Dan,
I think Andrew nailed it. I don't know too much about magazine articles
on the cars, what I have seen on the Miata is that it is a nice
entry-level Sports Car, but now here is the real performer... (Corvette,
Mustang de jour, Porsche what-ever)
I think the problem with both the MGB and the Miata is their popularity!
They are seen by many as "common" cars, they aren't exotic... The
Austin-Healeys, 6 cylinder Triumphs, and other, faster (and considerably
more expensive) cars were good, MGBs -- Ho Hum. I think there was a
perception of the MGB being a "chick car" in it's day too. Purdy of the
"New Avengers" drove a Rubber Bumper MGB, the other heros drove Jags and
of course, the Rolls. The MGB was just the less expensive, basic Sports
Car of the '60s and '70s (and that's OK with me).
The Miata faces the BMW Z3, the Porsche Boxter, now the Toyota MR2 and
Honda among others, and it really was just the basic Sports Car of the
'90s. It is "pumping up" somewhat now, and has to for survival.
I think a Sports Car should be nimble, handle well, turn heads, have
room for a picnic basket, and allow the passenger as much enjoyment as
the driver. My MGB and Miata qualify (the MGB does turn more heads). An
ex-coworker who was a Corvette freak wouldn't even walk over to see my
MGB in the parking lot, and didn't have any kind words about my Miata
either... He thought he had a "real" Sports Car... I consider the
Corvette a "muscle car", I drove his (a 1992 model), and it was like
driving a sledge (a fast sledge). There are a lot of "Sports Car" guys
like him, and I think, they just don't get it.
It's their loss...
Dave Tietz
P.S. Even in your Sports Car, sometimes you just do have to put up the
top and turn on the air conditioning...
---------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2001 08:59:37 -0700 (PDT)
From: Dan DiBiase <d_dibiase@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Miata engines in MGs?
- --- "Andrew B. Lundgren" <lundgren@byu.net> wrote:
> I have a Miata, everyone, including major publications, thinks its an
> underpowered "Chick-Car", not a real sports car.
Dan sez - Which publications?? Everything I read (Car and Driver, Road and
Track, Autoweek, even occasionally Motor Trend) all love the car... Don't
recall them every bad-mouthing it at all from that stand-point... And
Classic and Sports Car mag recently had a comparison test with a Series 1
Miata and they loved it....
- --- "Andrew B. Lundgren" <lundgren@byu.net> wrote:
> I have an MGB, everyone, including major publications, bad mouths it
> for being underpowered and unreliable...
Dan sez - Well, Peter Egan always liked 'em! I always thought that most
publications held the MGB in respect, if not awe....
I agree that when the Miata came out, I don't think Mazda felt there was
as big a market as there has been. And the market is certainly more picky
than perhaps in the past - witness the lack of success of the Mercury
Capri that was intended as a Miata-fighter. But without the success of the
Miata, would we have the Honda S2000, the MR2 Spyder and others of their
ilk now? (Geez, next thing ya know, I'll be defending Triumphs on these
pages!!!!).
I actually like the Miata. It's some of the DRIVERS (hard top on in
summer, saw one yesterday) that I can't understand!
=====
Dan DiBiase
Dayton, NJ
'76 MGB Tourer (Driver)
'65 MGB Tourer (Project)
NAMGBR #5-2328
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