Thursday, February 07, 2008

Zoom-Zoom

My recent automotive acquisition has prompted me to examine its place in my auto-owning history. Here's a list of all the cars I've had:
Now, here are few assorted---and unsolicited---thoughts:
  • The Miata, like all the others, is Japanese, though it is the first Mazda.
  • It's the first convertible.
  • It's the first with any kind of forced induction.
  • It's the first with a 6-speed transmission. (I've never owned an automobile with an automatic tranny, by the way.)
  • It's the second that's rear-wheel-drive. (The Z was also RWD.)
  • Only the Prelude had more than 2 seats, and the rear seats on that car were suitable only for malnourished contortionists. Thus, I've still never owned a vehicle with more than 2 usable seats.
  • Given my white-silver-black-silver color trajectory, I can only predict (a) that my next car will be white and (b) that I will never own an automobile that isn't some shade of gray.
  • The Miata is---and this may come as a surprise to you---the largest car I've ever owned. Not in terms of total length; that distinction goes to the Z. Not in terms of number of seats; that's the 'Lude. Not in terms of usable space; that would be the Rex. No, the Miata, at 2,529 lb is biggest in terms of weight. (The others weigh(ed), in chronological order, 2355, 2130, and 2103 lb.) A lot of that bulk comes from the rag-top and the chassis bracing that's needed to make up for the lack of a fixed roof, but a lot of it also comes from all the safety features that are required on 21st-century cars: airbags, side-impact beams, and so on. Additionally a little of that weight comes from the powered convenience features that are sadly* standard on so many cars nowadays: power windows, power door locks, even power mirrors. I'm just glad the top is manually operated.
  • Fortunately, the Miata is also the most powerful, so it moves out quite smartly, thank you.
  • Man, that name is a mouthful!
* Power features cost more, weigh more, and break down more often, so I would really rather not have them. Sadly, only a bottom-tier vehicle or a dedicated and stripped down sports car can get away without including them in this modern era.

3 comments:

  1. So Skeeler starts getting into Forza on the 360 ... then just a few weeks (maybe days) later, he gets a new car after having had that CRX for literally ages (yes, as far as I'm concerned you have had that thing since the Bronze Age for all intents and purpose, I am not tweaking your pet peeve...)

    Coincidence?

    Or did he decide that he needed a "real life" upgrade to complement his virtual experience?

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  2. Well, it's certainly not a coincidence. I've been an automobile enthusiast for quite some time. Plus, I've been talking with Alison---and on the blog---for many months about getting a new car. And, since I've been thinking about driving a somewhat sportier car, it's not surprise that I bought a racing game.

    So there. Nyah!

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  3. Haha well said. Well it look tres cool man, I'll give you that.

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