I sold my 1994 Miata so that I could get my 2005 MCS and I have not regrets..

 

No relevance whatsoever. Please continue with your enjoyment.

 

Doubtful. They're still the most profitable car manufacture on the planet and as far as I can tell there seemingly is no pressure on them to introduce lower priced models, witness the pricing of the Cayman S. I don't know too many people that cross shop a 911 with a Corvette. There are a few, but not many and those people are largely shopping image. Typically, if you want a 911, much like the MINI its the only game in town. The C6 is close to the only game in town with really only the Viper for competition. I wouldn't minimize the influence of drivetrain layout on feel and if you like the 911 feel, no Corvette no matter how fast is ever going to satisfy you. Just like if you want the effortless burble of a big block front engined V8, you'll think that a Porsche is a waste of money.

So yeah, if you think that the essense of a car can be described by numbers, then you'd be nuts to spend 2x the price of a C6 (although I hear they gouging on this car like crazy at the moment) for the 997 GT3. OTOH, as you own MINIs I assume you have a more sophisticated outlook than that, as by the numbers MINIs are nothing special, whereas by the butt, they're one of the all time greats. Personally, I'd rather have the GT3, and cost, image, etc has nothing to do with why. It has far more to do with a fully adjustable suspension and that erotic 8K redline courtesy of that lump stuck up its rear. And hell with the 997 due out, a lightly used 996 GT3 will be buyable for right about the cost of a new C6. Now you got me thinking.

 

it hasn't gone overhead cam yet either....

But whatever, get the Miata, before it sprouts a second set of doors and a backseat!

Matt

 

XAlfa, if you didn't get any rays today, you are going to be the one saying crap when the skies open up later on.

 

Would you care to elaborate on why no regrets? I am not trying to put you on the spot; just trying to get a good understanding for what motivated the decision.

 

I thought that BMW got that award (for being the most profitable car manufacturer on the planet. They certainly think so; in fact they have recently been bragging that their market capitalization exceeded that of G.M. before G.M.'s troubles with Delphi going Chapter 11 surfaced.

As I said in an earlier post, horses for courses. I completely agree a Porche-phile is not going to be caught dead in a Chevy showroom, much less actually in a Corvette. It is a shame (for them), because the C5 and C6 are such incredible cars. But then again, with more buyers chasing a limited supply of cars, the dealers get more inclined to tack on mark-ups. And yes, the C6 Z06 is getting marked up (+30 large over MSRP)....

 

I got myself some sweet open-sunroof action.

 

Well, I have a Call option already in place on one that should arrive ~mid-June. I hope more members will respond with their perspective on the relative fun factor of the MX-5.

 

Ha! I made a point of getting some open sunroof action today as well.... Funny thing was that I was thinking of what it would be like if I had been driving a MX-5 with the top down....

 

there's a review today of the mx-5 on motoringfile:

http://motoringfile.com/2006/04/10/m...06-mazda-mx-5/

the reviewer does not like mazda's version of the paddle shifting steptronic, which sounds slower shifting and less ergonomic than the one in the MCSa.

is this any consideration?

 

We still own the subaru, but it does not get used that often! My wife also has an 05 MCSa.

For me, i always had to pick, miata for fun, scooby for "work" or "reality". With the MCS, you really get the best of both. With the hatch, you can still jam a lot of stuff in there, I have sat 5 in the MINI for short 5 minute trips and it is a blast to drive.

FM is "the" miata tuner. There are others out there ( i always liked the r-speed guys), but Bill is pretty much the miata equivalent of Randy (no disrespect to Eric at helix & others....) FM has really lead the way on a lot of fronts. Their stuff tends to be a little pricey IMHO, but when you look at what you are getting it is 100% worth it.

If you think you can do it better, go ahead & do it. I did. It was cheaper, but I doubt it was better. It was pretty damned fast.... And, the best part, I would often cal FM while i set up my DIY turbo project and they would often help out with my tech questions. I find it hard enough to get good customer service on products i have bought from people, never mind something i am throwing together myself....

If FM thinks the new trans is up to it, I would tend to guess that it is. I know very little about the new NC miata, i have not seen anything on tuning it, etc.



this is a very hard call. I will compare my MCS vs. a stock miata & vs. my Turbo car.

Vs. Stock:
The MCS is more powerful than the 94-7 miatae. Also more so than the 99-04 (save the Mazdaspeed - i can not comment, never drove one)

The miata has a wonderful, elegant toss-ability that i think is hard to find in many other cars today. it is light on it's feet, very communicative to the driver and also quite friendly to drive. When the rear is going to start coming around on you, it will let you know, the tires will talk a little, the rear will dance a little and it gives you lots of warning so you can tuck it back in. There is a magic to a stock miata that sometimes gets lost in our crazy world of aftermarket "upgrades"

Vs. DIY Turbo.
My 9-10 PSI turbo miata was faster than my MCS, but harder to control. My guess is that the stock MCS has about 80% of the power that I had with the Turbo Miata. I had a 9 LB flywheel and that car would rev quite fast. The MCS takes quite a bit more time to rev out, but I think a pulley will help that. My miata also had ground controls over konis, a big brake kit, roll bar, race seat, yada, yada....

