Cars on the Street in Tokyo

[Mustapha]

Originally Posted by Andre Yew

For me, it would be a toss-up between the NSX and the Miata as the purest Japanese sports car of the 90s.

--Andre

NSX yes. Have seen 2 or 3 over the last few years. Lucky owners.

Miata - a bit small, no? Feminine?

 

[dkzzzz]

Originally Posted by Mustapha

NSX yes. Have seen 2 or 3 over the last few years. Lucky owners.

Miata - a bit small, no? Feminine?

Miata had a great driving feel to it because of so many things done right on that car:
Low seating position communicated car movements better.
Shifter-clutch action was simply fantastic. Very short and very forgiving clutch.
Engine sound and body integrity were great.
Topless Miata body felt tighter than some sedans.(this comment is not intended to be sexual in nature and all jokes will be automatically deleted by moderator).

 

[Southern-Nupe]

Originally Posted by Andre Yew

For me, it would be a toss-up between the NSX and the Miata as the purest Japanese sports car of the 90s.

--Andre
I do agree about the NSX, and to a degree a Miata. I consider the RX-7 to be more of slightly larger fixed roof Miata, with more power and capabilities. Both are cars not hampered by electronic stability controls, they were purely based on engineering and physics. Of course the Miata is great on the track (autoX), but it's primarily set up for the back roads. The RX-7 on the other hand, was better suited for track (tight or open), but is also a very capable car on the backroads.

Plus the RX-7 was one the sexiest cars at the time...and fairly exclusive in numbers given it was a mass produced affordable automobile.

 

[Southern-Nupe]

Originally Posted by Mustapha

NSX yes. Have seen 2 or 3 over the last few years. Lucky owners.

Miata - a bit small, no? Feminine?
Mustapha,

If you look hard enough, you could find a pre-owned at a pretty good price. I remember a while back when I was just looking, I came across a couple (1991 and 1992) under the 30 grand mark.

 

[Brian278]

Originally Posted by Southern-Nupe

I do agree about the NSX, and to a degree a Miata. I consider the RX-7 to be more of slightly larger fixed roof Miata, with more power and capabilities. Both are cars not hampered by electronic stability controls, they were purely based on engineering and physics. Of course the Miata is great on the track (autoX), but it's primarily set up for the back roads. The RX-7 on the other hand, was better suited for track (tight or open), but is also a very capable car on the backroads.

Plus the RX-7 was one the sexiest cars at the time...and fairly exclusive in numbers given it was a mass produced affordable automobile.

The weight distribution is what set the RX-7 apart, IMO. The Miata, while a fun drive, still has that classic front-engine roadster feel. I like my engine as close to the middle as possible, and if it can't be actually mid-engined, the RX-7s tiny rotary shoved way up in the engine bay is the next best thing.

The NSX is a different category altogether, and it's not really a fair comparison with the other Japanese turbos of the era. The NSX is of course the superior car, it was also competing with 911s at the time.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by dkzzzz

Miata had a great driving feel to it because of so many things done right on that car:
Low seating position communicated car movements better.
Shifter-clutch action was simply fantastic. Very short and very forgiving clutch.
Engine sound and body integrity were great.
Topless Miata body felt tighter than some sedans.(this comment is not intended to be sexual in nature and all jokes will be automatically deleted by moderator).

These may very well be good, correct and true points.

However. the image of a sports car is at least as important to many people as the performance.
And its been scientifically proven that 87% of all people (even people in Japan!) will question your sexuality if they see you driving a Miata.

 

[Southern-Nupe]

Originally Posted by Brian278

The weight distribution is what set the RX-7 apart, IMO. The Miata, while a fun drive, still has that classic front-engine roadster feel. I like my engine as close to the middle as possible, and if it can't be actually mid-engined, the RX-7s tiny rotary shoved way up in the engine bay is the next best thing.

The NSX is a different category altogether, and it's not really a fair comparison with the other Japanese turbos of the era. The NSX is of course the superior car, it was also competing with 911s at the time.
Agreed, plus I love how small and effecient the twin turbo'd rotary was. Besides their poor reliabity, it was truly an amazing and effective engine.

 

[dkzzzz]

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

These may very well be good, correct and true points.

