As some of you already know, I recently bought a 2004 Mazdaspeed MX-5 off ebay and flew down to Dallas to drive it home. The impetus of it all was this video I saw posted on Bulgogi Brothers a month ago. I sold my MINI in August of last year and purchased a 1978 BMW 530i but I've missed it ever since. While I love the Bimmer, I missed the lightweight and nimble driving of the MINI and since I still own the Bimmer, I couldn't justify spending as much as it would require to have a MINI too. The video reminded me of the Mazda Miata, another small, simple, lightweight car that is all about the driving. While they are slightly different in the way they go about it (the MINI's mantra is Let's Motor, the Mazda Miata's is Zoom-Zoom), both stand out in today's World of increasingly large and bland cars.
I originally set out to find a basic early model Miata but in doing more research, quickly determined that a '99 or newer would be preferred because they had a good deal more power than the earliest models. In my search, I came across a 2004 Mazdaspeed MX-5 on eBay. I wasn't familiar with the Mazdaspeed version of the Miata, so I did some research and found that it was a high performance special edition (just over 5,000 were produced between 2004-05) complete with a factory turbocharger, an upgraded suspension, and other performance upgrades. The particular car I found was listed at a very low Buy It Now price, but I was hesitant because I'd never bought a car on eBay. However, I did some research on the seller and found out he owned a Spec-Miata racing team and was highly regarded in the Miata enthusiast community. I felt good about it all so I took the plunge. It was a wonderful experience and I will do some future posts about the car itself and my trip to pick it up in Texas.
So far I love my new ride! It is the perfect combination of speed and handling, and like my MINI it begs to be driven. When the designers and engineers at Mazda were developing the Miata, a guiding principle was the Japanese phrase Jinba-Ittai, which roughly translates to "rider and horse as one." To me, that is what a true sports car should be about - the connection between man and machine makes it the perfect car for me. And with its cloth drop-top, it's also the perfect car for some Summer motoring.
I originally set out to find a basic early model Miata but in doing more research, quickly determined that a '99 or newer would be preferred because they had a good deal more power than the earliest models. In my search, I came across a 2004 Mazdaspeed MX-5 on eBay. I wasn't familiar with the Mazdaspeed version of the Miata, so I did some research and found that it was a high performance special edition (just over 5,000 were produced between 2004-05) complete with a factory turbocharger, an upgraded suspension, and other performance upgrades. The particular car I found was listed at a very low Buy It Now price, but I was hesitant because I'd never bought a car on eBay. However, I did some research on the seller and found out he owned a Spec-Miata racing team and was highly regarded in the Miata enthusiast community. I felt good about it all so I took the plunge. It was a wonderful experience and I will do some future posts about the car itself and my trip to pick it up in Texas.
So far I love my new ride! It is the perfect combination of speed and handling, and like my MINI it begs to be driven. When the designers and engineers at Mazda were developing the Miata, a guiding principle was the Japanese phrase Jinba-Ittai, which roughly translates to "rider and horse as one." To me, that is what a true sports car should be about - the connection between man and machine makes it the perfect car for me. And with its cloth drop-top, it's also the perfect car for some Summer motoring.
From the front page of the owner's manual (and since I'm a sucker for marketing hype):
Zoom-Zoom
All children instinctively know it.
A few adults still remember it.
One unique car company refuses to outgrow it.
In grown-up language, it means the exhilaration and
liberation that come from experiencing sheer motion.
But as usual, children put it much better
and simply call it "Go Zoom-Zoom."
We practice it everyday.
It's why we build the cars we do.
Zoom-Zoom.
Can we re-awaken it in you today?
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