Though it did get some love in the end - and a few SECMA aficionados even popped their heads above the parapet in the comments - it's fair to say last week's Q Pod Spotted wasn't the most popular we've ever run. While the go-anywhere two-seater offers owners a fun, open-air motoring experience, it isn't particularly practical for the majority of applications, and its single-cylinder, 340cc engine is hardly the last word in performance.
So for those intrigued by SECMA's ethos yet unmoved by the car itself, we humbly present today's Spotted, a bigger, bolder answer to the same question. Yes, for just £2,000 more than the novel microcar's £2,495 asking price you could get one of the world's most well-known roadsters, modified to tick many of the same boxes.
The ad itself is a curious one, ignoring the elephant in the showroom until the last possible minute, and choosing to focus intently on the original car. Without photos, therefore, a prospective buyer would be well within their rights to assume what we had here was an entirely standard Mazda MX-5 MV, a limited-run special-edition of which only 300 examples were made.
Launched at the tail end of 2001, the MV made use of the same 125hp 1.6-litre engine as could be found in the cooking SP model, but came equipped with extras including a bespoke Sienna Brown interior and tonneau cover, aluminium pedals, silver trim, heated seats and a two-tone Nardi steering wheel. In the UK this model was dubbed the 'Phoenix' and was also available with the more powerful 1.8-litre S-VT engine with a 4.1 ratio Torsen limited slip differential. As a JDM import, however, our Spotted is certainly the rarer but less well equipped MV, whatever that's worth.
It isn't until we reach the 10th paragraph of the ad, however, having already made mention of the MX-5's 125-litre boot, decently-sized glove box and rather worryingly-phrased "tossability", that we can confirm our eyes are indeed not deceiving us. "Upgraded suspension / off road suspension for better vehicle clearance, better on-road handling and better off-road performance" it says, which when married to the roll cage, deep dish wheels with chunky Dunlop tyres and extended wheel arches, transforms this finely-balanced modern classic into a JDM special in the most literal sense.
To the extent that it's possible to tell from the photos, the work does seem to have been done to a fairly high standard. Both the interior and exterior are described as being in fantastic condition - although your agreement with that sentiment will rather depend on your feelings toward the car's current state. It may not offer quite the same country lane experience any longer, but all of the traits which make the MX-5 so appealing to drive on-road surely ought to stand it in excellent stead off it, too. And as the weather gets warmer, and the end of lockdown draws nearer, what better way could there be to experience the great outdoors than sideways in 3rd gear? When it comes to having the best time possible for the smallest outlay you can manage, then, it seems that as always, the answer is MX-5.
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