- 11,708
- Marin County
God I love that Peugeot. I might honestly try to get one stateside. I could theoretically register one in Nevada...though it would not be legal in CA without significant added expense.
Well mine is legal next year and if you twist my arm hard enough maybe you could buy this very one I've mulled the idea of shipping it out to the US to do a road trip (rather than say, buying a car out there to do a trip in) but obviously that's pretty expensive, not least because I'd have to then ship it back again, but then if I didn't have to do that and came back with a bunch of extra money it might make the decision easierGod I love that Peugeot. I might honestly try to get one stateside. I could theoretically register one in Nevada...though it would not be legal in CA without significant added expense.
I can't decide if I like the 205 or 106 better. The 106 has a more tidy design (IMO) but the 205 has more identity. I'd guess that the 106 is built better simply because it's newer and I think the interior is marginally nicer to look at. Looking around to see what's actually available in the US, 205s are surprisingly inexpensive...I don't think they are on anyone's radar here. They weren't part of the Gran Turismo class (I don't think a 205 GTI has ever appeared in a GT title) and Peugeot as a brand is pretty unknown outside of maybe the SF Bay area and parts of New England where they actually sold in decent numbers in the 70s & 80s. But even those were all 504, 505, and 405 Saloon/Sedans/Wagons...never hatchbacks. A EF or EG Chassis Honda Civic is probably as much fun (particular with some form of Vtec engine) better quality, and a whole hell of a lot easier to own in the US...but they feel derivative of European hatches where a 205 or 106 feels like the genuine article...they also have the Honda tuner baggage...How would you compare a R56 Mini or 500 Abarth to your 106? Those seem to be the closest modern vehicles to those old Euro hatches, but I'm not crazy about their nostalgic styling.Well mine is legal next year and if you twist my arm hard enough maybe you could buy this very one I've mulled the idea of shipping it out to the US to do a road trip (rather than say, buying a car out there to do a trip in) but obviously that's pretty expensive, not least because I'd have to then ship it back again, but then if I didn't have to do that and came back with a bunch of extra money it might make the decision easier
I'm fairly sure a large part of me would regret selling it, but then if I did do a trip like that I'm not sure I could top an experience like that in that car anyway, and it'd be fun to see it live on somewhere it was never designed for.
Edit: The only trouble really would be that mine is RHD, and I suspect that makes actual Euro market ones a bit more compelling, but then people go around in RHD JDM stuff now so it's maybe not as unusual as it used to be.
I think you're right, no 205s in GT games. They've appeared in a few of the rally titles though (there's a 205 in Dirt Rally 2.0), and then obviously the T16s have been in a bunch.I can't decide if I like the 205 or 106 better. The 106 has a more tidy design (IMO) but the 205 has more identity. I'd guess that the 106 is built better simply because it's newer and I think the interior is marginally nicer to look at. Looking around to see what's actually available in the US, 205s are surprisingly inexpensive...I don't think they are on anyone's radar here. They weren't part of the Gran Turismo class (I don't think a 205 GTI has ever appeared in a GT title) and Peugeot as a brand is pretty unknown outside of maybe the SF Bay area and parts of New England where they actually sold in decent numbers in the 70s & 80s. But even those were all 504, 505, and 405 Saloon/Sedans/Wagons...never hatchbacks. A EF or EG Chassis Honda Civic is probably as much fun (particular with some form of Vtec engine) better quality, and a whole hell of a lot easier to own in the US...but they feel derivative of European hatches where a 205 or 106 feels like the genuine article...they also have the Honda tuner baggage...How would you compare a R56 Mini or 500 Abarth to your 106? Those seem to be the closest modern vehicles to those old Euro hatches, but I'm not crazy about their nostalgic styling.
Honda CR-Z with the 6-speed manual fits all of these categories and also has the benefit of being a future classic. Its a Jazz underneath so dead-simple to maintain and doesn't go wrong. Also great fun in the twisties.Not sure what'll be replacing it yet. I have the world's longest shortlist covering all manner of things many of which are completely unrelated to each other, but to be very general most of the choices can be categorised as either:
- "Small and cheap"
- "Small and fun"
- "Coupes"
- "The other stuff"
You may be unsurprised to learn the CR-Z is definitely on the "coupes" shortlist. I've considered them several times in the past. May see if I can borrow the one Honda UK owns to see what it's like to live with for a week or so when I've got a few journeys to do.Honda CR-Z with the 6-speed manual fits all of these categories and also has the benefit of being a future classic. Its a Jazz underneath so dead-simple to maintain and doesn't go wrong. Also great fun in the twisties.
