Lets Just Come Out and Say It...

  • Thread starter Thread starter YSSMAN
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Yessir. I wanted to get a torsen diff from a st185 to throw underneath it, allowing for even more control, although I can't say I really had much problem with only one tire spinning. Swap in a beams 3sge and I think anyone would have a good time in that car. :)



While the guy's just sliding about in a open parking lot with no real direction, you can see how the car could be easily drifted. Not much to say about his driving.

Ah ok.

Nosir. Missouri. Believe it or not, one of the biggest negatives moving down here is not being to play around in the snow in the camry. If it was snowing out and i'm not working or sleeping, i'd be driving in it.
That makes more sense, then. :)
 
More Miata, my Miata. It's amazing how much better the paint can look if the lighting is right. Most people might think the stickers are dumb, but it's a good conversation starter, and was especially cool seeing someone else on the road sporting the same.

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Ugly!

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The point i am trying to make, is that when you have atleast 15cm of snow on the roads. FWD, RWD or AWD can be a world of difference.

Sure, a AWD can slide as fast as any other drivetrain cars. But accelerating is just quicker and turns in my experience go easier (ofcourse with very low speed).

You people can deny all you want, but i have experienced it and it really is different. (My car has AYC so thats helping abit too.)
 
Honestly, tires are more important than drive train in inclement weather.

Not to mention weight.

I've always owned sub-1000kg cars (two FWD, one RWD), and all three have been pretty good in snow even on summer tyres. With proper winter tyres they'd have been even better.

sure the mileage of my evo is ofcourse worse than a mx5/miata/etc but afterall a Evo is an enthusiasts car.

And an MX5 isn't an enthusiasts car?...
 
No, that wasnt correct. But what i ment to say is that People that only see a car as a "from a to b transportation vehicle" wouldnt want to buy an Evo that fast. Why? I don't know, could be the reputation of the car. Or the price of owning one. Or the handling etc.
 
The point i am trying to make, is that when you have atleast 15cm of snow on the roads. FWD, RWD or AWD can be a world of difference.

Sure, a AWD can slide as fast as any other drivetrain cars. But accelerating is just quicker and turns in my experience go easier (ofcourse with very low speed).

You people can deny all you want, but i have experienced it and it really is different. (My car has AYC so thats helping abit too.)

Not really, as you may be aware, here in the UK we've had some pretty heavy snow (For our standards anyway) recently. My dad actually drives a Lancer Evolution V, so very similar to your car in fact. He's owned every front-engine configuration there is. When he first came back from driving in the snow I asked him how his car was in the conditions, his response? "Nothing special". My mother owns a BMW 320i E90 which she managed to drive to work every day, my mother is not a talented driver.

That said, would you consider an E36 convertible?
 
I just wanna say that although i've kinda sounded like a awd fanboy, I am not.

This is definitely one of the best Miata videos out there, imo.



I live for rally. Anyone know of any good roads in the Houston area? :sly:
 
The point i am trying to make, is that when you have atleast 15cm of snow on the roads. FWD, RWD or AWD can be a world of difference.

Sure, a AWD can slide as fast as any other drivetrain cars. But accelerating is just quicker and turns in my experience go easier (ofcourse with very low speed).

You people can deny all you want, but i have experienced it and it really is different. (My car has AYC so thats helping abit too.)

Basically you just ignored the fact I've driven or so cars with AWD/4WD in the snow, and in many cases, over 20cm of snow. Same with RWD and FWD cars. Getting high centered is more of the issue in deep snow, rather than not enough traction, and all AWD does it help you get stuck harder.

As for control, the only thing AWD does in a corner for you is let you get on the gas a bit harder. Which isn't really something you should be doing in normal winter driving conditions anyhow. Basically, AWD just allows drivers to get into trouble faster, or even in situations where they should not even be driving.

And before you write my opinion off again as something "I just don't know," I use to drive 30,000+ km per year in a part of the world with all 4 seasons and that often experiences snow and ice for 4 to 6 months of the year.

Because at the moment, you are coming across very much as the typical AWD+Turbo owner, telling us all how amazing it is. I've heard the argument a dozen times over, and it is tiresome. What other cars do you have experience with, in what conditions, to what degree?
 
If you're a boss, tossing the MX-5 around the snow isn't a problem. If you're a boss.

Seeing as how I am a boss, I should be doing this. Boss.
 
Woot! Obscure all-wheel drive versions of boring everyday Japanese cars for the win! Japan came up with so many cool cars in the late 80s.

All-wheel drive made that car. The thing was :censored:ing cool, period.

This whole awd/4wd only gets you stuck further or into trouble faster attitude is dumb. You can't blame the car for what the idiot driving is gonna do.
 
This can be said for plenty of cars, it depends what you value from a car.

MX-5
Mustang
MR2
Alfa Romeo Spider
Subaru WRX
Etc.
 
One of my friends put his stanced STI in a ditch today taking a snowy turn too hot. :lol:
 
I'd get one for the track, sure. I'd in no way buy this as a daily driver. Regardless of what your sexual orientation is, regardless of the weight you put on the stereotypes, it's just not a nice car.
 
I'd get one for the track, sure. I'd in no way buy this as a daily driver. Regardless of what your sexual orientation is, regardless of the weight you put on the stereotypes, it's just not a nice car.
And what's your reasoning behind that? Looks? Reliability? How it drives?
 
Looks? Reliability? How it drives?

Cause all those things get a big 👍 from me, and most people I know, actually. You'd be surprised at how many looks and comments I get from it, people who don't know what it is think it's a expensive little sports car. My brother, who knows very little about cars, thinks it looks like a Ferrari.


