Those skyactive engines are meant to be superb. 
Numerous sources point to the current demographic of owners of new MX5s.
My dad didn’t know how long he had. It turned out he had 10 years of reasonable health in retirement, then 8 years of quite poor health, with macular degeneration followed by Alzheimers, neither of which there was a family history of, so unexpected. The convertible he treated himself when he retired turned out to be his last car. 5 years after initial diagnosis, and hanging up his car keys, he passed away last year at the not ripe old age of 83 years, 8 years less than his dad. He didn’t give in. For most of those 5 years with dementia, he was a carer to my mother. Before he was diagnosed, he completed some life ambitions with a BA and MA, and became a published author and expert on the history of military medicine in the Boer War.
Turns out what happened to his was better than most. Life expectancy is an average over the whole population; someone born today will likely live longer than me, and I will probably live longer than my father (but who knows). But AD is proving a challenge to treat, so its likely that while I might live longer, I’ll be fairly oblivious to the extra years (if there is a genetic dimension to it).
The current average age of good health is 63 years for a male, followed by 19 years of not-good health. Some will live longer, some not as long. Illness might come out of the blue. I suspect in my father’s case, he had AD for many years, completely asymptomatic. Then my mother’s sudden paraplegia (staph infection of spinal cord) triggered a stress response, and acceleration. Neither of them could plan or expect that.
I’m 55. I think I have 25 years left. Of those, less than 20 in reasonable health, followed by 5-7 years of rapid decline. I’m not going to let it go on that when I stop driving will be the day I am found driving the wrong way up the motorway (though a positive of EV self driving might be an extension to my independence. I just tell the car to take me home).
My operative word was “many”, not “some”, or “most” or “all”. “All” is 100%. “Most” is somewhere between 50% and 100%. “Some” I guess is more than 0% but less than 25%. “Many” is 25-40%. You obviously fall into the “not many” camp of pensioners. Not ageist.
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What!!!
I don’t disagree because that is essentially what I stated. Its a light car for 2023, but nt lightweight in absolute terms. People will agree/disagree whether safety or emission equipment is a good or bad idea.
ND MX5 1058kg
NC MX5 1110kg
NB MX5 1065kg
NA MX5 980kg
MGB 1063kg
Triumph Spitfire 790kg
Mg Midget 735kg
Jaguar E-Type 1170kg
Lotus Elan 680kg
Now I’m with you, can’t argue with what you’re saying there of course👍.
My Caterhams weighed about 550kg . The MX 5 felt like a truck in comparison . Thankfully, everything else now feels like a truck compared to the MX5. I am sure that most drivers cannot even imagine how wonderful driving a very light car feels - like the laws of physics have been changed . But most drivers are used to driving lumbering porkers like my Hyundai Kona, and even that is flyweight compared to absurdities like Range Rovers and jokes like the Bentayga .
As for ownership demographics, just like Boxsters and Z4s nearly every MX5 owner I see is another tragic old git like me . The only younger folk I usually see in MX5s are driving modified mk1s …
The 990S model ND in Japan was really popular.
Stripped of some features it had a weight of 990kg.
… are all women between maybe thirty and forty, ie all much younger than me. No men, old or young!
In the last couple of weeks I’ve seen maybe ten NDs and a couple of NC, but not one RF or NA or NB.
I was either on buses for essential local visits or in the Mazda3 on the M40 etc ferrying family.
Which goes to the question, when purchasing a car, does weight really matter all that much now? Or is it just marketing and spin?
The laws of physics haven’t changed, but a car’s COG has. All that weight is now low down on a car (skateboard battery)
There’s a guy in his mid 20s at work that has an nc that he uses for fun and track, I’m 39 and just bought an nc. I think enthusiastic drivers see the merit of the cars and enjoy what they have to offer, trouble is many young people see driving as a pure necessity and aren’t enthusiastic about it at all.
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Weight (of car , I’m not svelte) matters a lot to me , if not , it seems , to most people . I am a disciple of Colin Chapman and Gordon Murray who championed lightness throughout their careers . CoG is only a part of tne story and I doubt if many EVs have a C of G as low as most Lotuses . More mass means more power needed to speed up and more brakes to slow down . But that in turn means more weight - which means more power and more brakes . But … you get the picture.
And the less mass , the easier it is to change direction .
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But 95% of MX5s never go near a track. 70% never exceed 4000rpm
And CoG; I am referring one particular EV in question, not to EVs in general.
Information about Lotus Elise CoG
The 1996 Lotus Elise weighed 725 kg (1,598 lb). Because of this low weight, it was able to accelerate 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 5.8 seconds despite its relatively low power output of 118 bhp (88 kW; 120 PS). Braking and fuel consumption are also improved by the car’s reduced weight. Cornering is helped by a low center of gravity height of 470 mm (18½").
