2006 MX-5: More Miata, Minus the Name August 13, 2006
The 2006 MX-5 is an exceptional sports roadster, one certainly worthy of carrying on its predecessor?s reputation. Unless, that is, you have spent much time behind the wheel of the original.
FIRST, a disclaimer: I am a former Mazda Miata owner and a confirmed lover of the breed of sports cars it represents. So the opinions expressed henceforth must be weighed against the reality that the 2006 MX-5 is an exceptional sports roadster, one certainly worthy of carrying on its predecessor?s reputation.
Unless, that is, you have spent much time behind the wheel of the original.
The best way I can explain the transformation of the old Miata into the new MX-5 is to count cup holders. In 1990, Mazda introduced its roadster with none; today, the car has four, though still only two seats.
An increase in cup holders is not a bad thing in and of itself, but it is indicative of a confused philosophy behind the car?s first top-to-bottom redesign in 17 years. While more car is the industry?s typical way of delivering year-to-year improvement, the Miata always served another master.
A sizable contingent is attracted to the car?s diminutive size and weight, factors most crucial in authenticating any sports car. But if the purists claim that more is less ? and I count myself among their numbers ? others just want to fit into the car. If you are over six feet tall, that has been a challenge in the Miata.
So the MX-5 has grown. It is about two inches longer than the previous model and an inch and a half wider. Its wheelbase has been stretched 2.5 inches. Thankfully, the car still feels small and any weight increase is nominal. Give Mazda whatever credit you think it deserves for this engineering feat, but if ever there was a time to shed a few of the car?s 2,500 pounds, this was it.
Too bad, as I had hoped Mazda might try to make some serious inroads on the Lotus Elise?s lowest-in-class curb weight (1,984 pounds). Instead, the engineers in Hiroshima opted for more power, replacing the Miata?s venerable 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine with a new 2-liter unit that makes 170 horsepower, an increase of 28 over the old engine.
This 20 percent gain means the front-engine, rear-drive MX-5 is now fast enough to satisfy those who regarded the Miata as an accessory for secretaries and trophy wives. In a 0-to-60 test, Road & Track magazine clocked the MX-5 at 7.0 seconds.
To further entice those looking for a more masculine car, the MX-5 has adopted some design elements from the Mazda RX-8. While flared fenders certainly make the baby in Mazda?s lineup look more grown-up and aggressive, they ignore a fundamental reason the Miata was a brilliant success. Strange as this sounds, it was popular precisely because it wasn?t much to look at.
The original Miata may have been kind of cute, but its real visual appeal came from what it wasn?t ? it was not plain, pretentious or extroverted. Simple and functional in and out, it never made the kind of polarizing statement that so many sports cars adopt. In a Miata, you actually had a chance of talking your way out of a speeding ticket.
The original car?s smooth, curved design and minimalist interior are still effortlessly contemporary today. By contrast, the MX-5 is trying hard to be hip. Note that the Miata badge has disappeared from the car, leaving the sort of alphanumeric label so trendy today. The interior?s pastiche of shapes and textures is adventurous, but it?s far from attractive. Particularly offensive is a burnt-sienna interior option that goes by the name of ?saddle tan.? It adds color to the list of clashing attributes in the cockpit.
Even sticking with fabric seats and an all-black interior, you?ll be stuck with the car?s horse-collar instrument panel and shiny plastic dashboard trim. Combined with the rest of the hard plastic inside the car, the overall effect just looks cheap.
Once out on the road, the car?s styling miscues are easily forgiven. The suspension is wonderfully balanced and the steering is quick. The shift action of the manual transmission is as perfect as ever. None of the driving dynamics that made the Miata a favorite of autocrossers and spec racers were forgotten in the redesign. At a starting price of $20,995, the MX-5 is still a whole lot of affordable fun ? just not enough to make me like it better than the original.
- Posted in : Mazda,Uncategorized
- Author : arnold
Comments»
no comments yet - be the first?