The Mazda Miata: Legendary or not?

[McLaren]

What is wrong with you people. Just acting plain ignorant. I know the car is popular all over the world. It doesnt mean its legendary. Also this is a matter of OPINION as to what one person may think is legendary as to what someone else may think.

Terrific ending sentence with those first 2. Irony at its best.

 

[12thgear]

Niky I'm glad you summed up so much of why I love the Miata. Lightness is a key to me, and the stories regarding what Mazda did to the NC to keep it light while being forced to update the car to more modern standards are great too. It's just a great car to drive and it's so balanced too.

Simple =/= poor engineering is an important point too. The NC power retractable hard top is still pretty light, and part of that is elegantly straightforward engineering in the folding roof design. Even among supercars, a lot of people more knowledgeable about cars than I appreciate somewhat "simple" cars such as the Ferrari F40 and McLaren F1.

 

[niky]

The PRHT (Power Retractable Hardtop) Folding roof is a marvel to watch in action, and was, at the time it was launched, the fastest on the market. Simple, clever, two piece design... great looking, and took up very little cargo space. And it's light, too.

 

[fitftw]

The PRHT NC is heavy as all hell compared to the base NA. Mine's around 2100lbs now, a PRHT NC is over 450lbs heavier, with something like 35-40 more HP.

Anything over 2,500lbs is considered porky by me. This is why I love GT, because it goes overboard on the amount of lightweight Japanese 90's cars that I love.

 

[niky]

Heavier, yes, but with an extra 400cc, bigger wheels, an extra gear, a million times the structural rigidity... It's twice as fast to 100 km/h, and much better sorted around the racetrack. Sadly, the steering isn't as good, but that's progress...

 

[fitftw]

with frame rails, butterfly brace, rollbar, hardtop, upgraded swaybars and tires and coilovers, a 1.8L NA Miata would be just as well-suited on a track as any NC. I'd take on any non-boosted NC anytime.

 

[zr1chris]

Actually. It does mean that it's legendary.

But fine, I'll bite. What are your "criteria" for making a car a legend? No more pedantic, tunnel visioned retorts. What tests must a car pass to be considered a legend in your book? Hopefully we can put this ridiculousness to rest.

A car has to pass more than one test. The only test that the Miata passes is that its one of the best grassroots racers. Thats it. Its not a beautiful piece of art. Its not fast. Its not luxurious. Its not ahead of its time. Im not saying it has to pass all of the tests but it has to do more than one thing.

How about this: Why is the 57 Chevy legendary? What changes did it bring to automotive society? How long was it in production () and still being the best at what it is meant to do?

What made a 57 Chevy any more special than any other barge of its day?

The 57 Chevy is the car that set the standards for styling.
http://www.legendarycollectorcars.com/featured-vehicles/show-cars/1957-chevrolet-bel-air/

 

[Dragonistic]

The 57 Chevy is the car that set the standards for styling.
http://www.legendarycollectorcars.com/featured-vehicles/show-cars/1957-chevrolet-bel-air/

And passeds no other 'test', and didn't even pass that test on a global scale. Thereby it only passed one test and can't be given legendary status by your own criteria.

 

[zr1chris]

And passeds no other 'test', and didn't even pass that test on a global scale. Thereby it only passed one test and can't be given legendary status by your own criteria.

Its also the car that made the Chevy V8 famous.

 

[Famine]

Its not ahead of its time.

Really?

Only the car introduced in 1989 is still being built to the same formula (Jinba ittai) twenty two years later and relaunched the entire sector of not only small convertible cars but the convertible segment as a whole worldwide.


Seems pretty ahead of its time to me.

 

[Dragonistic]

Its also the car that made the Chevy V8 famous.

Not really, I think the Corvette has rights to that claim and even so the Chevy V8s still aren't particularly famous outside of the US yet again. When somebody says Chevy V8 almost all people will think Corvette or Camaro.

 

[zr1chris]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-IkF4_iGBY Language warning

LOL!!!!!!!!

 

[BloodyPenguin]

I think Miatas are Legendary. They have a huge following in racing and in the aftermarket world.

I also might be biased....

..

 

[zr1chris]

Really?

