TDI fades into regulatory oblivion; Enter Miata

[Raza]

Same direction shit is the fascism of the Nord. Down here you get in where you fit in.

That's so dangerous at night. 

[12,000 RPM]

That's so dangerous at night.

Eh its not that bad. Most street parking here is short term (i.e. people park cars in parking lots or driveways to sleep/store), and shit's just not that crowded. Where it is that crowded we line up with the direction of traffic.... but I probably parallel park like twice a month max.

[AutobahnSHO]

I have more fun at or under the speed limit in this thing than I ever did doing 20-30 over in the TDI. With that featherweight it just walks away from traffic, and by the time you're up to speed you're so low and glued to the road that it feels like you're doing 20mph faster than the readout.

+1
that's why I want another.

[12,000 RPM]

I'm a block away from that house grabbing an early dinner, if I get out of here while it's still light I'll try to grab a good pick of them.

Also popped its cherry a few minutes ago--the cop just let me know the tags were still showing up as registered to my V-dub. Better keep my fun under wraps until my new registration comes in the mail!

Not that it really matters: I have more fun at or under the speed limit in this thing than I ever did doing 20-30 over in the TDI. With that featherweight it just walks away from traffic, and by the time you're up to speed you're so low and glued to the road that it feels like you're doing 20mph faster than the readout.

I've actually had to force myself to go faster out of consideration for surrounding traffic when I find myself doing ~5mph under the limit. First time I've ever had that problem!

Sweet! Keep the impressions coming.

[MrH]

Oh hot damn, those look good

[veeman]

Congratulations.  Mazda makes the best red.

[Tave]

Tail of the Dragon today:

[FoMoJo]

Tail of the Dragon today:

Now that looks Red.

[Eye of the Tiger]

That is some kind of blue-green. Teal, I'd say.

[CaminoRacer]

That is some kind of blue-green. Teal, I'd say.

I was thinking more of a periwinkle

[Raza]

Tail of the Dragon today:

[AutobahnSHO]

That is some kind of blue-green. Teal, I'd say.

fuscia!

[Rich]

I bought my MINI from flow wayyyy back in 2005 

[Tave]

So I did two round trips of the Dragon yesterday, both starting in NC. First was all the way then I did a shorty to the bridge and back.

Run 1) Absolutely clear, not a single car in front of me and I pass maybe two heading the other direction. At this point, I hadn't driven my car balls-out for any extended period of time, so I take it mostly in third so I can really explore the steering inputs.

Run 2) I'm starting to familiarize myself with how the car likes to be pushed but....Yuck. Miss a couple downshifts; get stuck behind a terrified genesis 4door; finally see some open road; then, screw this noise, some goon in a jacked up Ford towing his buddies' motorcycles decided to take a lap with the empty trailer, and wouldn't yield--sidenote but that should be a capital offense, he knew exactly what he was doing. There is a silver lining on this run though, in between the genesis and pickup I found my tire's limits and started dipping into TC for the first time. Not bad Mazda, not bad at all. It won't let you do a real drift but you can nudge out the tail in second on corner exits and the TC will snap you back in line and shove you forward with the barest whisper of braking and/or throttle interference. Enough to keep you from doing something truly stupid but not enough to slow you down.

Run 3) This is why you come here. A couple hundred yard in I pull up behind an SUV and a Mk7 red GTI pulls behind me a few seconds later. The SUV yields at the first opportunity and then me and the V-dub give it all it's worth. I've got the edge on corner exits and swithbacks but he has it on corner entries and straightaways. For the rest of the run we just fly, he saw me move the back end a little and was smiling at the bridge when we both stopped. I give him a nod and would've stayed to chat but I'm already 2 hours behind schedule and had to return some calls so I decide to jet.

Run 4) About halfway through me and a modified green NB run into a Buick with a handicap placard that refuses to pull over. We take turns leapfrogging each other to the cutoffs so that we're not just glued to the moving roadblock. Ended up in one of the same cutoffs and we talked for a bit before finishing out the day.


In terms of cars it was a little late in the season for most of the exotics, but I saw 4-5 modified NAs and NBs, a bunch of modified mustangs, and a red-on-red dodge viper that looked like the surface of the sun, that thing was HOT.

All the Miatas and the Viper waved at me. 

[Tave]

That Genesis was absolutely hilarious. You could tell from behind that the driver wanted to romp on it--all his initial inputs were really direct and purposeful--but the car would just spasm on throttle or mid corner and then you'd watch him try to wrestle it to a standstill so he didn't fly off the road.

