The New Ugly Miata

[chunkypeanutbutter]

So I like the Mazda Miata.

But, the Miata, sadly, is not invincible from the new "thin headlights, weird swoopy lines" thing that's happening to cars.

Looks like a droptop sucker fish to me now.

Photos via Car and Driver

Edited October 17, 2014 by chunkypeanutbutter

[rusty85]

Ugly? I think it is the first good looking mx5 to come out.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Looks a little less "Chick Mobile" to me now. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess. Steve

[unclescott58]

I agree. Not a great looking car. But, I've seen a lot worst.

Scott

[Joe Handley]

Is it me, or does it look like a cross between a Z3/Z4 and a S2000?

[rusty85]

Is it me, or does it look like a cross between a Z3/Z4 and a S2000?

I can see that a bit.

[StevenGuthmiller]

I can see that too. I also see a little of the "Sucker Fish" that Miles mentioned. Looks like one that just woke up! I will admit, sometimes it looks like they're trying a little too hard in the styling department. Simplicity goes a long way! Steve

Edited October 17, 2014 by StevenGuthmiller

[slusher]

I think it looks great. ..

[Quick GMC]

Has the Miata ever looked good? It's a driver's car

[58 Impala]

I think it looks pretty nice. My son and I test drove a Miata a couple of years ago, fun little car. I can see why a lot of people own them. It's like driving an older British sports car but with more comfort and reliability.

[jbwelda]

"chick mobile", yeah I like that. so while all the guys are crowded around your pick em up truck, all the girls are crowded around my lowered BRG 91 Miata asking for a ride sometime. I like cars that girls like. not sure what it says when you prefer cars guys like but Detroit seems to have made a living from supplying them to guys unsure of themselves, "down there".

and I like that new design.

any of you yokels ever hear of a Lotus Elan? I know its not a 57 chevy or some "manly" car with a big penile implant under the hood but it did have some style and finesse to it, traits that carried over to its Japanese cousin. yeah that's gay, I know.

jb

[Kennyboy]

The generation of Miata before this was horrible looking.......the headlights were way to high on the front end giving it a "pulled back too tight hair on a girl" look.

Having had a 2003 S2000 in the past, I agree with the analogy of the cross between the Z4 and the S2000.....hard to copy the S2000 though without making it look obvious. Iconic car.

[ZTony8]

Maybe I'm in the wrong part of the country but I can't recall seeing a regular Miata street driven around here by a female.But I've seen several Miatas over the years modified for autocrossing and co driven by women.Miatas are definitely not "chick cars".

I saw a side view pic of the new Miata and it looked to be almost an exact copy of a Honda S2000.Not a bad benchmark but lacking in originality.

[Erik Smith]

I still love the NA. Mazda started straying from the essence of "Miata" with the NC - bigger, heavier, more expensive...

I also love the "chick" car analogy. Yeah, they are cute and small. But they were produced with pure "sports car" in mind.

[Matt Bacon]

It's not just about what it looks like -- it's 100kg lighter, lower centre of gravity, shorter...all in all, they're trying to get it back to being a great to drive sports car, as opposed to the previous trend for steady bloating. I welcome that. And since it's always been an homage to classic British sports cars, I don't think there's anything wrong with putting a fair dose of F-type into the mix...

bestest,

M

.

[ZIL 111V]

Not a beauty! looks like Mazda is stuck in an "overstyling" period reight now

but less "feminine" look , guess Mazda trying to reach a larger male clientele...

Indeed a Z4 was probably studied in Mazda design studio when the design process was going on.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Sorry to ruffle feathers guys, with the "chick mobile" analogy. Sounds like I struck a nerve! I didn't invent the term. It's just there. It's a lot like the "Chick Bike" thing with the Harley Sportster. That's just the way it is. Do I even have to say it? If you can't stand the heat..... There are all kinds of "stigma" that go along with certain types of vehicles. All pick up drivers are red necks, All VW drivers are gay, you get the picture. Things aren't fair in life. Either you take it in stride, or you get bent out of shape. I prefer to be a little more laid back. Steve

[turbo nova]

I like it a lot better, IMO they will never top the FD rx-7's, now that was a street legal race inspired car.

and I dont fit in miata's

[Harry P.]

I've never been a Miata fan, but that new one looks pretty good to me.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I think it looks OK in the photos, probably looks a lot better in person, but still seems to be a combination of styling elements lifted intact from other cars and not all that well integrated. If it's lighter than the recent ones, and as much fun to drive as the original, it'll do.

I agree with Mr. Just. The Lotus Elan, which was THE major influence for the original Miata, was a light, taught, agile car that would run away and hide from most nose-heavy sloppily sprung American iron as soon as the roads got a little twisty.

The original Miata was a Japanese version of the Lotus (which was fiberglass) in steel; it was also simple to work on and as reliable as a stone ax. It was a REAL sports-car, but usable as a daily driver. A friend of mine has a largish vehicle fleet (new stuff and old stuff) and his original Miata, with close to 200k on the clock, is his favorite car.

The heavy, over-wrought Miatas of late are poseurs, wanna-be, nothing at all like the originals in spirit. Sports-car look-likes, not sports cars.

I hope this one returns to its real-car roots.

[chunkypeanutbutter]

See, that's what I liked about the original Eunos roadster. It was a driver's car.

Besides that, I thought it looked good.

[Ace-Garageguy]

You want ugly Miata? I'll give you ugly Miata. This Bizarro-world custom has to be the winner.

[keyser]

SCCA and racetracks everywhere are full of them. Pretty awesome and cheap car to win with. Spec Miata pretty much dispensed with chick car wimpy car thing.

Enormous starting grids, all cars within few bhp of one another, and it's all driver skills. Way closer racing then almost anything out there, and check videos on you tube. Most too long for here, but bump drafting is routine, and when one car goes, a bunch go. Huge leaderboard changes in seconds.

Hysterical to watch, more hysterical to drive.

New car will rock.

Also check vids on making modified 4 cyl Miatas whup on cars far more expensive.

Competitive cars for 8k-35k. You spend more than that on tires, brakes, and oil in many series.

Starting grid pick in middle is at Laguna Seca. 68 cars gridded for one race

Top and bottom pics I forget where, but they're a few laps in, and about 1/2 field in pack with first.

Edited October 17, 2014 by keyser

[Ace-Garageguy]

Yeah...this is not a "chick's" car...

...or this...

Edited October 17, 2014 by Ace-Garageguy

[chunkypeanutbutter]

And, as a sidenote, does anybody know if Laguna Seca has like an open track day?

Pay a price and go a few laps?