Stutopia

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You’re dead right about the seats, comfy, attractive and warm but slippery and unsupportive. A proper setup is on my list, but first, just booked in for some PS5s at the weekend (got three different ages of tyre on at the minute, oldest being 2016!) and will get it set to stock then and see how I get on from there. Also @Ekona have you tried or heard anything good about lower braces, a few of mine are corroded and although I could save most of them, at least two need to go and I’m tempted to replace the lot. I tried asking on mx5nutz but I’m not really feeling the love over there compared to this place!

You're dead right, I am a very lucky boy. To be honest, much of my research when I start looking at cars is seeing what the motoring press think, for the price bracket I have in mind and my requirement (typically no need for big boot or lots of back seat space!) and then driving the options and seeing which one fits. I also have some irrational preferences, I don't really care for VAG, I do like Jap stuff, BMW and Mercedes are not high on my list to try (although Cayman replacement might be a quick saloon/coupe), I used to say I like rare cars but I think the MX5 now disqualifies that! In terms of comparison, the Cayman is by far and away the "best" car, but then again, it costs at least double what the others did (comparing new prices, more like 4x on used prices). So it's a bit unfair to compare, but that won't stop me though. The Cayman's big wins are on refinement, cabin quality, outright pace, fabulous chassis and it also happily cruises on the motorway at nearly 40mpg. The PDK is fabulous for town and motorway driving and I love the paddles when I'm in the mood, the speed and smoothness of shifts is astonishing. Even the deep frunk and limited rear boot offer practical solutions for GT work. The only downside is that you have to be going really, really fast to feel like you're going fast. I'm sure that cruising down the autobahn at 130 feels lively, but with our speed limits you're quickly in to licence losing speeds if you're on wide open throttle for more than a few seconds. Getting near the limits of grip on UK roads is just irresponsible IMO. On track though, absolutely mega, if money was no object I'd have one just for track work (probably a GT4.0) and not worry about the consumables or risk of bending it. The 350z is a great GT Sports, I absolutely loved it, but again, it was a little too fast for UK roads. Once you're at the top of 3rd, you already troubling the local plod. Downsides were the impact the weight has on agility, the low MPG, less than fabulous interior plastics. But that's all due to cost and the tech available at the time of production. For the money, I can't think of much that delivers as much as the Z, truly a fun, beautiful and charming car. I do still miss mine from time to time. The character, noise, looks and pedigree are all superb and I would have bought one to track (instead of the MX5) if it wasn't for the fuel costs and the impact the weight has on consumables. I will get a 370z Nismo at some point, in red. Just mega. The BRZ and the MX5 are very similar, low weight, low BHP, all about the handling and peddling it hard to make progress. Wether this appeals to a driver more or less than the qualities of the 350z is purely subjective. There's no, one is definitively better/worse IMO, it's just what you prefer from your car. Lighter and more adjustable, get the BRZ. More grunt and more GT and better noise, get the Z. Compared to the MX5, the BRZ has the better chassis and more grunt and is definitely quicker because of these things. It has a superb driving position, better even than the Cayman and much better than the MX5. The BRZ's low centre of gravity and low seating really make you feel involved. It's a cliche, but it feels like it rotates around your hips. In truth, I never should have sold the BRZ. My big problem with it was, the ride quality was a bit unfriendly and crashy on harsh surfaces - the solution to this was to drive it less on the road, more on the track and get some quality coilovers fitted. Instead I sold it. Which was daft as it had all the problems solved (bigger brakes, remapped, cabin improvements). That said, the one thing it didn't have that the MX5 does have is a folding hard top! Having had my first blast around the B roads in the MX5 this weekend, I totally get the charm (even in the cold). The presence of the elements, plus the hilarious body roll and the noises and the smells all make you feel like you're going FAST at 50mph, which to me is perfect. I can peddle the life out of it, get the sensation of speed and not worry about the plod. Downsides are I haven't found the perfect driving position, it's noisy on the motorway (wind whistles and road noise) and it seems to hunt around on the road surface instead of just going straight (this could be because mine has Pilot Sport 3s and may never have seen a wheel alignment). I've only had it for 5 minutes, so it's hard to really give it a fair review yet. In short, although they are all cracking driver's sports coupes, they all have slightly different jobs and if you find the right one, for what you want to do, I'd be amazed if you didn't love driving any one of them on the road.

