New MX5

[Calm Chris]

Well an alternative to the MX5

I do wish manufactures would stop insulting us with rebadged cars with use of a historical model name.

A Fiat 124 Spider no less, it isn't a MX5- oh, no, no

Abarth version might be fun, so is it better looking than the current MX5?

Edited January 29, 2016 by Calm Chris

[garcon magnifique]

I'd like to see them both in the flesh. Have seen an MX5 and loved it. Modern and minimalist, not a retro touch in sight.

Not seen the Fiat except for pics which make it look overly fussy and trying too hard to be retro.

And there's no doubt Fiat will somehow manage to make a Mazda unreliable and all those shiny retro Fiat bits will fall off.

[theduisbergkid]

I hate the styling of the new one. A face like a kicked Alsation. It's supposed to be fun, a throwback to the classic Brits, not some snarling alpha-male racer. Also, the new one drives exactly like the last model, the mk3. It has a whopping bulge in the drivers footwell which makes it strangely irritating to sit in, and it's full of electronic cack I hate (blind spot sensors, for example).

I look forward to the Fiat version, maybe they'll make a better fist of it.

[garcon magnifique]

TDK, given your generally appalling taste I'd be worried if we agreed on everything.

[CarMad]

I really like the new MX5 a good modern car that as Garcon said isn't trying to be a re-make its a new vision. 

 

I disagree with throwback boy and I'd certainly look at it as a modern light and appeal that it needs to have for todays buyers. I don't want a new car with old tech and without the advancement that we have made. whats the point in that. 

[garcon magnifique]

Where I do agree with TDK is that a car like the MX5 does not need all those electronic driver aid gizmos. But then I hate them all, the just encourage bad drivers to be even worse.

[jimdiesel]

. It's supposed to be fun, a throwback to the classic Brits,

No it's not. It's the modern take on an affordable sports car. The mk1 may have doffed it's cap to the Elan, but that does not mean the MX5 line is defined in that way.

[Tipex]

Have to say, I think they are both gorgeous but the Fiat takes it for me, stunning little car.

I just hope they use all the Mazda bits to make it, a Fiat interior would be a thing of nightmares.

[theduisbergkid]

throwback boy

[dazdot]

I think i prefer the Mazda based on the pictures, but the fiat does look very happy.

[Tipex]

The more I look at it, the less I like the Mazda and the more I like the Fiat.

 

Don't get me wrong, I still really like the Mazda, but I think they've tried to make the front end overly aggressive and it doesn't sit properly with the rest of cars curves and small non aggressive proportions.

 

That Fiat really is a stunning little car.

[Tipex]

No it's not. It's the modern take on an affordable sports car. The mk1 may have doffed it's cap to the Elan, but that does not mean the MX5 line is defined in that way.

I'm not sure Mazda agree with you, they describe it as a Roadster that is "going back to it's roots".

 

The Mk1 did more than doff it's cap to the Elan and that's exactly what did define it.

 

Incidentally, 0% finance and a 'Sport Recaro' special edition (1 of 600) available at the moment.

Edited January 29, 2016 by Tipex

[garcon magnifique]

I quite fancy the Sport Recaro edition, in that shiny red. But it doesn't meet my needs.

 

I think there's a subtle difference to Mazda's interpretation of 'going back to its roots' and going retro. It's a thoroughly modern re-interpretation of the simple, lightweight sports car using new technology to trim weight and get the back to basics feel. That's why the engineers who designed it prefer the bog standard 1.5 version to the gizmo laden top of the range 2.0. That may well mean using tech to artificially get that basic feel, but if they've got it right does that really matter?

[Ian_C]

Agreed.  No amount of electronic shite on a modern car can replicate the way a Mk1 MX5 (or similar age lightweight car, AX GT, 106 XSI, 205 GTI etc etc etc) behaves.  Why the hell does an MX5 have lane deviation assistance?  FFS!

[NewNiceMrMe]

The Barchetta should have been a brilliant car but was flawed in every way the MX-5 wasn't.  It looked nice (the lights at the rear were a bit naff), had a decent engine and it handled okay too, but they managed to put it together in such a way that it didn't quite work.  Somethign about it felt wrong.  I drove one for 3 days before I bought my MX-5 and I wanted to like it because it had something quite cool about it - but I was pleased to hand it back.

 

I wouldn't put much faith in Fiat getting it right this time around.

 

Their timing is crap too.

 

It happens to be released at the time that Mazda have finally taken the MX-5 back to where it should be (although I agree with the comments on driver aids).

[CarMad]

I told a colleague who's wife wanted a Fiat 500 the build quality might not be the best. 

 

Last week he came into work and just said you know you mentioned the build quality, yes I said, well I pulled the handle off the car last night. He thought he'd opened it but hadn't and yanked the handle and it came off in his hand. 

 

I think I will give the Fiat a miss thanks. 

[cruiser647]

I told a colleague who's wife wanted a Fiat 500 the build quality might not be the best. 

 

Last week he came into work and just said you know you mentioned the build quality, yes I said, well I pulled the handle off the car last night. He thought he'd opened it but hadn't and yanked the handle and it came off in his hand. 

 

I think I will give the Fiat a miss thanks. 

 

A girlie here has just bought a use one with the soft top.

I've been in it and it seemed OK.

 

I think on many of these things, some people are more ham-fisted than others, with no mechanical sympathy.

I would treat a non-premium car with more sympathy - out of sheer fear of breaking it    Although you shouldn't need to!

[Torino101]

Love the look of both of them. Actually inclined to agree with Tipex, the more I look at the two, the more I prefer the Fiat over the Mazda stying.

 

Which one would I buy though no contest!!

Edited February 1, 2016 by Torino101

[Tipex]

The 500 I had up on two wheels in Italy was ok, took a right beating and nothing fell off.

Yes I destroyed two alloy wheels and probably a few suspension components too, but you can't blame the build quality for that!

[Tipex]

Which one would I buy though :roflmao:no contest!!

That's the crux of it really, depends where the Fiat is made.

If it comes out of the same factory using 99% of the same components, can it really be any worse?

I'd guess all the major components will be shared and it'll only be the trim and panels that differ, if it comes out of a different factory however....