Jul 28, 2015 9:35:55 AM
- reginos
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- Reply to: DaveGordon
Jul 28, 2015 9:35:55 AM
Sep 1, 2015 11:41:17 AM
drove a 2L Sport Nav and 1.5 SE-L last Saturday.
2L car was slightly unsettled, yet mostly at home on London roads. The engine felt strong, but not as enthusiastic as the 1.5. I suspect 2L will loosen up and feel more responsive in time. 1.5 was zingy and zesty from the very start. On reflection, you do feel the 50NM torque deficit of the 1.5. Both brand new cars.
SE-L suspension is appreciably more compliant, and much better for our terrible roads. No doubt the 16" wheels helped too.
1.5 SE-L is a peach; eager, compliant yet hangs on with great determination. Both cars lean but after that have superb body control.
Most of all, they feel light and athletic in the long distance runner sense.
To make a similar rate of progress in the 1.5 as the 2L, you need to be about 1.5k rpm higher (assuming same gear).
I was smiling a lot .. both cars seem to pivot from your bum, and the lack of inertia is wonderful.
when set for my height, I found the seat about an inch too high .. if there wasn't the inclined seat rail, it would be perfect.
2L makes more sense for me as its "operating range" is wider .. for example, it would cope better with fast motorway runs.
dealer is able to get seats and door cards trimmed in good quality (the sample book was anyway!) leather (whole spectrum of about 15 colours) for £1000 .. which works perfectly for me, as I don't want to spend £3400 just to get tan leather seats (not interested in NAV or Sport extras).
if I go ahead, it will probably be a 2L SE-L (you get the LSD and the strut brace but not the sport suspension) in meteor grey with the £1000 UK fitted dark tan leather interior. the 17" wheels of the 2L will hopefully sharpen up the standard suspension just that little bit to make the car just right. I reckon it is the sweetspot for me.
found the steering accurate, but just that little bit too light. Also a bit dull at lower townish speeds. Much better with improved feel and weighting when throwing the car around windy roads.
overall, a superb little car, in an age of bloated metal.
PS. the Sport Nav rear parking sensors looked terrible, very last century. And you don't need them, the rear of the car is about 5 feet from where you are sitting, easy to judge.
PPS. There is an alcantara red stitched accessory for the dash bit (normal plastic in SE-L; soft covering and red stitched in Sport) for around £270 (ex fitting).
I don't understand why anyone would want a Fiat incarnation of the Mazda. In all likelihood the same car almost certainly not as well built, probably less reliable with worse residual values. Reminds me of the Alfa Romeo Arna of the 1970's, the last Alfa / Japanese effort.....although in Arna's case boring Japanese driving dynamics and the only good bit, Japanese reliability thrown away and replaced with crappy build quality and unreliability.
The authentic MX-5 looks to be a really great, pure, lightweight sports car, lighter and smaller than the previous model. Well done Mazda
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sfo:Fiat's version looks like a Chrysler design
Exactly what I thought . Maybe it will be a Chrysler ?
Some time back they were some spy pics ( or renders ) of the Fiat that looked very good and they did not have this design at all
997.2 C2 , -20mm I 964 Carrera 4 I 991 GT3 RS
Gnil:sfo:Fiat's version looks like a Chrysler design
Exactly what I thought . Maybe it will be a Chrysler ?
Some time back they were some spy pics ( or renders ) of the Fiat that looked very good and they did not have this design at all
steering wheel has Fiat badge on it
sfo:Gnil:sfo:Fiat's version looks like a Chrysler design
Exactly what I thought . Maybe it will be a Chrysler ?
Some time back they were some spy pics ( or renders ) of the Fiat that looked very good and they did not have this design at all
steering wheel has Fiat badge on it
Yes, I saw that . But the styling is so ' not Fiat and very Chrysler ' , that I wonder . Could be still an unfinished mule
997.2 C2 , -20mm I 964 Carrera 4 I 991 GT3 RS
You can see the front grille design clearly references the original 124 spider so I think it's pretty safe to say this is the final design and it was most likely being used for a photoshoot for the sales brochure. It certainly looks like the car has been styled to appeal to US mass market tastes which should probably not come as a great surprise as FCA are relying heavily upon North American sales for their future existence. That may well handicap sales in other markets.
The interior does appear to be lifted straight from the MX5 with the seat finishes being the only major visible change other than the Fiat logo on the steering wheel boss.
AFAIK the car is being built by Mazda in Japan on the same assembly line as the MX5 but with a Fiat driveline so the build quality should not be an issue. The days of ropey production quality seen with the Arna are long gone now in the auto industry.
Autocar and Autoexpress seem to think it will use the 1.4 Multiair turbo unit.
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/fiat-124-spider-and-abarth-be-distinct-versions
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/fiat/90395/fiat-124-spider-undisguised-spyshots-of-fiats-mx-5
The 1750 4 cylinder engine used in the Alfa 4C and Giulietta could also be an option I suspect for a range topping Abarth depending upon how sales go. Both engines are currently available with 6 speed manuals and TCT dual clutch options in their current applications so the 124 is likely to be given both of these I suspect to widen it's appeal.
Enmanuel:BTW Mazda just showed these Spyder and Speedster concepts based on the MX5. IMO the new Miata looks very cool.
So cute! A Jaguar F-type and a Boxster Spyder had a baby.
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bluelines:So cute! A Jaguar F-type and a Boxster Spyder had a baby.
Exactly! The styling is more than derivative (perhaps stolen is more accurate). Anyway, I like it and would buy one at the right price (and with a proper motor).
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as the old saying goes: " it is more fun to drive a ' slow ' car fast than a ' fast ' car slow "
the aural pleasure of banging redline in second AND third gear with a manual transmission should be part of brisk but not endangering to self or others winding public road driving ..impossible if redline comes at 80 mph in just second gear - like two current Porsche open top sports cars model lines I know ..... no one drives sports car roads by a stopwatch
JimFlat6:Utter crap. All show and no go.
It needs a motor, not a body kit. What decade is this? How mazda thinks their low output Miata is any step forward to fun is beyond me.
I agree. Saw the new MX-5 in the US, looked very nice but the engine is just...
With a nice high revving n/a 250 hp engine, this car would be a blast.
RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet, Porsche Macan Turbo, Ford Mustang GT500 Shelby SVT (2014), Mini JCW (2015), Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (2014)
RC:JimFlat6:Utter crap. All show and no go.
It needs a motor, not a body kit. What decade is this? How mazda thinks their low output Miata is any step forward to fun is beyond me.
I agree. Saw the new MX-5 in the US, looked very nice but the engine is just...
With a nice high revving n/a 250 hp engine, this car would be a blast.
That would have been the Honda S2000.........................
Even if Honda offers a S2000 successor, I doubt it will have a n/a engine, more likely a turbo charged engine based on the new Civic R Type.
RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet, Porsche Macan Turbo, Ford Mustang GT500 Shelby SVT (2014), Mini JCW (2015), Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (2014)