The Elan is my fantasy car. The frame weighs all of 75lbs. You can move it around all by yourself. The assembled car weighs in around 1600 lbs. Makes the Miata seem like a porker at around 2200.
Of course, the Elan, like all Loti, is best admired standing still. If it's set up perfectly, I am told driving it is like being in auto heaven. That lasts until the first major component fails, which happens with alarming regularity. It won't be something rational; it will be bizarre like a brake line cracking.
You must have an early 1.6L Miata. The new ones are heavier.
With the exception of the original Elite - Lotus, IMHO, never made really beautiful cars (The Elan is actually OK, but most of their road cars were ugly). The only way to appreciate a Loti is by driving it.
Cars the are best admired standing still are things like Volvo P1800's in my opinion.
Once long ago a friend took me on a brief ride in an original Lotus 7- what a hoot that was!
Of course at the same time, he had in his garage an Elan- the frame and motor in different corners, and the body on the lawn outside. Probably says a lot about Loti.
I am SERIOUSLY considering purchasing a new 2006 Grand Touring MX-5. Would be interested in hearing feedback about the car, int/ext colors and options. THANK YOU!
After looking at the Honda S2000 (which frightened my wife), Mini Cooper, and 350 Z (didn't consider a Z4 because I think that it's too damned ugly), I bought a 2006 MX-5. I didn't consider the Solstice because of no storage space with the top down and when I see one, the first word that pops in my head is "Fiero" (synonymous with "bucket of bolts"). In my opinion, the MX-5 has the best bang for the buck.
Mine is a Sport model with the handling package, galaxy gray with black cloth interior and black top, 6-speed. It does not have the Bose stereo. At first, I wanted blue, but all my other cars are blue. Both shades of red look good. White kind of hides the lines of the car.
If I had to do it differently, I might have bought the run-flat tires with the tire pressure monitor (there's no spare, which is kind of scary except for the roadside service included with the car).
I believe with the GT you get the keyless ignition system and an alarm system, which may discourage theft. You also get leather seats, which I am not convinced is better than cloth for a convertible.
You also get electronic nannies that prevent slides and such, but I don't think it's worth it to have them. The chrome windshield frame doesn't (I think) add anything to the car for me.
I rarely play the radio in my car, so the upgraded audio makes little difference to me, but you might prefer the better sound quality.
There's some metal trim in the GT interior that kind of spruces it up a bit, but that's not really necessary. It is, after all, a sports car/driving tool, not a boulevard cruiser.
Many malign the door cup holders. I use it for my sunglasses and it doesn't bother me.
Except for automatic transmission (which defeats the purpose of the car, in my opinion), the rest of the options are cosmetic and you can add them later through the after market if you want to.
By the way, don't get discouraged if you think the shifter it balky at first. Mine loosened up quite nicely after about 1500 miles and now it is a joy.
Good luck, and I am sure that you will enjoy whatever MX-5 you purchase. It's the most fun car to drive that I've ever owned.
Fabiano wrote in news:5OQ9g.4940$Sh3.4507@trnddc05:
Come back when you've got a permanent ulcer in your leg just below the knee where the damned thing cuts it open. I found the new MX-5 to be the only car I've ever driven that was actually painful, I cut short the test drive so I could get out of the thing.
It's molded into the entire door panel. If ever an aftermarket product is needed, this is the one - a clean door panel for the NC. I figure about the same time they start coming off of the recently offered two-year leases, there will be stuff like that available.
"Frank Berger" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news.supernews.com:
No, but the effects are reduced by having a tall bottle that's the same diameter as the holder, that extends the thing high enough to move your leg off of the sharp edge and helps a little.
Hey! I can't walk much now, I'd not be able to walk at all if I did that. Of course I could get an artificial leg and let the bottle holder wreck it or.... WOW, GREAT IDEA! I could keep my 1992 which fits me perfectly, won't cost me any money to buy and is cheaper to insure and license.
I have a white GT. White prevents the pronounced contours from becoming too offensive, in my opinion, but so does red if a white Miata is too fast for you.
I am happy with the car, but I do have a couple of gripes. Number one is the handbrake position. Why do I need to dig my fingers in the knees of a passenger to secure the car? What was Mazda thinking? The second gripe is that compared to the M1/M2 Miatas, there is a definite hint of "SUV" about the new one. The fact that it is bigger and higher, those steering wheel buttons, all those cupholders, and other "convenience" features such as auto-window down, the radio box that is called the key, the door locks (on a convertible??), etcetera, all tend to detract from the image of a true sports car to me.
Then again, maybe my ideas of sports cars are colored by the fact that I am not rich enough to drive the really expensive sports cars. :)
I have the suspension package, and I believe there is lots of griping on miata.net about the springs being to soft and the shocks being too soft. I think this is true but the fact is that I am *much* faster in autocross in my 2006 than in my lowered, *supercharged* 1996 with R-springs in rear, Koni shocks all over, and much stiffer antiroll bars. And in my new Miata I am in C-Stock rather than Street-Mod! :))
While the car does have a lot of lateral motion, the shocks, however soft, seem to take the brunt out of it before it comes to hunt me. The car is quite forgiving of coming in a bit too fast too, unlike my 1996.
I am impressed with the Michelin Pilot Precede(?) tires, though I do not think they will last me very long.
I am also getting ready to admit that the steering wheel is a lot better than the M1 "cookie box" design, buttons or not. It no longer really bothers me, and I do like that it is adjustable.
The trunk is smaller than the one on my 1996, even while it does *not* have a spare tire in it (the car comes with a tire-repair kit instead), and the trunk lid design makes getting anything big in it difficult. However, I believe this was intentional: by reducing the opening, Mazda should have been able to increase stiffness a lot. They did really work on getting a stiffer, very light car: http:://
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The Bose sound system is good. I am not going to argue with audiophiles about the detailed balancing of every frequency, but simply note that the sound is much more audible and understandable above wind and engine noise. And I believe it would be considered of very good quality by any reasonable person even sitting in the car at rest with the engine off.
Despite naysayers, I like the interior. It is a lot less spartan/depressing than the standard M1/M2 interiors. The leather seats give me good lateral support, and I have the CG lock when needed. :)
I thought the seats in the base Miatas too hard for long trips, and too unsupportive, and that and the need for cruise control pretty much forced me to the GT package. The suspension package was a no brainer to me, despite the criticism on miata.net.
Somebody else tried the traction control package and found the car to be lethargic until it was turned off. If the computer is constantly braking a wheel or two, you are not going to go very fast. Gee. :) And my idea of a keyless entry system on a convertible is to leave the doors unlocked, not stupid gizmos.
I did get the polished aluminum fuel tank lid, of course. One can never have enough shiny parts on a white Miata. :)
Let me know if you have any specific questions Leon
Not going to happen - the cup holder doesn't interfere with my knee. Try an 82 BMW 320i - the seats were so hard and poorly designed that trips over an hour induced sciatica! And they called it the ultimate driving machine...
Changing the subject a bit, I find the cup holders in the console absolutely useless for drinks. They're better for change and other small odds and ends.
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