Yeah as @INEEDNAWZZZ says they've just about disappeared. A lot were treated as most people treat cheap cars, and most of the rest seem to attract people whose idea of tuning is still stuck in the early 2000s, but with even less taste.Are there any FTOs left in UK? Always thought those were neat, and we never got them stateside, but Mitsubishi's of that age don't seem to be around anymore.
Test drove this one yeeeeears ago.I'd still love an FTO, but same here, I was around 10 years too late to find one that's worth having. The Version R that @Korza and I have fun memories of has long gone, finally.
Thanks! And yeah it's black. I tend to prefer colours to non-colours but you take what you can get with a used car, and I have to say it does look good in black.Looks fantastic in that dark tone (black?) and with the top down.
Congrats and good luck.
It's the 2-litre, so around 160hp or so, six-speed manual and LSD as standard.What engine?
This one's a very late NC1, it's a 2009 which is the year the NC2 was introduced, so I guess this was shifted just before the NC2 orders opened. Not much difference in a side view like that but the NC2 got the smiley Mazda grille of the era, different tail lights, some internal engine revisions which resulted in a slightly higher redline, and a few tweaks underneath which I can't immediately recall. I prefer the look of the NC1 but the NC2 is allegedly better to drive. Not tried them back to back so can't confirm!Looks great 👍
Is that the NC1 or NC2? - i forget what the difference was.
Thanks! I was always going to return at some point, but assumed it'd be with an NA again as a toy, rather than an NC as a daily!As an NB-1 owner, welcome to the Miata club!!!
I'm probably somewhat spoiled on the driving position front (not least from the FD) but it's certainly nice being back in a sports car as a daily driver again, and putting the roof down makes so much of a difference to the experience too.Nice! I drove an NC1 a couple of years ago and really enjoyed the seating position, it made it a very special feeling car to drive.
Saw you mention your NC in my thread and had to look for myself. Gorgeous NC1 you've got here. I'm in agreement that the NCs genuinely feel really good as cars, even if they tend to be the butt of many jokes in the Miata community. I would recommend Flyin Miata sway bars on their recommended settings if you're planning on throwing any money into it. They really smooth out the ride! Other than that, it looks great. I haven't got quite the MPG you have, but I suppose that's a me problem.
Didn't realise I'd not mentioned the NC any more after the new-car post, so thought I'd change that.
As the title above suggests, I'm now just shy of 5000 miles, in about four months plus a week or two. In other words I'm getting pretty good use from it considering I don't have a daily commute.
A decent-sized chunk of that came from a trip to the Spa 6hrs back in May, but I've found myself basically not really thinking twice about using it for anything and everything. Frankly, it's an absolute pleasure, and while I know that's not really a surprise for an MX-5, as these cars kinda feel like home for me, I'm pleased how easily I've settled into using it.
Possibly the most interesting comparison is with the ND1 RF I ran as a long-termer in around 2017:
While it's obviously not a "back to back" comparison, I think the NC stands up very well indeed. It fixes two reservations I had with the ND, which is that the ND1's steering was light on feedback, and that I found the seats very uncomfortable - the NC's steering is excellent by modern standards, and in several long trips I've not had back ache from the seats, even if they could stand to be even more comfortable.
The ND does feel a bit lighter and nimbler than the NC, but there's really not much in it there either, and the NC doesn't flop around as much in corners. Balance feels more natural too in the NC. I have a suspicion they improved the NC1 a lot before the NC2 even arrived as there's no way this is the same car that was originally quite heavily criticised when it was new - my press colleagues can't have missed the mark by that much.
I'm happy enough with the NC's performance too though I'm reminded that the MX-5 has never really had a truly great engine. The ND2 has got closest from the factory but NAs and NBs have always been a little harsh, and the 2-litre in the NC is pretty industrial too. It doesn't seem to be burning oil at least, which is a bit of a thing with the MZR.
Oh, and while it's not priority number one for this car, and I was prepared for the fact it'd cost more to run than the Smart, I'm averaging about 40mpg (~33mpg US, 7L/100km) which is better than I was anticipating - I'd have been happy with mid 30s.
I may start tweaking it at some point but as it's the daily driver at the mo and I have two other toys, for the time being it's all maintenance rather than modification.Saw you mention your NC in my thread and had to look for myself. Gorgeous NC1 you've got here. I'm in agreement that the NCs genuinely feel really good as cars, even if they tend to be the butt of many jokes in the Miata community. I would recommend Flyin Miata sway bars on their recommended settings if you're planning on throwing any money into it. They really smooth out the ride! Other than that, it looks great. I haven't got quite the MPG you have, but I suppose that's a me problem.