there was one in Sheffield last night all noisy and caged up. My god they are slow, i mean really really slow. How can they be any fun ?

They're not all slow Guy at work has a turbocharged one which would put most things on the road to shame. He's not a bad driver either!

I think the normal ones feel faster than they are as you're sat a couple of inches above the ground with the wind in your hair. Lots of fun due to being rear wheel drive too

Chris

They have a good feeling of speed but aren't actually that quick. And unless your going to spend 3-4k on a turbo'd version it will be about as quick as a standard VTS Saxo.

Yeh ours is slow in a straight line but they are not about going in a straight line

Straight line speed isn't really my thing, if it's yours in your car then fine. For me my garage has several bikes that can out accelerate most cars in a straight line and mostly on one wheel

about as quick as a standard VTS Saxo.

thats what i thought, but they are not. I used to own a 2002 Saxo VTR, and i can tell you i would have handed his *** to him on a silver platter in a straight line. I would not be suprised if a 1.2 Corsa or similar can give them a run for the money !!!

The rustic appeal must be overwhealming for people to bother with them at all.........i would probably go for a VVC MGF instead :eek:

Straight line speed isn't really my thing

For me my garage has several bikes that can out accelerate most cars in a straight line and mostly on one wheel

hmmm - slightly contradicting there - you will get the gist eventually i am sure

not really bikes straight line speed is a by product of light weight and monster hp, you are laughing at a car that is slow in a straight line......it's all relative tho as you also own cars that are slow in a straight line and worst of all they are scrabble drive, there are no front wheel drive cars that can match a rear wheel drive car for powersliding fun

How can they be any fun ?

Thats a very narrow view of fun, just speed and power in general. I have never had as much fun in a car as i have in my own. 82bhp and more fun than dads fabia vRS.

I always use this as an example, but tomtom reckoned that i could do a 21 mile country road trip in 45 minutes, i arrived on 30 minutes and enjoyed every minute - didnt think i was going to die once.

Whats not fun is getting into another car thats not my own only to find it scares the carp out of me because it cant handle as well but pulls like a train.

As others have said, a car doesn't have to be fast to be fun! the combination of light weight, rear wheel drive, skinny tyres and a linear power delivery (no big turbo boosting up etc) makes for a car that can perform some hugely satisfying powerslides at relatively low speeds, hence your far less likely to kill yourself

I've had imense fun in morris minors for example.

I truely belive the reason todays drivers are in general so bad, is because nobody knows how to handle a car when things get tricky, ok so I learnt the hard way and went off the road a few times, and occasionaly hit the odd lamppost or something (never when people were around, usually at night) but it didn't seem to matter as the speeds you could be sideways at were so low you didn't mind bumping into things!! also you had much more time to try and sort yourself out and learn how to correct slides etc. I learnt more about car control from hooning around in low power rear drive cars than from anywhere else!

Getting a car into a slide by changing down and locking the rear wheels, then applying the power and turning in, never touching the brakes the whole time, is to me one of the most satisfying experiences, but also sadly a thing of the past! I cant think of a car that would let you do that anymore?

1.8 MX-5 Would spank your little shopper all over the rack and twisties And a 2 seater, perfectly balanced roadster is going to be no fun Are you mad??? Read the reviews on them they are a road testers dream loads and loads of fun

1.8 MX-5 Would spank your little shopper all over the rack and twisties And a 2 seater, perfectly balanced roadster is going to be no fun Are you mad??? Read the reviews on them they are a road testers dream loads and loads of fun

Indeed i have read all the articles - i know what the general consensus is, however it is of my opinion that the early one I followed yesterday was far too slow. I know all about RWD fun etc. Having owned 2 E30 BMW's I can relate to good old basic RWD, LSD and not a lot else.

As for spanking my shopper - not sure what that relates too ? Is it my Saxo ? It can't be cause, no out the box MX5 [other than the latest] can whoop a 100hp VTR in a straight line or around the twisties ?

