Nice ones, Jeremy!
Must admit that I am looking at something like a Pana FZ every now and then, as using them seems to be just as much fun as the old UZI (Olympus C-2100 UZ) which I used from 2003 until 2008!
The night before, I was having Decision Paralysis: Nikon D610 and the 70-300? Olympus E-M10.3 and a couple of teles? Didn't want to not have telephoto, so my GR III was out. Then I remembered the often-neglected FZ1000; it is PERFECT for this occasion.
Here in Germany, these Mazdas are called MX-5; I think nobody uses that 'Miata' name (like nobody ever called an Olympus 'Evolt' or certain Canon models 'Rebel')
Mazda stopped calling them "Miata" over here two generations ago, but it's too late now; that's how they're known and we're stubborn about that kind of thing. I also like the story that "Miata" means "reward" in old high German. (can you confirm that?) It somehow gives the car more personality to me.
I looked up a couple links, but couldn't find anything hinting at an old high German origin of 'Miata'. Doesn't sound German at all. The closest I can think of is 'Mia', short for 'Maria'.
A nice article about that 'Miata' name:
https://garagedreams.net/car-facts/why-is-the-mx-5-called-miata-in-north-america
So you are actually driving a 'Eunos Roadster'! :-D
That plural 'Miatae' looks funny! :-D Twice a Jeremy, would that be Jeremiae? ;-)
Back in the 90s I really wanted such an MX-5, but they were still a bit too new and too expensive for my taste, so my less expensive workaround was a slightly used Mazda 323 Turbo, 140 hp, just as fast as today's best MX-5. It looked more or less like any ordinary slow 'rice bowl', with the exception of that massive and heavy spoiler in the rear, like you can see in this picture I found via Google:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4d/a8/21/4da8215995f2c3af8d330a9ef1a02c11.jpg
I am skeptical that the old 323 Turbo was as quick as today's MX-5. Today's MX-5 will go 0-60 mph (0-97 kph) in 5.6 sec. Top speed is 127 mph. (204 kph) This is not to say the 323 wouldn't have been very fun, and a lot more practical!
Believe me, Jeremy, it could do these 204 km/h! The fastest I had seen on the Tacho (speedometer) was 220, on a flat road, not downhill. A rather lightweight vehicle, compared to later ones, maybe part of the reason. Also, due to my Koni chassis, mine was a little lower, what probably also helped.
This spoiler was very nice to put down a beer glass for a while! :-D Different to the one in the picture, mine had nicer rims and somewhat less ground clearance, due to expensive (but lifetime warranty!) Koni shock absorbers. That car was so much fun that I drove it from 1991 until 2003, 532,000 kilometers!, until my silly back started asking for something that made it a bit easier to get out again, lol! Solution: Renault Scenic. Nothing 'sharp' looking at all, lol, more a boring looking family car, but very comfortable! Priorities change when you grow older!
Just realized I forgot one: After the BF Turbo, before the Renault, came four years with another Mazda, a little 323F (BA):
Picture source/Copyright:
https://thereaderwiki.com/de/Mazda_323
Basically the same 1600cc engine like the turbo, but without that turbo charger, only lousy 88 hp, compared to the 140 I was used to. Going up in hp with a newer bike or car always feels good, but going the other way, down, sure didn't! :-(
Btw, my very first Mazda 323 was in 1979, the 1978 model, the FA4. 1300cc, 60hp, 10,390 DM, bought brand-new. Looked just like this one ( but with rear view mirrors and the radio antenna, which are missing in this pic):
web find, old 1978 Mazda brochure picture
Funny about the names: My Mazda dealer as well as his mechanics only used the internal Mazda type codes when talking about Mazda cars! Talking about this red one above, they called it the 'FA4', my year 88 Turbo was a 'BF' for them, the 323F was a 'BA', the first generation MX-5 was the 'NA', your second generation one would be an 'NB'.
Yes, I believe you. I hope to be able to get into and out of the Miata for many years to come. I just ordered Collector plates for it, which don't have to be renewed every year like our normal plates!
Different over here, we don't have to renew them every year. When doing the mandatory technical inspection every second year (first time after three years for brand-new cars), they only change a little sticker on the plate, the so called 'TÜV-Plakette', showing (cops) when the next inspection is due; put on like this it will be in December 2025:
TÜV-Plakette on license plate
'TÜV' stands for 'Technischer Überwachungsverein' (technical monitoring association).
The color of your -or Cari's- Miata: Hmm, I guess that is what I would call 'chicken-s..t dark-brown',
I'm not an expert in colors of chicken poop, but I'd call it metallic orange.
Neither am I, lol! I grew up in a little village with lots of cows, pigs, horses and chickens; if I remember correctly, chicken poop color was actually more of a greyish-whiteish mix, so my Renault is probably closer to that description than your MX-5. :-D
Mazda calls it "Evolution Orange Mica." I get comments on the color all the time. It is very rare on Miatas; it only came in that color for one year. The only thing I don't like about it is that the tan top doesn't really match. They really should've used black for the top.
lol, while my latest used Scenic came in 'chicken-s..t light-brown'. :-D Both not really my 'dream color'! Like in your picture, a majority of these cars are also just red color over here.
Picture source/Copyright:
https://www.caradisiac.com/modele--renault-scenic-3/
The little Mazda might have been slightly faster, oh well, but gas mileage really makes a difference!! The 1988 140hp Turbo Mazda: minimum about 10 liters per 100 km, 14 liters when you really wanted to have fun! The 2014 131hp Renault: Between 6 and 7 liters Diesel! (Sorry, but too lazy now to do the math the US way, miles per gallon).
Liewenberger
May 23, 14:20 GMT
I wonder if diesel compact cars will ever catch on here? We have diesel VW Jettas and maybe Passats, but that's all, and they're not popular. It might be too late;
we seem to be going all-in on electric cars these days.
Yes, the same over here, the future seems to be electric. But for many years, I thought German car industry would come up with something based on Wasserstoff, Hydrogen.
Liewenberger
May 25, 03:42 GMT