Only the car introduced in 1989 is still being built to the same formula (Jinba ittai) twenty two years later and relaunched the entire sector of not only small convertible cars but the convertible segment as a whole worldwide.


Seems pretty ahead of its time to me.

The Fiero and MR2 were ahead of the Miata and ahead of their time. So far ahead that they werent ready to be embraced by most people. Only after they were gone did people start to appreciate them.

 

[Famine]

And neither managed to launch an entire segment (how many affordable mid-rear cars are there on the market today?), nor survived beyond a paltry five years - Toyota changed the formula of the MR2 away from lightness towards big power and then had to change it back again, before finally killing it off, whereas Pontiac just killed the Fiero dead in four years.

Whereas the MX-5 was replaced after nine years with a model that was exactly the same as it apart from headlights, door handles and slightly bigger wheels. And that was replaced after eight years with a model that was at least physically different but still managed to stick to the original brief. Here we are 22 years down the line and they're just talking of replacing it again, but with another, very similar iteration that's slightly lighter...

 

[fitftw]

how is the Miata NOT legendary? It has outlasted every other import sports car besides the Skyline. And I strongly believe the Miata will out-live the Skyline. MX-5 has passion, soul, and purpose. It is a necessary vehicle in our world. If there are to be cars, there are to be Miatas.

It appeals to everyone. Women like the convertible aspect, men like the handling prowess that can't be beat for the price.

It's cheap, easy as hell to work on, rev-happy, looks great, reliable also. Mine has 81k. I bought it with 70k for $4,000 1.5 years ago. Only thing I had to do was replace the cat (with a test pipe now), the battery, and the clutch slave cylinder. That's it.

 

[Azure Flare]

I feel like getting in on this argument, but I can't be bothered to.

 

[fitftw]

article about the 2012 ND Miata http://blog.caranddriver.com/a-2000-pound-mazda-mx-5-miata-dont-count-on-it/

It will be lighter than the current model, but only by 50-100lbs.

 

[CodeRedR51]

article about the 2012 ND Miata http://blog.caranddriver.com/a-2000-pound-mazda-mx-5-miata-dont-count-on-it/

It will be lighter than the current model, but only by 50-100lbs.

Way too many rumors circulating right now, can't really believe any of them until we see the car.

 

[eSZee]

with frame rails, butterfly brace, rollbar, hardtop, upgraded swaybars and tires and coilovers, a 1.8L NA Miata would be just as well-suited on a track as any NC. I'd take on any non-boosted NC anytime.

Ugh, and I can add mods to some other car and make it even better, what's your point? This is stock vs stock, not modified vs stock.

 

[Crispy]

Its also the car that made the Chevy V8 famous.

Yet many countries when you mention a Chevy V8, they think of Corvette or Camaro. Do you want me to go ask my friend in England this? Because I'm sure you'll deny this being true.

The Fiero or MR2 aren't legendary either. How many Mid-Rear cars do you see on the road that are available to the general public? NONE! The Miata revived an entire series of cars not seen since the 70's, thats why its legendary. It may not be legendary like a Porsche 959 or Ferrari F40 is, but those cars aren't legendary in the same way as each other either.

 

[Zenith]

The 57 Chevy is the car that set the standards for styling.
http://www.legendarycollectorcars.com/featured-vehicles/show-cars/1957-chevrolet-bel-air/

So basically what you just did there was Google "1957 Chevy Bel Air Legendary" and found some guy's blog with the word legendary in the title.

 

[McLaren]

A car has to pass more than one test. The only test that the Miata passes is that its one of the best grassroots racers. Thats it. Its not a beautiful piece of art. Its not fast. Its not luxurious. Its not ahead of its time. Im not saying it has to pass all of the tests but it has to do more than one thing.

Wrong. It's not about any of those things. It's about being a great driver's vehicle for being a cheap & simple car. Most people think you have to buy something really fast to get that. Obviously, you do to.

What you also listed goes against the 57 Chevy. It doesn't pass anything but being a popular, historic American car, but that's just in the US.

