Date: Sat, 12 Oct 2002 11:05:18 EDT
From: GLewis4457@domain.elided
Subject: Re: Miata/Alfa Spider
In a message dated 10/12/2002 1:09:26 AM Central Daylight Time,
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:
By the way, even though I've not driven a recent Miata, the original
one was certainly no real competition for an Alfa Spider in my eyes.
Like most Japanese cars, it was designed by the numbers by engineers
who take the train to work,
One of the major car mags, in the mid 90's, did a comparison of 5 (if
my
fading memory still serves me) current "sportscars" which included the
Miata
and the then current Spider. By just about every measure imagineable
the
Alfa came in dead last...its age was definately showing and suffering
by
comparison.
I don't doubt that "by the numbers" this is true. But I've driven
several early Miatas and they were boring cars by every important issue
I can think of. They were very efficient, but they felt dead. They gave
little or no feedback through either the steering wheel or the seat of
the pants. The Alfa Spider did (does) both. The engine in the Miata was
nice, but it sounded like a sewing machine instead of a lusty,
race-bred powerplant. Since few of us actually race, our sports cars
are about entertainment, not about raw performance. Not that its not
nice to have performance too, but the overriding consideration is
whether or not the car is FUN to drive. Above the 'fun' of being a
convertible, I found the Miatas I've driven to be fairly uninspired, in
spite of the numbers. If the passion ain't built-in It's not going to
be there at all. Now, I can see owning a Miata and driving it daily and
enjoying its unfussy performance. What I cannot see is getting excited
enough about it to join a Miata club, edit a Miata magazine/newsletter
or take part in a Miata@domain.elided. THAT's what the Alfa had that the
Miata didn't. Just my opinion, you understand.