If someone wants to pass judgement based only on the car I drive, let them.
 
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What if I want to carry more than 2 person.

D:

Two is company. Three is a crowd :p

And yeah, only meatheads or those who've never driven one attribute a sexual orientation to it. But to be honest, I'd prefer those sort of people didn't drive them, lest it make the rest of us look bad.
 
I want a car that is heavy
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I want a car that is huge and obnoxious
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I want a car that gets gallons per mile
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I want a car that is actually terrible off road despite its looks
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I want a car that you can make even more obnoxious than it already is
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I want a car that is very unsafe despite its size
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The point i am trying to make, is that when you have atleast 15cm of snow on the roads. FWD, RWD or AWD can be a world of difference.

Sure, a AWD can slide as fast as any other drivetrain cars. But accelerating is just quicker and turns in my experience go easier (ofcourse with very low speed).

You people can deny all you want, but i have experienced it and it really is different. (My car has AYC so thats helping abit too.)


AWD gives you a traction advantage by doubling the surface area over which you are transmitting torque. Helpful on low grip surfaces if your main concern is acceleration.

AWD by itself gives you no advantage when you turn the steering wheel. The amount of mechanical grip a car produces does not change. AWD only changes the 'division of labor' between tires when you add throttle.

And AWD does nothing for you when you hit the brakes. It promotes a small amount of stability because all four wheels can use engine braking to slow the car. But in a panic stop situation this force is negligible.

In short, AWD is useful dealing with forces created by the throttle pedal. But not as much with forces created by the steering wheel. And not at all with forces created by the brakes.

So if I'm worried about getting stuck or whether or not I can make it up an icy hill, then yes, drive train configuration is a main concern. For getting moving, especially on an incline, AWD is the way to go.

But if I'm worried if I can stop my car in time when someone pulls out on me, then I don't care which wheels are driven.

Far more important for winter driving in the vast majority of civilization where most of us live is tires.

Tires. I said it again. Tires help with throttle, steering wheel AND braking inputs.

Now that being said..... winter tires + AWD = epic pwnage.


As for the topic at hand, I submit an Impreza has no greater claim of superiority over a Miata than, say, an E36 BMW or a S197 Mustang.

EDIT: I will also say that with early S2000s and Boxsters very modestly priced and near the bottom of their depreciation curves, the case for the Miata is harder to make. Not disagreeing. Just saying it's not an open and close case.


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EDIT: I will also say that with early S2000s and Boxsters very modestly priced and near the bottom of their depreciation curves, the case for the Miata is harder to make. Not disagreeing. Just saying it's not an open and close case.

Agreed. Though in the UK the price differentiation is greater, I suspect. Boxsters and S2Ks are around £5-6k at a minimum here and probably won't go much lower any time soon. The oldest MX5s have stopped depreciating too but you can pick them up from £1k (or less) and NB MX5s can be had from around £2k. Of course then you have to take into consideration insurance and servicing too.

With money as less of an object though, I'd be tempted by the Boxster option rather than an MX5. But then with the right amount of money I'd be importing one of those Japan-only MX5 Coupes.
 
EDIT: I will also say that with early S2000s and Boxsters very modestly priced and near the bottom of their depreciation curves, the case for the Miata is harder to make. Not disagreeing. Just saying it's not an open and close case.

I've seen several S2Ks dip below $10,000 now and that really makes me want to buy-in. The only issue I have is the repair costs, or assumed high cost of repairs. I'd love to own an AP1 S2K though. Lofty RPM's make me tingly in all the right places.
 
And what's your reasoning behind that? Looks? Reliability? How it drives?

I base it on the stigma attached to it, the fact that it's been the same for years but hardly a classic, etc. It's not a car that has particularly nice lines or is exceptional in any area but handling. Which is awesome for a track car, but for my tastes and the tastes of society in general, not worth crap.
 
I base it on the stigma attached to it, the fact that it's been the same for years but hardly a classic, etc. It's not a car that has particularly nice lines or is exceptional in any area but handling. Which is awesome for a track car, but for my tastes and the tastes of society in general, not worth crap.

It's stayed the same because, well, that's what works for it. It may not be a classic due to the numbers produced or how cheap they are, but some of them have become classics for track people.

I can see where you're coming from, but that hardly makes it anything but a nice car.
 
It's not a car that has particularly nice lines or is exceptional in any area but handling.

Well, the first bit is personal preference. I think they look great.

The second bit only tells half the story. "Handling" is quite a broad term but when you break it down you get a lot more from it. There's good grip, turn-in, balance, adjustability and on standard wheels and tyres, a decent ride.

Then there's stuff like great steering feel, accuracy and response. Or great throttle response, or perfect control weighting. Or one of the best gearboxes you'll ever use. Or if you're not a fat-ass or a giant, a great driving position. And a characterful engine, even if it's not especially powerful (though that's something that can be fixed).

Or great build and reliability. A guy on the UK MX5 owners club forum I used to use has one with over 200k on the clock that he uses for drifting, and it just soaks up the abuse. At 100k they're barely broken in.

In fact there are only really two things they're below average on. One is brakes, which have great feel but not much power, and the other is security, which I can vouch for since mine got nicked last October. And really, that's my fault for not taking more precautions on a 20 year old car.
 
How much stuff do you have?

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A TRAILER?? GOOD HEAVENS now there is no reason why I shouldnt but a Caterham kit car instead if I can tug all my junk behind it....

MX5s just arent the most practical thing in the world. Plus to have a cool car in uni is to have a car that can drive you, the girl you are interested in AND all her friends to the mall/Maccas/etc...
 
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