Daily driving an MX5

MX5 Car Clubs of Australia

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kalt
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Re: Daily driving an MX5

Postby kalt » Fri Mar 28, 2014 6:35 pm

davekmoore wrote:Is that "no asian people" or "no, asian people"?


"no asian, people" :P

Daily driving the mx5 have been fun most times.

Need to clarify what the mx5, be it NA/NB/NC is to me first.

This is a sports car:
Image

Also this:
Image

This is a convertible:
Image

This is also a convertible:
Image

This too:
Image

The mx5 is a roadster. Two doors, rear wheel drive, and a drop top.

Like this roadster:
Image

This roadster:
Image


And this roadster:
Image
Wait a minute!!! Yep... need to confirm from the youngsters... yes the Noddster is way cool! :lol:

Driving any roadster as a daily will have disadvantages, as discussed previously (lack of space, only one passenger etc) which I agree with.

There are other disadvantages that haven't been touched on.

1. Driving at night - The Reluctant Headlight Inspector Car.
The car sits low, probably the lowest car I have ever owned. You will be dazzled by every other car following you and facing you. Probably a reason why I never see other MX5's being dríven at night, ever!

2. Little Car Syndrome
Being such a small, low car, it's like a tiny yappy dog, bounding here and there. I tend to drive it more aggressively than other cars, just to exude some road presence. Rorty Exhaust is the bark :)

3. Peak Hour Fumes & Truck Transmissions.
Convertible/Cabriolet/roaster, whatever it is it is no fun with the top down sitting in peak hour at any time. Tops on most other times when there's traffic lights or idling, especially when raining.

4. Footwell? I thought that is half a coffin.
Not the biggest and most comfortable footwell to live with on a daily basis, just don't wear huge shoes I guess.

5. Pointless sunvisors
Half the height of 'normal' visors, blocks half the windscreen when down..

6. Hat and Sunnies - SP50+ Mandatory.
It's not a fashion statement.

That's what I can think of right now.
Owning a fast car is easier than driving a car, fast.

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KevGoat
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Re: Daily driving an MX5

Postby KevGoat » Fri Mar 28, 2014 6:43 pm

kalt wrote:

Driving any roadster as a daily will have disadvantages ... only one passenger etc




Yup major disadvantage ... remove passenger seat = perfect car

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speed freak
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Re: Daily driving an MX5

Postby speed freak » Fri Mar 28, 2014 7:42 pm

KevGoat wrote:
kalt wrote:

Driving any roadster as a daily will have disadvantages ... only one passenger etc




Yup major disadvantage ... remove passenger seat = perfect car

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Haha exactly! You dont own an mx5 if you want a big practical car that can carry lots of people.

I like the car meme going around on facebook. Its a pic of an older guy with a new R35 GTR and it says - "Iv been told the GTR is not a family car... so I got rid of the family" :lol: Love it!

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KevGoat
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Re: Daily driving an MX5

Postby KevGoat » Fri Mar 28, 2014 8:51 pm

I would have loved a photo of the first three cars at one set of traffic lights this morning...

Me - MX5 with the top down - 56 years old, grey beard, hardly any hair
Behind me - Porsche 924 - 70 odd yo lady hunched over the steering wheel, proud as ...
Behind her - Nissan GTR - late 60's/early 70's bloke

Just looked classic ...

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Vat
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Re: Daily driving an MX5

Postby Vat » Fri Mar 28, 2014 10:43 pm

KevGoat wrote:I would have loved a photo of the first three cars at one set of traffic lights this morning...

Me - MX5 with the top down - 56 years old, grey beard, hardly any hair
Behind me - Porsche 924 - 70 odd yo lady hunched over the steering wheel, proud as ...
Behind her - Nissan GTR - late 60's/early 70's bloke

Just looked classic ...


Nice...

