Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) The Ubiquitous MX-5

SWMBO has an MX5 2 litre Tech Sport with the folding hardtop. Sorry to offend the purists, but it does everything at least twice as well as the Morgan and costs half the price!
Roadster service on 19/5/11 £600.00 (no additional work)
MX5 service on 15/6/11 £159.00 (no additional work).
Individuality has a high price.

A Casio G-Shock tells the time more accurately than my Swiss mechanical watch; however, that is only part of the story.

I'm certainly not a purist, nor offended by your comments; however, I think a new owner of a Morgan would have to be extremely ill informed to go into first time ownership expecting it to be cheaper to run than a mass produced car.

As for doing "everything twice as well", I'm not sure what you are referring to? Handles twice as well? Is twice as fast? Is twice as reliable? Gets twice the attention? Gives twice the pleasure when being driven? I'd be interest to hear.

My 997 Turbo was faster than my Aero and certainly more sure footed. Quality of the product was certainly superior; however, none of those things made it twice the car or make me feel it did everything the Morgan did twice as well.

Well, I'd count myself as a purist and I agree- The MX5 is the car the British motor industry should have built and never did. At the risk of offending anyone, I still think it is amazing how they could, instead, offer the TR7 ( even if it had had any kind of reliability- which it didn't)

I've owned a couple of MX5s ( Miata. Eunos) and while I don't think one CAN do any kind of direct comparison with a Morgan what both cars have in common is that they are fun and that, surely, must be what sports car driving is all about
regards,
G

A wise choral voice cries out from the valleys of Wales

I try to limit ny 'wise and sensible' persona to one day every six months plus certain public holidays. Any more than that, I can't take the strain!

When the MX5 was released I read an article from the Sunday Times on how Mazda did their market research. Apparently in California they drive the MX behind a Triumph Spitfire and judged peoples reactions. If you look at the dimensions of the two they are almost exactly the same, even the performance of the MK1 MX was comparable.

Just one difference really, one modern car built by people who did care, one out of date, long in the tooth and chucked together by Red Robo and his mates.

Unfortunately all though I cut out article and had it for years it is now long gone, a bit like the British motor industry...... except Morgan of course!

I've still never managed to drive one. Do like the Mk 1 in base spec.

I'm also told that it's wrong to like that chestnut interior and the dodgy wood, but I rather do...

Ive got a nice 1.6 Euphonic with 46K in silver .black and red leather heated seats etc...If anyone wants a standby car..

There are two seater convertible cars to suit every taste. Not all are sports cars in the traditional sense - light weight - minimal gadgets - but each one will provide pleasure in its own way. My regret is that we don't get enough time (in years) to own every one we like. Traditional British stuff from the likes of BL is slowly losing mass appeal - in my early twenties I used to look at (say) the MGTC, and think 'why would anybody want one of these?' Thirty years on, and having had MGB's most of my adult life, I look at MGB(1800's) and can see that they have become what the TC was in the seventies. I must have moved on.
Soft sports cars have little appeal to me. I really don't want power everything, and no character flaws.

I much prefer cars which don't have popular appeal, and Morgan is clearly one. So is TVR. I like Caterhams, but the practicality falls below the line.

Which 'Classics' should I have owned but probably never will?
Air Cooled 911
TR5 or 6
Lotus Elan Sprint
TVR350T
AC Ace (Hawk 289)
AC 428 Frua

And probably lots more.
So in summary - I think it's really what you get out of your car that really matters - pleasure & satisfaction.

On more than one occasion I have wondered if en engine transplant form an MX5 would be doable if (when) my CVH ever has a major failing.

I quite liked my old eunos.....