So, I commented on a post on BMW’s Twitter page and I’ve had two people take the mick because I have a picture of my MX5 on my profile.
Does anyone else have people poking fun at their choice of car? (Its only because they don’t understand MX5s!)
I somehow refrained from calling these two lovely fellows very bad names!
Ben Lee needs to know when to use ‘a’ and when to use ‘an’…simpleton!
Hmmmm, I can’t say I’m altogether surprised Darren. Afterall, you were on a BMW twitter feed and weren’t particularly complimentary about their newest halo product by the looks of your comment.
It shouldn’t have come as a shock when they got defensive.
I wonder if you’d have had the same response if you’d been more appreciative of their new baby?
The tweet came up as a sponsored tweet.
And true, I wasn’t complimentary but it was aimed at the details of the tweet. Not the type of car, nor the owner. The replies were aimed at me (including my name).
My argument is that we’re all car fans and we all love our own cars the most. And none of us should try to shame other people for their choice of car.
I love my MX5 because its a usable modern classic that I plan to own for a long time, and is massive amounts of fun for my wife and me and to attend car shows in. We all use cars for different reasons and shouldn’t be made to feel we’re being judged by strangers because of which cars we decide to own.
I’m surprised. You are a profific user of Twitter. People just feel the urge to comment on anything, however inane. And it seems, on balance, on Twitter, most feel free to add a critical reply to anything.
I think the BMW looks pretty decent.
Read this:
I’m not sure when the backlash started against the MX Miata. I suppose it started about the time the Internet started for people who didn’t work for secret agencies. It was certainly around in 1997. And even then there was a MX5 owner type who was a bit annoying, and verging on being a Cult member. There was a Miata club, for instance, who produced club stickers colour matched to your car…
Might have started here:
https://web.archive.org/web/20001002131939/http://realbig.com/miata/miata/1992-11/4.html
When someone in 1992 decided to come up with “Miataphiles” to describe a Miata MX5) enthusiast owner.
When hunting for the origin of the Miata hairdresser car jibe, I found reference here, in an article on a 1999 Top Gear Magazine article, which seemed to be a spoof Barbie and Ken road test of the then new NB MX
http://britta.com/briata/barbie.html
That chimes with my recollection. I was on the MX/Miata lists back in 1997-98, and the hairdresser joke was well established then. Back in 1998, I was on the Lisburn Road in Belfat, top down. Behind an Army Landrover. Summers day, so the Squaddies had the back open, and kind of hanging out with their guns. Then they started lobbing the chips, at the MX5 behind them.
So, its always been around. But we are a bit to blame, with such nonsense as “the answer is always Miata”.
When I lived in Belfast (mid 1980s), the first thing you learned was never to drive close to the rear of an army Land Rover. If somebody decided to take it out, you really didn’t want to be close enough to get caught in the aftermath.
BTW, I’ve had a couple of BMW M5’s (E34 and E39) and they really are fabulous, fabulous cars.
Those links were funny! Thanks for sharing those 
I think I just felt annoyed that I was told I’m not allowed to comment on a new BMW M5 solely because I own an 18 year old Mazda MX5.
I’ll happily listen to anyones opinions on cars (such as your Jalopnik link - some very valid points there!) but what i don’t like is when people say “your car is s***” and think that counts as an opinion.
Its a bit strong to sau BMW M5s are common though.
There is also the irony that you are driving the most common roadster ever made (its official) and then to say BMWs aren’t special,
No one said your MX5 was terrible. One reading of it could be that as a driver of a very common car you are not really qualified to determine if a new M5 was special of not. Its a genuine opinion.
You can label the drivers of any car with a stereo type, it is part of life.
If it eases the hurt of “having a go” on a BMW forum, understand that the winner of the 2009 Owners Club raffle for the MK1 MK5 was the then chairman on the BMW owners club, Richard Head.
I agree with you, not just that BMW’s are common but M cars are are as well, they have lost their cool factor. I see M2’s M4 and M5 very often but I do live in London which is pretty densely populated. I also see loads M135i/M140i
I also agree it looks quite dated, reminds me of the E90 which was released from 2004/2013.
The MX5 will always be seen as a hair dressers car, a thing of ridicule, at least to some people who never own one. Maybe cars like the M5 attract such small minded people.
To be fair, if I were ever to change from my run of 7 consecutive MX5s, I’d make it easy by only removing one letter from the name.
Thats interesting. A lot of BMW owners ive met have either stuck with that brand and always bought them, or have had bad experiences with them. Its nice to hear a former BMW owner that’s still fond of them.
I do like both those shapes of 5 series, but then I am fond of modern classics!
Hmm. Fair points.
Your response is making me want to write “no, what I meant is…” which highlights that my comment is easily misinterpretable.
Thanks 
Thats kind of what I meant.
BMWs used to be a “wow” car, but because so many people want that, loads of people have them.
Similar with the trim levels. A lot of modern cars (probably every manufacturer i can think of) have their M Sport / ST Line / GT Line trim levels that make a genuine M / ST / GT is not as special as it once was.
Its all about sales numbers for the car manufacturers though. If people want the brands and the trim levels, they want to make it so that people can have them. They’re achieving their targets.
All I know is, if I was spending £100,000 on a car it would be on one that looked different to a base model of the same car from ten years beforehand, and the advert would tell me the car offered more than “carbon fibre finishes” and “gold bronze badging”.
I like to think MX5s as popular, but its fair to say popular and common are the same thing.
I’d like my wife to get a Kia Sportage, because its one of only a few cars I’ve driven and really enjoyed. Comfort, visibility, finding buttons, etc. And Kias are very well built, with interiors that can take a bit of use instead of posh and fragile materials that look great but aren’t long lasting.
But if I were to replace my MX5, it would have to be with another convertible. Maybe a different MX5, maybe a big 4 seater (Mercedes C Class?) or maybe a new Mini Cooper so I could still be part of a great owners community.
I have always thought that new BMW’s are driven by the “look at me I’ve made it” brigade. Mx5’s more the " I don’t give a toss what you think" brigade. Like Mercedes their glory days of quality and class have long gone.
I agree with that.
If I had a “prestige” brand, it would be because I wanted other people to notice it.
If I wanted a “quality/reliable” brand, it would be South Korean or Japanese.
If I wanted a “fun” car, it would be small, light, and have low enough power so it had to be driven hard!
(All “in my opinion”, of course!)
When the hairdresser came to our house to do my wife and daughters hair, there is no way all her kit would have fitted in an Mx-5!
Mr Hunt’s user name suggests that he likes a bit of ‘banter’.