Hey, I welcome some real talk about cars.
The Datsun 240Z was a great car, but it could be called a poor man's E-Type.
It was a two seater with great styling, reliability, a lovely straight six
and a sweet sticker price.
How about the Toyota 2000GT? This car, in great shape, fetches good money on
the auction circuit. I think the car has a unique look to it. Yes, the NSX is
Japan's answer to a Ferrari 328/348. Well, Ferrari is now beyond the
incredible F355, but we're "stuck" with the original NSX more or less.
The original and final version of the RX-7 had a hell of a lot of spice and
persona. None of us here can disrespect or deny that.
The racer boy Civic Si, Integra GS-R are cars that are clearly not aimed at
drivers like us. And that's fine-there is a lucrative market, and who can
blame Honda for pursuing it?
You could never put a car like the Midget on the market today as pure as what
we drive. It would never sell. The MGF is slick enough to work, but it
doesn't enjoy the "personality" our cars have, which is what endears us to
them.
It's not so much the Japanese. The times have changes, and things that were
acceptable 20 years ago aren't today. The list questions cars like the
Boxster, the Z3, and the S2000. These cars are as close as you can get to
what you could call true sports cars today.
A car like a Viper has a lot of guts to sell for what it does with no
creature comforts. Most buyers won't accept that, and I give Dodge a lot of
credit for putting a car like that to market. That's guts.
Don't get me wrong-you couldn't pay me 10 grand to let go of my Midget. It's
a good car, for me. But, if I'm forking out money for a new sports car, the
Boxster is everything I want and more.
Tom
78 Midget
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