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Old 03-04-2007, 02:00 PM
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Arrow Mazda mainstreams the Miata

Introduced last year as a 2006 model, Mazda???‚¬?„?s third generation MX-5 (the new Miata) continued the iconic roadster???‚¬?„?s nature of slicing through traffic, carving backroad corners, perfectly apexing on-ramps, and doing it all with scalpel-like precision. But can it do all of these things in a cold, wintry December? Well, the answer is yes and no. Although generally considered a second car, a fair-weather toy to be played with on sunny summer weekends, a few brave owners have thrown on snow tires, a removable hardtop and a couple of sandbags in the trunk and proceeded to play in the snow and ice. Recently some of my colleagues have written a fair bit on how with the addition of the power retractable hard top (PRHT) the MX-5 is now truly a four-season car. As you may already know, Mazda announced earlier this year that for 2007 they would add the trick folding hardtop to the MX-5 lineup, increasing its curb weight by a mere 80 pounds or so without taking up any valuable real estate in the trunk. A few people wondered why Mazda would add unnecessary weight to the MX-5, whose engineers are so obsessed with lightness they even shaved precious grams from the rearview mirror. Still, they produced it. In fact, until the end it was unclear that a retractable hardtop was in the running. Rumours abounded for years about Mazda producing a Miata coupe, although the PRHT is a nice compromise. With the top up or down the car looks fantastic, and overall the new body style is very pleasing to the eye, although it could use a bit more aggression. Mazdaspeed does make a beautiful body kit, consisting of front and rear bumpers and side skirts that add that aggressive nature.

Since my goal was test the MX-5???‚¬?„?s winter viability, I was able to borrow one from Mazda outfitted with a set of Pirelli 240 snow sport high performance snow tires on the stock 17-inch rims. Oddly enough, in the winter months they don???‚¬?„?t get a lot of requests for the MX-5, so it was arranged that I would have one for two weeks. A sporty GS finished in copper red that comes standard with dynamic stability control, traction control, as well as a limited slip differential (LSD) was delivered, so I was well prepared for anything that winter could throw at me. However, the weather neglected to cooperate, so in my two weeks with the car I ended up having only the first two days to try it on heavily snow-covered roads. On my second night with the car I picked my son up from school while it snowed, the kind of heavy wet snow that really slushes up the roads.

The MX-5 handled it all with ease. I then tried to find the heaviest snow covered roads I could, to really get a feel for things. The DSC kept everything in check, even when I purposely pushed the car too hard around corners, trying to upset it. I even started in first gear with the DSC disabled, and as long as I was light with the throttle, starting off wasn???‚¬?„?t a problem and wheel slip was kept to a minimum, even in three-inch deep snow on a slight incline. Trying to take a corner too fast would result in the car understeering, but driving normally was just fine without the DSC enabled. Giving the MX-5 lots of throttle and countersteering, especially around corners, was just plain fun. I also drew a lot of looks, most of which seemed to express amusement at the crazy guy in the sports car forced to drive it in this weather. Although, I would no doubt cringe while driving around on the salted roads if the car were mine. After living in the white stuff for a couple of days I certainly think the MX-5 is a four-season car, but tire choice is critical as I was most certainly helped by the fantastic Pirelli snow tires. Still, I really would have liked to test the MX-5 some more in various winter conditions. I even drove up to North Bay for a weekend to visit my mom and there was no snow up there either. If it sounds like I???‚¬?„?m complaining it shouldn???‚¬?„?t, since I actually put the top down twice, which in December is something to write about. I kept the windows and windblocker up though, while keeping the heat cranked. But still, it???‚¬?„?s December!