Felt so bad for that guy I could see the frustration etched on his face when he let me pass.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I need to get up there again. So much fun with no traffic.

You could try to keep up with my Versa, or vice versa.

[Eye of the Tiger]

That Genesis was absolutely hilarious. You could tell from behind that the driver wanted to romp on it--all his initial inputs were really direct and purposeful--but the car would just spasm on throttle or mid corner and then you'd watch him try to wrestle it to a standstill so he didn't fly off the road.

Felt so bad for that guy I could see the frustration etched on his face when he let me pass.

Probably autotragic shifting all over the place

[Tave]

I need to get up there again. So much fun with no traffic.

You could try to keep up with my Versa, or vice versa.

Light FWD is a good recipe there; I couldn't walk away from that GTI and I was working my butt off.

[AutobahnSHO]

raspberry jelly here. Glad you can enjoy it to the max!! 

[Cookie Monster]

Nice dude. I really want to drive/ride tail of the dragon at some point.

I also don't like driving twisty roads as much anymore because I know some asshole will be driving slow and won't pull over.

[Payman]

Cool thing about Miatas, even my old $2000 NA...  Miata drivers wave at each other. All of them, every time. Cool fraternity.

[MX793]

Nice dude. I really want to drive/ride tail of the dragon at some point.

I also don't like driving twisty roads as much anymore because I know some asshole will be driving slow and won't pull over.

People seem to be better about that on TotD than other roads I've been on.  Every slower car I got behind pulled off at the first available place.  The guys puttering along on full-dressers, too.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Cool thing about Miatas, even my old $2000 NA...  Miata drivers wave at each other. All of them, every time. Cool fraternity.

That could get annoying. I always figured I'd get a Miata, but maybe I'll go with a Fiat X1/9.

[Tave]

I've put 2K on it in less than 2 weeks. Everyone needs one of these it makes you feel like a kid, all your attention focused on how sweet it is to be driving.

Screw room, just get one you won't stop smiling.

[FoMoJo]

I've put 2K on it in less than 2 weeks. Everyone needs one of these it makes you feel like a kid, all your attention focused on how sweet it is to be driving.

Screw room, just get one you won't stop smiling.

Far too refined for my taste.  I'd rather have something with more power, less weight and made a lot of noise.

[Tave]

Far too refined for my taste.  I'd rather have something with more power, less weight and made a lot of noise.

I'm sure I've heard better 4bangers before, but man, if this doesn't have an excellent balance between intake and exhaust and fit the character of the car perfectly, I don't know what does. Between that and all the other "feel fast" factors I've listed, it absolutely seduces you into pushing it and rewards you every step of the way.

[FoMoJo]

I'm sure I've heard better 4bangers before, but man, if this doesn't have an excellent balance between intake and exhaust and fit the character of the car perfectly, I don't know what does. Between that and all the other "feel fast" factors I've listed, it absolutely seduces you into pushing it and rewards you every step of the way.

For what's available now at a reasonable price range, I'm sure that it's excellent.  I was referring to old school; cars that make your hair stand on end just starting them up.

[Tave]

I know I'm being mushy and hyperbolic but I can't help it. If this thing blew a gasket and started leaking from the roof tomorrow I'd still sing it's praises. You're paying not-quite-bottom-market prices to feel like Stirling Moss. It tempts you to imagine yourself as a dogfighting pilot. Absolutely incredible. I hope Mazda is making these things 50 years into the future; the world needs a car like this.

[FoMoJo]

I know I'm being mushy and hyperbolic but I can't help it. If this thing blew a gasket and started leaking from the roof tomorrow I'd still sing it's praises. You're paying not-quite-bottom-market prices to feel like Stirling Moss. It tempts you to imagine yourself as a dogfighting pilot. Absolutely incredible. I hope Mazda is making these things 50 years into the future; the world needs a car like this.

Well, you're going to talk me into taking one for a test drive.  Impressive mention of Stirling Moss.  No one quite like him; and the old bugger's still alive.

[Tave]

For what's available now at a reasonable price range, I'm sure that it's excellent.  I was referring to old school; cars that make your hair stand on end just starting them up.

That's because you're so old you've lost your hearing!!!

The art of sound is definitely an under-appreciated in this era. Those old V8s sound sooooo sweet. Nowadays even if you can still get one, they sound neutered in a lot of applications.