Interesting that following a car you can tell how the driver is revving the engine or how they are changing gear or how hard they are trying...

The 0-60 of our MX5 is 8.6secs I don't know how that compares to a VTR with 100hp ?

I'll give you half marks on your bait too

Interesting that following a car you can tell how the driver is revving the engine or how they are changing gear or how hard they are trying...

The 0-60 of our MX5 is 8.6secs I don't know how that compares to a VTR with 100hp ?

I'll give you half marks on your bait too

Thanks - i forgot that 0-60 mph represents everything a car can offer. Did you say your motor bikes were corgi sized ?

Can't imagine my old bag of spanners octavia vRS would be any good looking at it

Give me a mazda MX5 in BRG I'd be happy to do 30 in it.

There are plenty of TVR owners, who are ex MX5 owners. They reckon the 5 is quicker round the country roads, than there TVRs (assuming they are working ).

Thanks - i forgot that 0-60 mph represents everything a car can offer. Did you say your motor bikes were corgi sized ?

0-60 doesn't mean much I was just using your yardstick of straight line accelerating, and what size would you like my motorbikes to be ?

just maybe the MX5 wasn't trying ?

my Brother has a 91 supercharged Mx5 that is nothing short of insane, at the last RR dat they had it pulled 180bhp+ and that was with the fuelling all over the place, he has put a few more sensors etc on it and it wil be rr'd over the weekend, he is hoping for over 200bhp.

The MX5 engine is the old 323 turbo engine with the turbo removed so a turbo or SC literally bolts on with no other mods, turbo is good for a bolt on 220bhp, which will see off pretty much ANY SAXO, VRS, Hatch FWD performance car. Fun is what these things are about, yes you will find a few dogs around but a properly sorted one.....try om guy who is a regular on the MX5 Tuning scene with and engine you could eat your dinner off and 327bhp to boot.....outruns 911's for breakfast!

I have driven my bro's car with only 180bhp and it IS fast!

it's pretty dumb to announce a car as slow simply because the one you were behind wasn't being driven quickly :confused:

and hold the ****ing presses, a 1.6/1.8 NA car isn't as quick as a 1.9TD car mid-range????? shurley shome mishtake :eek:

reading this made me remember about these:

http://www.miata.net/motm/2004/burch.html

with 400hp I defy anyone to say they are slow.

Pete

So what about speed? My 112 bhp Golf GTI was not fast by any stretch of the imagination, but in some ways, it was more fun even than my 180 bhp Clio...

@ Andy vRS - all I can suggest is that you drive one. I think it's a shame that a car, any car, is thrown aside as 'slow' or however it may be negatively described, when you haven't even driven one?

Personally I've always been a fan of the MX-5 as it's a refreshing change in that it keeps things simple and extol the virtues of a proper chassis setup and the return of driver involvement. Rather than big straight line power and a numb and removed driving experience.

Each to their own, but they're great fun and encourage you to take the long route whereever you're going, using as many country lanes as possible. That has to be a good thing in my book

You'll never know, until you try.

Steve

I took a new 2.0 MX-5 out the other day with the 6 speed box, sports suspension etc. Went quite well and handled like a beauty

Not sure I like the re-design of the front of the new model TBH, looks a bit cross-eyed?!

Still half on the lookout for an early 90s one for weekends, now is probably the best time to buy, with our nice tropical weather of late . Or better still, get my old man to buy one (he's looking to get something small and sporty for w/ends) and then just pinch it when the weather's bright and sunny

Steve

You get used to the new look, interior is much improved for 6ft+ like me.

Bascially a shorter RX-8 underneath now wih same gearbox so is very nimble. Bilstein dampers as std and our one has the optional lowering springs fitted.

Alot of money but hasnt stopped them selling like hot cakes. Looks like Mazda is good for another 15 years as it was the old MX-5 that kept the company from going under due to w ankel costs.

Looks like Mazda is good for another 15 years as it was the old MX-5 that kept the company from going under due to w ankel costs.

I'm sure being under Ford ownership will help as well

Steve