So for the rest of the two weeks it was all dry roads and unseasonably warm temperatures, perfect for 8/10ths driving that I thought I wouldn???‚¬?„?t get to do again until May. The 166-horsepower all-aluminum DOHC 2.0-litre engine is sweet. It revs freely, moving the little roadster very quickly and sounding fantastic, just as a small four-cylinder roadster should; raspy under full throttle, with a nice burble under lighter loads. You really hear the engine and exhaust while in the MX-5, just the way it should be in any sports car. Fuel economy is actually pretty good too, but it does require premium fuel and the tank is a bit small. You don???‚¬?„?t sit in the MX-5 as so much wear it, which helps since it???‚¬?„?s like an extension of the driver. The composure of the chassis is absolutely fantastic, especially since it???‚¬?„?s matched with perfect steering that has such incredible road feel, an immediate change of direction is a quick flick of the wheel away. The shifter is the best I have tested, in any car at any price. It???‚¬?„?s just pure joy to row through the gears, and when paired with perfectly placed pedals, heel and toe downshifts can be executed with precision. The brakes are excellent, but the car dives a bit under really hard braking. It???‚¬?„?s also easy to steer the MX-5 with the throttle. Push a bit too hard on an off-ramp, for example, and step the rear end out ever so slightly, you just need to ease off the throttle a bit and the nose will tuck back in tightening the car back to your intended line. The MX-5 is geared quite high for snappier acceleration and getting to 100 km/h requires two shifts. Even with the six-speed manual, the engine revs quite high on the highway and top speed is a redline limited 206 km/h (128 mph). But the MX-5 is certainly not some high-strung sports car, and around town it???‚¬?„?s easy to drive.

There is nothing, not the chassis, not the steering, not the engine, not the transmission, that is the least bit disappointing in the MX-5 when you drive it hard. The problems arise when you decide to drive it really hard. Since it was introduced in 1989, one of the MX-5 Miata???‚¬?„?s outstanding abilities was to perform at a level comparable to much more expensive and powerful cars in just about any motorsports discipline, short of drag racing or keeping up on long straights. A Miata???‚¬?„?s owner could just throw on a set of R-compound tires and start winning events. The redesigned second-generation car that debuted in 1999 was even better. But while the new car is certainly better than the previous one on the street, it is lacking on the track. It???‚¬?„?s just too soft for hardcore autoslalom or track use, and at the 2006 SCCA Solo 2 nationals the new MX-5 just wasn???‚¬?„?t competitive.

If you aren???‚¬?„?t like me, mind you, and don???‚¬?„?t want to spend as much time possible competing with your car, the new MX-5 is perfectly fun to drive. It???‚¬?„?s a roadster for everyday use, even in the winter. The 2007 MX-5 prices start at a very reasonable $28,095, with GS trim starting at $31,195. The car that I drove for two weeks was optioned out with A/C for $1,000, plus $2,195 for the PRHT and $105 for the Copper Red paint, which brought the MSRP up to $34,495. However, a well-designed fun to drive roadster that offers clever packaging, quality materials, and one of the best chassis???‚¬?„? out there, wasn???‚¬?„?t enough to keep the MX-5 at the top of the affordable sports car heap. The Pontiac Solstice, which is stunningly beautiful and a very decent roadster, but does possess some serious compromises and questionable interior pieces, outsold the MX-5 in the U.S. last year by more than 3,000 units. That doesn???‚¬?„?t even include the ***y hard-edged Saturn Sky, whose looks I prefer to the Solstice.

Speaking of the Sky Red Line, while I don???‚¬?„?t think the MX-5 needs to be a point and shoot horsepower monster, nor do I want Mazda to ruin the lightweight tossibility of the car, I am convinced that they need to make this the next model they send to Mazdaspeed. The chassis is simply so good (just stiffen the suspension) that it could easily handle a 50-60 horsepower bump (MZR DISI Turbo) and not be overwhelmed. Price it under $40,000 and not only target the Sky Red Line/Solstice GXP but also the Honda S2000 as well. While I didn???‚¬?„?t get to test the MX-5 for two straight weeks of a traditional Canadian winter like I had hoped, I think that I was able to achieve a somewhat accurate picture of how living with an MX-5 all year round would be.?‚

Specifications

Price range: $28,095 - $37,645

Body Type: 2-door roadster

Layout: front engine, RWD

Engine: 166-hp, 140 lb-ft of torque, 2.0L, 16-valve DOHC I-4

Transmission: 5-spd manual

Brakes (front/rear): disc/disc, ABS

Dimensions (L/W/H/WB): 3,990 / 1,720 / 1,255 / 2,330 mm (157.1 / 67.7 / 49.4 / 91.7 in)

Curb Weight: 1,183 kg (2,608 lbs)

Tires: 205/45R17

Cargo Volume (trunk): 150 L (5.3 cu-ft)

Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 9.7 / 7.2 L/100 km

Warranty (mo/km): 36/80,000 comprehensive ???‚¬??? 60/100,000 powertrain

Source: [url=http://www.vicnews.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=36&cat=46&id=843979&more=]Victoria News[/url]
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