Had a similar thing this afternoon heading out of an industrial park in the south of Brisbane, middle-aged me in hi-vis in the Jaffa with the roof up followed by a young fella in hi-vis in a silver '86, wet roads frequented by trucks, roundabout exits...well, yeah. The little gems make it worth it.
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Mr Morlock
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Re: Daily driving an MX5

Postby Mr Morlock » Sat Mar 29, 2014 11:59 am

sports cars don't have fixed hardtops and many also apply that consideration - the concept of a sports car was soft top TRs ( exclude the 7 and 8s ) Healeys, MGs like A and B Alfa Spiders, And if you read the development story behind the MX5 i.e. what the engineers and designers set out to achieve ) it was based on the concept of some of those cars mentioned earlier. It was designed to be fun and to feel light and manoeuvrable not like the US marques which were often the antithesis of a light weight sports ( LWS) car. The MX5 was probably not really designed for daily driving but as a treat- a car that is not meant for storing the groceries or transporting the kids to the basketball or collecting the timber from Bunnings or trips to the tip.
I would struggle to call a Corvette or a Transam or a Mustang as a sports car- different beasts- not to say they are not fun or worth owning but not LWS's. The Cobra style was based initially on the AC so it was a British sports car into which a big engine was shoe horned.

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doc
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Re: Daily driving an MX5

Postby doc » Sat Mar 29, 2014 5:15 pm

The Corvette Is What A sports Car IS!
Period!
And Yes they even made one in the late 90's as a Fixed roof coupe.
To say a Mustang is a sports car is just plain dumb.
It has a back seat! Nuff said.
I've owned a few Mustangs, A "Sporty car" Yes. But a sports car? No way. (IMHO).
But the Corvette? Morlock? To say The worlds best Value in a REAL sports car, Is Not A Sports car?
Well Then, What would you call this master piece of American engineering.
A ZO-6 Corvette is maybe, A Family sedan???

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davekmoore
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Re: Daily driving an MX5

Postby davekmoore » Sat Mar 29, 2014 6:26 pm

Maybe we need to define "sports" and "sporty" here?
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KevGoat
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Re: Daily driving an MX5

Postby KevGoat » Sat Mar 29, 2014 6:59 pm

Well most dictionaries don't help much ...

sports car
noun
a low-built car designed for performance at high speeds, often having a roof that can be folded back.



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KevGoat
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Re: Daily driving an MX5

Postby KevGoat » Sat Mar 29, 2014 7:04 pm

My personal approach has been:

2 seats, low, convertible = Sports Car

Add roof = Sports Coupe

Just how I have thought of them. I think there will be many opinions.

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sailaholic
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Re: Daily driving an MX5

Postby sailaholic » Sun Mar 30, 2014 9:32 am

I think kalt hit the nail on the head with the definitions.


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doc
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Re: Daily driving an MX5

Postby doc » Sun Apr 06, 2014 4:53 pm

By Kev's line of thought. A lot of top of the line Sports cars, Are not sports cars.
So I humbly disagree.
A Sports car has but 2 seats.
That I think we can all agree on.
However, Those with Porsche 911's might not like being told their car is NOT a Sports car.
I can think of a few Italian Sports cars that are not Roadsters. But are Clearly Sports cars.
Was the Delorean DMC-12 not a Sports car?
.
.
.
Yes Gentlemen, What is the True definition of a Sports car?
Perhaps we need a thread just to work this one out.

sailaholic
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Re: Daily driving an MX5

Postby sailaholic » Sun Apr 06, 2014 5:41 pm

Nah we've already about 8 threads and no conclusion reached.


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ManiacLachy
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Re: Daily driving an MX5

Postby ManiacLachy » Sun Apr 06, 2014 5:48 pm

Sports cars are like pornography; I can't define them exactly, but I know one when I see one!

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Re: Daily driving an MX5

Postby Magpie » Sun Apr 06, 2014 6:34 pm

Then you have soft, hard core, fetish and German or Japanese porn.

So we have now established that cars are like porn, nice!


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