After two weeks of waiting, the sun finally arrived today and boy did I take advantage! Had a lovely spin around Derbyshire and Yorkshire, bit chilly on my skull (must but driving hat) but the fire in these and the heated seats are marvellous for keeping you toasty. So much fun this little thing, can't believe I waited this long On the downside, I also washed it for the first time and removed all the dealer makeup - there's a fair bit of paint correction to do if the dry weather holds...

Nice one, glad you got a result in the end.

It’s going up on the ramp tomorrow for the first time, then I’ll know if it’s good or made of rot!

Funnily enough I’ve got a little type-r style knob on order and handbrake handle to match. Plus some alcantara gaiters as mine has a small rip in the “leather” one.

That's one possibility, especially as the gorgeous tan seats are super slippery and unsupportive, but I might keep some creature comforts and address the power to weight ratio by upping power, rather than saving a few kilos on interior trim and sound deadening. I know it's against Chapman and all that but I'm getting too old to be uncomfortable!

Much as I loved my one track outing in the Cayman, I spent more time worrying about sending it off into the hedge and a mammoth bill, than I did about finding out where the limit of grip was. Track insurance for it was just silly money, so I have been sniffing around auto trader looking for something slowish and cheapish to play with on track without being crippled by financial anxiety. I initially test drove an ND MX-5 with the sexy new angular looks and 180bhp, but found the seat to be too high when forward enough for my little legs and also the pedals to be quite offset to the right. Much as I liked the interior and the exterior, being comfy comes first. Accordingly, I test drove an NC a couple of weeks ago and much preferred the seating setup. Yes it's 20 odd bhp down on power and a bit more lardy but it fitted me much better and was a hoot to drive. Before I knew it I had put down a deposit on a 2013, 2.0 manual Roadster, that's been only ever been driven by one lady owner, to church and the Mazda dealer (every single year!). Naturally, for British convertible driver, I picked it up on Day 1 of the current endless hurricane, so I've not had a chance for any topdown fun, but I couldn't resist an extended B road run to see what all the MX5 fuss over the years is all about. Obviously, it's a bit lacking in out and out pace compared to the Cayman, and the body roll scared the life out of me initially, compared to the flat attitude I'm used to, but once I adjusted myself to the feeling I absolutely loved it. The gearbox is so sweet, even better than I had on the BRZ. The lightweight and lowish traction are so much fun on wet roads. I can't wait to give it a try in the sunshine. For now, I'm mostly leaving it alone, aside from a stereo that's not from the dark ages and some new pads and fluid for a shakedown at Blyton Park on 12th March. After that, I've got my eye on some coilovers and one of the BBR GTI tuning packages - supercharger sounds like so much fun...

This has brought back painful memories, had to do the same on mine and it took an age. I assume you’re trying the method that’s in this thread? If not, try that. If you are, don’t mean to be an arse but check the new fob battery is good and correctly oriented. Then just keep at it. Took me plenty of goes, think I was a bit slow on the key turning to start with. Is there any step you get to in the process where it fails, or just a complete nothing?

Totally worth it. Once you get past Carlisle you can get straight on to some great roads and the time flies by, compared to sitting on the motorway. I'll save you a couple hours work and share a decent variation on the route too. Top tip, go anti-clockwise, that way the scenery just gets better and better as you go around. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/2/edit?mid=13hTAPW2flJ9ZVhPRKWthJY8XMPOqeFwG&usp=sharing

Think they've all landed now, even the spare one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eUZaOal3sM

Congrats mate, cracking looking motor (especially from the back end). Check with Matt Spatt on exhaust mods, I think the one he picked up had some deleted items and the noise was quite considerable!

Not a bad one to have on the doorstep, do you ever cut off the top right bit and go up along Loch Shinn?

Yeah, that’s what I run, it’s totally fine for the money. It’s not like a real race car vibe but I don’t need a full F1 simulator setup, way more fun than a pad, even if it’s a bit slower.

Sounds like great excuse for a PS5

Not cheap, but in the long run, great value for money.

Excited there’s a PS5 title that gets me going. Preorder in!

It appears everyone has received their calendars, which means I have a spare if anyone wants it.

Sooooo tempting, I need something super comfy for treks across the country, but I don’t have shares in Shell. GLWTS

Something just twitched, you know, down there.

Thanks everonye for the positive feedback, I'd love to take credit but I just pick the best ones and pop them in. The people who really deserve the thanks are all the Members who sends in photos, particularly given how hard it was to get out and about the last 12 months.