On our last visit up north, Kate and I were afforded a night out for our anniversery by way of some free baby sitting from Grammie Cass. Kate, wanting to make the night something a little different (and knowing her husband very well), arranged us some transport, a Mazda Miata (also courtesy of Grammie Cass).
So the top was down and the transmisssion was manual and we were off!
The first thing you notice as a driver, besides the very cool gauges, is the short throw in the shifter. It’s the smallest shifter I’ve ever used outside a video arcade, and it makes for very quick gear changes.
Driving top down in a car even shorter than my own provides a great sense of speed without actually needing to speed. It reminds me of sitting on a skateboard and rolling down a huge hill. Your velocity is the same as if you weren’t so low, but you feel like you’re moving through hyperspace.
Handing is go-kart like (although the turning radius was not as small as the Honda Fit we just drove). Manuvering in parking lots was easy.
The convertable top is manually opperated, but very easy to put up and down. Kate and I had it up and locked into place in seconds. I believe the newer Miatas have a power-operated hard top option, but the manual is easy enough to operate, so I doubt the hard top could be worth the added weight.
Speaking of weight, this car had none. There’s very much a feeling that all unnecessary weight has been removed. It also has no trunk space, which would make it hard to transport things like groceries. Groceries add weight, which would slow you down on track day, so I understand what Mazda’s engineers were thinking.
I hereby confess: I use to think that the Miata was exclusively a car for the ladies and for the mid-life crisis set. I just didn’t know! I’m so sorry! In fact it’s a very fun to drive and well engineered vehicle.
The thing that makes it not right for us is the lack of back seat. Our new family member makes us three, and the number of available seats in the Miata is two. The trunk and storage space options are also small, making trips to Home Depot difficult.
But that’s not the kind of car this is – it’s a great car for a night on the town, a day at the track, or a commute to work.
ps. the photo above is not how I drove my mother-in-law’s car…..but it was the coolest photo that came up when you searched for ‘Blue Miata’ on flickr.
pps. Thanks Cheech :)
:)
I have to say pat i sweeled with pride at the thought of you blazing down the road sideways with your ROCK ON fingers pointing to the sky. sad to see it wasnt real but it does bring back some fond memories….