Tesla Model S CoG from a reliable publication
… the more than 500-kilogram battery pack under the floor puts the car’s center of gravity a mere 44.5 centimeters off the ground, giving the car unprecedented stability. The Model S is nearly impossible to roll, according to the NHTSA
MG4 Shopping car
The MG MULAN (MG4 Electric) is equipped with a five-link independent rear suspension, a 50:50 front/rear axle load ratio and an ultra-low center of gravity of 490mm, making the new vehicle a complete driving pleasure.
ND MX5
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15093074/2017-mazda-mx-5-miata-rf-manual-test-review/
Curious about how the Miata’s center of gravity height migrates according to top material and position, we logged these measurements:
• ND Club softtop with the roof up/down: 18.5/17.5 inches
• ND Club RF with the roof up/down: 19.5/18.0 inches
EVs are not short on power. Power in ICE costs $$$$$. MG can offer a MG4 XPower with 435PS for £36k
When it comes to brakes, EVs have brake calipers, but also regenerative braking; the electric motors are slammed into reverse, EV brakes are less likely to overheat and fade.
Very limited footage of a Cyberster “race car”
And then this well known bit of film
Here’s the thing about market share; its easy to lose it, hard to get it back. Mazda is taking a risk essentially keeping the ND going for another 5-6 years with only cosmetic changes. Over that period, it will face increaed competition from new models, which will chip away at market share. MX5s in that period are unlikely to get cheaper. EVs in that period are not unlikely to become cheaper.
*You don’t need to go on track or to redline your car to feel the difference that light weight makes . If you are remotely interested in driving you can feel the mass of a car within a few yards of setting off . As for power , yes , EVs ( which I’m not against at all ) tout huge horsepower as if it trumps all other criteria by which one judges a car . Having once experienced a friend’s Tesla in insane mode I’m in no rush to repeat the experience - it’s one trick pony stuff. *
*And yes , only geeks like me care about driving dynamics , feel and feedback. But I got more fun in a 2CV , let alone a Seven , than any mainstream SUV , one of which I own, ironically enough . *
Some EVs intrigue me -none more than the astonishing McMurtry Speirling , Sadly I lack the mlilion quid to buy one, but amazing though it is I’d have a GMA T33 please .
Perhaps influenced by the Clarkson type persona (though in reality he is much more subtle), Musk I don’t think does subtlety and appeals to base instinct, Cybertruck?
I have a soft spot for Musk. Maybe we’d got tired of tech folk being po- faced and humourless - but I did love his publicity stunt which involved putting a Tesla roadster in orbit , with a helmeted spaceman at the wheel.
And yes, the Cybertruck is not subtle - but even then I prefer its Judge Dredd , comic book styling to the absurdly macho pickups with daft names like Marauder and Predator . Ford Molester or GM Assailant anyone ?
I think most owners couldn’t tell. I think terms like “light weight roadster”, “50 50 weight distribution”, “jinba ittai” mean nothing to most owners. They know what 0-60 means though; bragging rights.
The point about the comment about not red lining the car is that most owners don’t look at cars through the same lense as you. They look at the MX5parts catalogue for ideas. They worry about running costs, and the boot size.
I agree entirely.
Helping out on the OC stand at the NEC Classic Car Show over the years, and mostly talking to visitors about the NC, the majority of questions were along the lines of “how comfortable is it” and “can I get a fortnight’s worth of luggage in the boot”.
Nobody has ever asked how much it weighs.
And, given the event, mostly these were car enthusiasts
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Or so they claimed …
Sorry, that was my assumption.
Still doesn’t change the fact that of all the people interested in the MX-5, none were interested in its weight
“Another vision of the future could be one in which recreational vehicles (like the mx-5) thrive as an alternative to the daily workhorse”
This is my future. I’ve owned sporty cars for the 30+ mile commute, and while they are fine in the summer, a low, firm, noisy car is not as pleasant in the winter months when every drive is dark, cold, raining, and you are easily lost in the spray on the motorway.
My ND2 RF was “very good” at the daily stuff, but not perfect. I switched to a 2 tonne (gasp) SUV (shock) EV (burn the heretic) and it’s the most comfortable pleasant thing for the daily grind.
However, I knew it was never going to be “fun” so bought a boosted Mk1 on coilovers for weekend and summer use. It is my “recreational vehicle” - the absolute opposite of my Genesis, and all the better for it.
To those heroes using their MX5 for 500 mile journeys in all weathers on a daily basis, I salute you, but don’t kid yourself it’s the best tool for the job, your back, or your sanity! It’s not a sign of weakness to enjoy a bit of quiet comfort every now and then.
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