Miatas

[gerry@hostel.lincroftnj.attgis.com]

Tale of the Miata versus the MGB:

> I went for a little ride today up Angeles Crest and came apon a Miata and I 
> got behind him and he seemed to be havung a hard time keeping in front of me
> he was hitting his brakes on the turns even though i didn't have to and he
> was leaning way over on the turns.I haven't driven a Miata
> but this is the second time I've played with one and I'm not impressed and 
> I'm driving a 79B which doesn't even corner as well as the older ones. 


I guarantee you that in cases like this it is usually the driver's fault and 
not the car's. A good driver in a bad car will beat a bad driver in a good
car any day of the week.

A couple of days ago I was in front of a new Corvette up some hilly/twisty
roads in New York. On the straights the Corvette was right up my bumper,
on the corners I managed to get clear by 30 yards every time. On one particular
constant radius trun, I managed to pull ahead by almost 100 yards. I 
was driving my 1975 Midget.

A couple of years ago at the winter Maine Pro-rally I was driving behind a 
well-known American rally champion on a transit stage back to the finish. 
I was driving my pro-rally car with excellent snow-tyres, the well-known 
American rally champion was driving a rented Ford Tempo with all-season tryes. 
He lost me within the first 2 miles - no matter how hard I tried, I could not
catch him.

I doubt that his Tempo handled better than My VW GTI !!! he is just a better
driver.

Moral of the story - don't knock the car - it's usually the driver's fault.

Gerry

PS - Stock Miata's handle a LOT better than stock rubber MGB's. I have 
driven both !!