is for McLaren

In the real world, this sounds like the best MX5 in history. I can't wait to try it.

The Fiat is far from crap believe me, (what do you drive?) my wife has a Fiat 124 Spider, I have two cars, one a naturally aspirated 4.2 V8, the other a twin turbo 5.0 V10. I have often found myself recently saying "lets just take your's shall we", they are great fun to drive, the little 1.4 engine can be driven almost flat out all the time, and as we have had a decent summer this year the tops been down a lot too...love it. Oh and if that's Apple nonsense in the Mazda thast another reason the Fiat is much better

Edited by ninepoint2 on Thursday 30th August 23:24

The FIAT isn't the better car it's just better suited to you.
I've been small roadster daft since my early 20s (how do you think my bald head got so tanned?). 
I have owned a Reliant Scimitar SS1, a Panther Lima, Mk1 I, II and III versions of MX5 and an MGTF. My roadsters have been bought new when my sole transport and older when used as weekend fun and bald head tanners.
For me the sweet spot of the MX5/124 Spider range is the 124 Lusso, red with tobacco leather. 140bhp, punchy mid range, pretty (in my eyes anyway) and a nice burbley exhaust note. 
A nice top down; quick without being ridiculously fast, sunny day entertainer is all most roadster drivers are looking for. 
200-250bhp ultra focused Abarth road racer the forum is crying out for? A 200hp @ 10,000 rpm MX5? Neither is the car for me. It would blow off my wig.
Would the fact the 124 in 140bhp Lusso trim is the best suited roadsters for my needs make it the best roaster there is? Far from it.

[Conscript]

EDIT: Ignore this, I quoted a response form Chimp which appears to have been deleted.

Edited by Conscript on Friday 31st August 09:38

[GibsonSG]

This appeals massively to me. Just need to get the wife a slightly larger car than the FiST so we have something for practical needs, sack off the RS Meg and get in there. Is it acceptable for me to then own two MX5’s?

[Simon Owen]

GibsonSG said:

This appeals massively to me. Just need to get the wife a slightly larger car than the FiST so we have something for practical needs, sack off the RS Meg and get in there. Is it acceptable for me to then own two MX5’s?

The 86 runs a good ‘partner’ to the 5 if you like the concept of small, lightweight easy to live with little sports cars, all be it both with a bit of fettling ...

[GibsonSG]

Good call. There was a fair discussion on the merits of a modified 86 on the recent triple header article with the old Meg Trophy R. The 86 probably would make an excellent partner for my old MX!

[Black S2K]

Simon Owen said:

GibsonSG said:

This appeals massively to me. Just need to get the wife a slightly larger car than the FiST so we have something for practical needs, sack off the RS Meg and get in there. Is it acceptable for me to then own two MX5’s?

The 86 runs a good ‘partner’ to the 5 if you like the concept of small, lightweight easy to live with little sports cars, all be it both with a bit of fettling ...

I can see how that might work...