However. the image of a sports car is at least as important to many people as the performance.
And its been scientifically proven that 87% of all people (even people in Japan!) will question your sexuality if they see you driving a Miata.

I think you are mistaken. Miata was widely popular and for years was best selling convertible in US and in the rest of the world. Miata bore numerous car-clubs and huge aftermarket for performance parts.
Perception of Miata as being a gay car situated predominantly among insecure 20year olds who are personally torn between Large truck and XLarge truck.

 

[dkzzzz]

Originally Posted by Southern-Nupe

Agreed, plus I love how small and effecient the twin turbo'd rotary was. Besides their poor reliabity, it was truly an amazing and effective engine.

Also used by Porsche on Slantnose. Why more cars are not built with that engine, I have no clue?

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by dkzzzz

I think you are mistaken. Miata was widely popular and for years was best selling convertible in US and in the rest of the world. Miata bore numerous car-clubs and huge aftermarket for performance parts. Perception of Miata as being a gay car situated predominantly among insecure 20year olds who are personally torn between Large truck and XLarge truck.
Sounds like I struck a nerve... MIATA OWNER! Anyways, I don't own a truck, and don't like them. Some people have to own them for work though, so at least they have a reason to exist. I mean, aside from the Miata's main "use" which seems to be tooling around town with the top down, your mesh shirt whipping in the breeze, your boyfriend in the passenger seat, and WHAM! blasting out of your speakers. To me, this is not a valid use for an automobile.

 

[Brian278]

Originally Posted by dkzzzz

Also used by Porsche on Slantnose. Why more cars are not built with that engine, I have no clue?

I'll give you one--poor low end torque, poor reliability, no opportunity for parts or design sharing with existing models (for everyone but Mazda), different exhaust note can be off-putting to some. It's a niche engine, it was perfect for the RX-7, but it's trumped in nearly all applications by something else these days.

 

[Mustapha]

Originally Posted by Southern-Nupe

Mustapha,

If you look hard enough, you could find a pre-owned at a pretty good price. I remember a while back when I was just looking, I came across a couple (1991 and 1992) under the 30 grand mark.

Southern-Nupe,

I'm STILL looking at a Lotus Elise

,, but since this thread is Japanese oriented and increasingly towards underappreciated vintage Japanese machines I will say that the Subaru SVX needs to be part of this whole discussion as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_Alcyone_SVX

What great lookers (to me) these are. Size and Presence as well.

-Moose

 

[A Y]

Originally Posted by Mustapha

Miata - a bit small, no? Feminine?

Sports cars aren't supposed to be big. As for the feminine quality of the car, who cares?

The original Miata is one of the truest expressions of the classic English roadster, which is the definition of a sports car. It also had power-nothing: no ABS, no power steering, etc.

--Andre

 

[Southern-Nupe]

Originally Posted by Mustapha

Southern-Nupe,

I'm STILL looking at a Lotus Elise

,, but since this thread is Japanese oriented and increasingly towards underappreciated vintage Japanese machines I will say that the Subaru SVX needs to be part of this whole discussion as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_Alcyone_SVX

What great lookers (to me) these are. Size and Presence as well.

-Moose
Mustapha,

I forgot about the SVX, I dated a girl whose mother owned one. I loved the look of the side mirrors and sharp edges. Needless to say, I have currently been less impressed with some of the recent cars coming out of Japan, but in the 90's, they truly made some amazing affordable sports and performance cars.

 

[Mustapha]

Originally Posted by Andre Yew

Sports cars aren't supposed to be big. As for the feminine quality of the car, who cares? The original Miata is one of the truest expressions of the classic English roadster, which is the definition of a sports car. It also had power-nothing: no ABS, no power steering, etc. --Andre
I should have put a smiley after the word feminine. Just a little internet mischief on my part.

In all honesty Andre, I think the original Miatas were too small. As an expression of the English roadster I would suppose inspiration from Lotus Elan and MG Midget. I would have preferred if Mazda's inspiration were a larger car - Triumph Stag perhaps. The Mini seems to have inherited the new mantle as a car for girls.

Undeservedly of course. Everyone here could go on all day about pickups for rednecks, Saabs for artistes, and other car-owner imputations/relationships impossible to quantify; with the exception of the Japanese young man driving the Impala further back in this thread.