MX5 automatic

[poverty rider]

D for drag, R for race right...

...and P for pass.

[bruce]

The 1.6L series 1 NA 1990 automatic was never delivered to Australia

If I remember correctly there were three 1.6L automatics brought in by Mazda Oz. They were an oddity and never caught on due to the lack of power (!) I remember looking at a new one way back then. Of course grey imports have muddied the waters.
They became common as muck later with the 1.8L

[rvlovell]

I'm on my 5th MX5 and it's an auto NC, I absolutely love it.

It's an absolute ball at the track and gives nothing away to manual NC's.

[Blesif]

I love my NB8A manual but when I tire of tracking it I am heading for an NC2 auto so my wife can have a steer. She loves sports cars but doesn't drive a manual. She has a Mazda 3 with a beaut little auto box. Wiz, sorry I can't comment from personal experience but I have heard others with NB autos who find them very responsive. Alex (my son) sends his regards from the MR2 days - says you were a very quick driver. He's got an R33 Skyline now but won't track it, doubles with me in the MX!

[wiz043]

I love my NB8A manual but when I tire of tracking it I am heading for an NC2 auto so my wife can have a steer. She loves sports cars but doesn't drive a manual. She has a Mazda 3 with a beaut little auto box. Wiz, sorry I can't comment from personal experience but I have heard others with NB autos who find them very responsive. Alex (my son) sends his regards from the MR2 days - says you were a very quick driver. He's got an R33 Skyline now but won't track it, doubles with me in the MX!

Ha-ha....thanks, nice to hear from you and Alex. I was in the same situation when I bought the auto as my wife couldn't drive a manual either.

I certainly miss the MR2 days. Dare I say on this forum that they are a great car. My best wishes...

[KevGoat]

I have been driving an auto (Tarago) pretty much exclusively for 14 years now, with only the very occasional manual excursion in my wife's Toyota Echo (she hates auto's!!)

So when I started driving my manual NA last year, I was back in driver heaven

However, I still want my auto for everyday use.

Very happy to read the positive comments on the NC autos. These are on my radar for future consideration .....

[robertq]

Our mx5 is a 6 speed nb 2003 which we bought to go on club runs.Our daily drive is a Suzuki sx4 4x4 which is auto only because of the traffic lights in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. 2 green lights is a surprise, 3 green lights a novelty, 4 well in 12 years of living in Maroubra it has yet to happen.

[Trackphotos]

I have been driving an auto (Tarago) pretty much exclusively for 14 years now, with only the very occasional manual excursion in my wife's Toyota Echo (she hates auto's!!)

So when I started driving my manual NA last year, I was back in driver heaven

I know how that goes, although I didn't have to put up with it for nearly as long as you. I got my P's at 18, and drove a manual 1994 hyundai excel for 6 months before buying a 1997 VS Commodore. Auto, as most commodores are. It's only after you switch to an auto that you realise just how much more fun a manual is. I sold that when I got given a company car, an auto turbo-diesel RWD Triton. It was about 4 years between losing the Excel and buying my NB,and in that time I drove a manual BA falcon ute for an hour, and a manual Mitsubishi ASX for about 3 hours. Re-learning to drive manual in safety boots isn't all that fun It was totally worth spending all the money on the NB, even though I still have a company car. Can't beat a good manual box

[doc]

I recently bought a 08 NC manual.
Sounds like some people love their Autos.
I think it was Carroll Shelby Himself that once said,
"Why would you want to row a boat, if you could have a motor?"
(About automobile transmissions)
Truth is, No one can shift as fast or as smooth as a Auto.
However, I have owned 2 sports cars with Autos.
Never again. Just not as much Fun!
You drive a manual, You ride in a Auto!

[wiz043]

I recently bought a 08 NC manual.
Sounds like some people love their Autos.
I think it was Carroll Shelby Himself that once said,
"Why would you want to row a boat, if you could have a motor?"
(About automobile transmissions)
Truth is, No one can shift as fast or as smooth as a Auto.
However, I have owned 2 sports cars with Autos.
Never again. Just not as much Fun!
You drive a manual, You ride in a Auto!

You are getting away from what I said in my original post when I started this thread. I merely asked if anyone had dríven the NB auto and, if so, what is their opinion.
I never criticised NB manuals and of course they are much more fun but I was surprised by the quality and response of the auto. Many modern prestige and cheaper sports cars now are auto with the paddle option so you have the best of both worlds but I realize a lot of us prefer the stick shift.
If you get the chance I suggest you try driving an NB auto, you may be surprised at what they offer compared to other autos.

[93_Clubman]

I drove it in 1990, before there were any grey imports and of course before the 1.8 appeared, also before I placed the order for my first MX-5 in October '91.

Tks Miata - like xmx106, I thought all RHD auto NA6s in Australia were JDM, or perhaps the odd private import, but clearly there were some ADM, which is useful to know.

There may only have been a few and they might have been here to test the market, which might be why they don't show up in Red Book.

If I remember correctly there were three 1.6L automatics brought in by Mazda Oz. They were an oddity and never caught on due to the lack of power (!) I remember looking at a new one way back then.

From the VIN on this, here's one of those three NA6 autos:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mazda-Mx-5-1 ... _167wt_958

[zz00me]

I have an auto and although I don't get to drive it as often as I would like, I really enjoy it and so does the wife.

It is a great car for a weekend cruise and is my favourite toy!







I like all MX5's Manual and auto although NA's are the best...lol

[Col1989]

Hi I have purchased a Eunos roadster 1989 auto. I was told it was built Augest 1989 & had Australian compliance in December 1989. How can I check to see if it is true? I can't see any compliance plate but has been registered in NSW from 2005. I found that out on the RTA site.

[93_Clubman]

Links below will give you a build date:
http://hagar.zoomshare.com/files/roadster_vins.xls
or
http://translate.googleusercontent.com/ ... 2y-CvBKSsA
Re Australian compliance in Dec 1989, can't see that being accurate if the car is actually a JDM Eunos Roadster automatic, as you have been advised. Only exception to this would be the less than a handful of automatic NA6 that Mazda Australia did bring to Australia, but this exception would only be possible if those cars retained their JDM VIN (assuming this is what your car has, which it should from the info you've been given) & were not issued an ADM VIN. Another reason for saying doubt the accuracy of the Dec 1989 Australian compliance, is that the car wouldn't have been owned long enough to qualify for being a personal import, ie ownership from Aug/Sep 1989 to Dec 1989.
Something you can check is does your car have a JDM VIN: 6U9000NA6CE... or an Australian VIN: JM0NA306... .
Btw, jeo has in the last couple of months needed to do some research re his NA6, so you might find his threads interesting:
viewtopic.php?f=57&t=34641&start=525
viewtopic.php?f=73&t=69149
viewtopic.php?f=73&t=61368&start=30

[93_Clubman]

Re the less than a handful of automatic NA6 that Mazda Australia did bring to Australia see following: viewtopic.php?f=18&t=47371&p=594905#p594905