The turbo car was fast, but in many ways not as fun as the stock or lightly modded car. I would never shift the miata as hard as I do my MCS, as I KNEW that I could easily break the trans. I was always very careful in corners, the car was past my limits as a driver. There are times when it scared me, and myself and others had spun it. My buddy actually spun it across three lanes of traffic getting on to 95 one rainy night.

in many ways the MCS reminds me a lot of the stock (or lightly modded) miata. It's not the fastest out there, but it always tells you where it is at and what it is going to do. Plus, they both respond favorably to a few well placed mods.

If i were going to set up a miata today, i would to it VERY differently from what i did then. I would keep the stock springs over a set of Koni yellows (great balance of ride & handling - this car needs the suspension travel). Maybe a nice cat back for a little more bark - sounds good in the twisties. Voodoo shift ****. Probably a Harddog sport roll bar to keep the rear tight. Glass window top. Not too much more. I got very close to stripping all the turbo stuff off my car. IT was easier to just sell it as is.

Keep it simple. The people who designed & engineered the miata knew more than they let on. Fun is not always about the raw speed, and the trade offs that you MUST make for that power can often take a lot of the actual "FUN" out of the car. I learned the hard way - don't try to make it what it isn't....enjoy it for what it IS.

I plan on keeping my MCS very basic. I have an intake & exhaust, I am going to add a pulley & maybe a rear sway bar. That will be about it.

So, to wrap this rant up, I had the option to buy another miata or get my MCS. THe miata probably would have been cheaper, and no wait. Notice i am driving the MCS....

good luck!

-jac

 

Thank you for the heads-up on the Motoringfile review. I generally agree with the points made in the Motoringfile review, which was the reason for starting this thread - to get confirmation of my perception.

 

fishbulb, thank you for taking the time to compare the MCS vs the Miata. You had more useful information in your response (for my purposes) than the Motoringfile review. At the moment, my greatest concern about the NC Miata is the problematic roll bar installation (no parcel shelf for a traditional roll bar installation). I have been exchanging e-mails with Bethania Garage (mfr. of the Hard Dog roll bars); and while they are hopeful about being able to offer a roll bar solution for the NC Miata, none is available at present.

I REALLY appreciate your response; it confirmed some of my initial impressions from the brief test drive that I was able to do with the car. Your comments regarding what modifications would give the greatest fun factor also confirmed my beliefs based on my prior experience with modding my C5 Corvette - sometimes what results from the modding experience can be too much for fun. And, at the end of the day, I am more concerned with fun factor than maximizing performance. I guess I will just have to see what sorts out regarding being able to add a roll bar to the car. If the roll bar issue gets resolved, there is a very high probability that a MX-5 will be sharing garage space with my MCSa. Thanks again for your response.

 

I went thru a similar process. Drove both but fell for the MINI. Hard.
The MX-5 is very cool, but two things pushed me over. It (MX-5) is, generally, a lot like a few other cars: The Honda S2000, the BMW Roadster, the discontinued Toyota roadster, the Solstice, etc. The MINI is flat like no other. If quirky uniqueness means anything to you, score 10 points for the MINI. If not, proceed to point #2 anyway.

Second, the suffocating (for me) lack of space. Both leg room and "behind me" room. That lack of space behind the front seats felt really confining to me. And the ability to fold down the little rear seats and load the thing up is a HUGE plus, especially if the MINI is your one and only set of wheels.

Ok, one more thing. The MINI was just more of a hoot to drive. A little firmer and harsher, yes. But also much more unique and fun. And guess which one gets the most looks and grins. Both outside the car...and inside!

Gotta go with the MINI.

 

all i have to say is i like my MINI it get attention way more than a miata would...... when i tell my friends i was think about a miata they told me i made the right choice

 

eerr...No? or Hell No. one or the other

 

Space on the NC (2006+) MX-5 seems to have improved over earlier editions. The NA and NB were cars that you put on (similar to the Lotus Elise). The NC allows me (6'1" 190 lbs) to actually get in it. (With the top up, even....) The one thing that will cause me to pass on the MX-5 that is on order is the inability to mount a roll bar. So far, Bethania Garage is still thinking about how they can get a roll bar to fit the NC MX-5. They have approximately 2 more months to figure out how to solve the problem.

Firmer and harsher are relative. Lose the runflats and go to 16 inch /50 series tires and you will be amazed with the difference. For that improvement alone, I will gladly carry two can of fix-a-flat and a portable compressor on long trips. Or, I will get an extra full size spare tire/wheel and put it in the storage area in back of the front seats in the MINI.

 

Porsche has and continues to claim that they are the most profitable auto manufacturer in the world. Of course, this doesn't mean they make the most money, perhaps thats BMW now, although, I thought it was Toyota. If there not anymore its probably because they are dumping a couple of billion every year on racing to little effect. Anyhoo, the Porsche claim is based on ROI. As a percentage of investment, they are the champions, or so they claim.

 

One in terms of ROI as a percentange, and one based on gross $. Both are the "best" but use different yardsticks.

The games you can play with numbers...... Just ask the Prez and Congress!

Matt

 

Well, yes there are games you can play with numbers, but the real scam is the spinning that is done to twist what the numbers are saying - especially where the Prez and Congress are concerned.... Is it the war on terror or a 1/2 Trillion $ boondoggle/adventure/[supply your own term]????