The 57 Chevy is the car that set the standards for styling.
http://www.legendarycollectorcars.com/featured-vehicles/show-cars/1957-chevrolet-bel-air/

Styling is not a criteria for legendary, esp. in the automotive world where it changes rather often.

Only Lamborghini gets away with it.

 

[Crispy]

Wrong. It's not about any of those things. It's about being a great driver's vehicle for being a cheap & simple car. Most people think you have to buy something really fast to get that. Obviously, you do to.

What you also listed goes against the 57 Chevy. It doesn't pass anything but being a popular, historic American car, but that's just in the US.

Styling is not a criteria for legendary, esp. in the automotive world where it changes rather often.

Only Lamborghini gets away with it.

And Pagani!

 

[AOS-]

I hope you guys have realized that zr1chris hasn't fully understood the definition of "Legendary".

Most of us are saying that the Miata is legendary... at a social and car-cultural standpoint. Whereas he's only defining "legendary" as cars that are easily recognizable or notable from an engineering standpoint.

 

[Zenith]

I hope you guys have realized that zr1chris hasn't fully understood the definition of "Legendary".

Nah, he just changes it whenever we prove him wrong.

 

[176OES]

I'm voting in the negative.

This is going to ruffle the feathers of the fanboys, but tough luck.

I dont care how good their owners think they are, I dont care how many sold, I dont care if the style hasnt been dramatically changed, and I dont care what other reasons may be given.

Modern roadsters are the limp wristed laughing stocks of the performance car world which is no surprise why they generally attract a very feminine demographic of buyers (from both sides of the gender fence)

Any discerning buyer looking for a performance oriented vehicle needs their head checked if they consider a vehicle without a roof (reduced chassis rigidity) and lawnmower-like power to be acceptable in terms of desirability when it comes to spirited motoring.

The only 3 things they have going for them is light, rwd, and cheap.

And before anyone asks, yes.. I have driven one. Numerous times. And the truth is I found it was so underwhelming its not funny. You have to thrash the living daylights out of it to even get anything which resembles enjoyable driving... and then what happens if you want more? Tough luck... its got no more thanks to that pathetic excuse for a powerplant which mazda somehow deemed acceptable.

If they had added a proper hardtop to the line and also offered a better engine alternative, I probably would be singing a totally different tune. Mazda built its performance reputation on the back of the rotary engine. why they didnt see fit to put it into the MX5/Miata is a mystery. But, that just wasnt in their business plan I guess.

 

[fitftw]

^ you do know you can swap in a LS1,3,6 V8 motor into a Miata relatively easily? Or super/turbocharge it, or 13b swap, or F20C swap, etc there's a number of swaps and information out there.

This one is gorgeous:

 

[176OES]

by that rationale, you can modify any car and make it better.

why bother doing that with a Miata when you can use a Nissan S13 chassis and have a far better vehicle

Why couldnt Mazda just do it right in the first place? That would have made it a legendary car.

 

[CodeRedR51]

I'm voting in the negative.

This is going to ruffle the feathers of the fanboys, but tough luck.

I dont care how good their owners think they are, I dont care how many sold, I dont care if the style hasnt been dramatically changed, and I dont care what other reasons may be given.

Modern roadsters are the limp wristed laughing stocks of the performance car world which is no surprise why they generally attract a very feminine demographic of buyers (from both sides of the gender fence)

Any discerning buyer looking for a performance oriented vehicle needs their head checked if they consider a vehicle without a roof (reduced chassis rigidity) and lawnmower-like power to be acceptable in terms of desirability when it comes to spirited motoring.

The only 3 things they have going for them is light, rwd, and cheap.

And before anyone asks, yes.. I have driven one. Numerous times. And the truth is I found it was so underwhelming its not funny. You have to thrash the living daylights out of it to even get anything which resembles enjoyable driving... and then what happens if you want more? Tough luck... its got no more thanks to that pathetic excuse for a powerplant which mazda somehow deemed acceptable.

If they had added a proper hardtop to the line and also offered a better engine alternative, I probably would be singing a totally different tune. Mazda built its performance reputation on the back of the rotary engine. why they didnt see fit to put it into the MX5/Miata is a mystery. But, that just wasnt in their business plan I guess.

Wow, your post is FULL of FAIL.