Buying an MX-5

[biteme]

Originally posted by Hotgemini
biteme: Having carefully followed the progress of your car's build for the last few years... I feel I can safely speak on behalf of the entire car modifiying community when I say "Failing to road register the MG may render you impotent"

I really can't see your concern, the MG looks like the perfect practical all-rounder car. Good power for overtaking in traffic for commuting, plenty of torque for towing a 6x9 box trailer to the dump, convertible so it'd make a nice car for crusing around with the missus, nice suspension to make a good car to run through the hills and good brakes to make it safe for carrying around any offspring.

Thanks and LOL. Impotence will upset the wife So perhaps I should pursue it. Mind you I still need to get it bloody finished off the road first. Cost is the big bugbear in getting it regoed, I kinda lost contact with the mob who were doing the engineering.

B

[mad]

The MX5 outhandles the 180? interesting comparo but nonetheless makes me want to try one out. Always liked the look of em, even as impractical as they are. Missus will certainly like it.

[biteme]

Originally posted by mad
The MX5 outhandles the 180? interesting comparo but nonetheless makes me want to try one out. Always liked the look of em, even as impractical as they are. Missus will certainly like it.

The 180 felt stiff and tight but it's height made it seem a lot less responsive to steering input and more roll. I also found the FWD and 180hp disconcerting, with direction change on throttle.

I guess I don't like FWD, but the MX-5 is far less compromised than the GTI 180. The MX5 we are getting has fairly dead tyres and yet I reckon it would eat the 180 on a twisty road.

I'd also like to say that moving to Berowra seems like a really good idea now (right near the old pacific highway for non-Sydney siders).

B

[Nafe]

Originally posted by Babalouie
Creepy...I work for HP too....Nth Ryde office tho. Heaps of MX5s here, about 5 in the carpark at last count. Mine is the most modified of course :D

Maybe I should go work at HP, people seem to have really fun cars.....or weird French ones.......hmmmm :p

[The Pupat]

Originally posted by mad
The MX5 outhandles the 180? interesting comparo but nonetheless makes me want to try one out. Always liked the look of em, even as impractical as they are. Missus will certainly like it.

Even though I haven't driven a GTi180 or a 206GTi for that matter I have driven a couple of late model pug sedans, namely 405 and 306 and both of which are killed by a '92 mx-5 as far as handling is concerned. Especially considering the mx-5 has shagged out shocks and crappy rubber on it. So I wouldn't feel too bad making the assumption a new mx-5 would outhandle a 206GTi180, and I'm a reknown pug lover :D .

[Cal]

I think it depends on the conditions Josh. Most places my MX5 will crap all over the Mi16, however on a wet, bumpy, unfamiliar twisty road at night, going for it, I'll take the Pug thanks.

Cal.

[ViNcEnXo]

I know MX5's aren't the most powerful cars in the world... (That's CTR-600) but are they very stable in the rear?

[DaiOni]

Yes, in my experience - but it'll happily step out if you want it to (that's in regards to my old one). The newer ones seem much more stable - which I found rather a shame - much harder to upset it, which almost made it a bit boring.

[The Pupat]

depends upon how bad your tyres are. In the dry mine doesn't move. In the wet you need to be a little more careful about pedal pressure.


Cal: Never tried a good sporty pug, pity I never test drove a good Mi16.

[vrfour]

As the Pupat says, virtually impossible to get oversteer in dry conditions, and even in the wet, you have to be trying pretty hard...

[Cal]

Originally posted by The Pupat
Cal: Never tried a good sporty pug, pity I never test drove a good Mi16.

Have a drive of mine sometime.

Cal.

[Cal]

Disagree about the oversteer in the dry boys. It is very hard to get mine to brake away in the dry because it has Azenis RS, Tein coilovers and most importantly, a full chassis brace. A standard car however wags it's tail like a dog. Perhaps more entertaining at the end of the day.

Cal.

[The Pupat]

Dunno I find mine is hard to get it to let go and I would think you'd have trouble finding worse tyres than mine, but then it might have something to do with what I think is the shocks letting it float around and me not have big enough balls.

[DaiOni]

foot full of throttle and a shimmy of the steering wheel was all it took in mine - dead stock 90 model (JDM - so maybe 10 more kw, bilsteins) I can't remember the tyres though - either so-so new falkens or blizzak snow tyres :p (probably the latter, in the dry)
During 'typical' driving it was very well behaved.

I recall trying to make an 02 (may have been 01) model do the same - it was much harder to do

[edo]

Every MX5 Ive ever driven (incl the one I owned) did exactly what I wanted it to do, when I wanted it to. Except go fast in a straight line