"Mid Engine" (jdlogan2006)
03/25/2020 at 12:59 • Filed to: None
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"Mid Engine" (jdlogan2006)
03/25/2020 at 12:59 • Filed to: None | 1
| 27 |
Ask away oppo, I’ll try to offer an objective vi ew of the car. I can’t help but compare and contrast to my Cayman, two seater stick.
gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> Mid Engine
03/25/2020 at 13:06 |
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which version Cayman? I thought the mx5 was better interior than the 987.
gettingoldercarguy
> Mid Engine
03/25/2020 at 13:09 |
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Chassis limit compared to parsh? Feedback, etc.? I know the Porsche will be much quicker, but is like to hear about transitions, breakaway. Where does each feel best?
AestheticsInMotion
> Mid Engine
03/25/2020 at 13:10 |
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Three favorite and three least favorite things about it?
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Mid Engine
> gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
03/25/2020 at 13:11 |
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My 987 interior is pretty basic, so yeah the Miata is a step up for sure. The driving dynamics are very different.
Ssfancyfresh
> Mid Engine
03/25/2020 at 13:14 |
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Is RF short for Really fun?
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Mid Engine
> gettingoldercarguy
03/25/2020 at 13:16 |
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I can corner harder with the Cayman, it’s glued to the road. That said the Miata handles quite well, and it’s quieter. The transmission on the Cayman is a beast, takes a strong leg and the release point is much higher (I also upgraded to the short shifter kit) . The Miata releases about 1" off the floor and shifts like butter.
Both cars redline at 7k; the Cayman really loves being above 4k whereas the Miata doesn’t feel any different at higher revs.
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Mid Engine
> AestheticsInMotion
03/25/2020 at 13:19 |
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+ retractable roof is an awesome bit of engineering
+ interior is a really nice place to be, a bit cramped, but nice
+ definitely made for cornering.carving
- the t runk is about the size of a normal glovebox. Also, it doesn’t have a glovebox
- very underpowered, even with the bump to 181hp. It lacks torque
- gear ratios are too compressed. I can get up to 60mph in second gear on my Cayman, in the Miata you’re in 4th gear
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Mid Engine
> Ssfancyfresh
03/25/2020 at 13:21 |
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Heh, I like that. I bought the car for my wife, and she love’s the blue color, you don’t see many.
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AestheticsInMotion
> Mid Engine
03/25/2020 at 13:28 |
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I forgot about the lack of glove box. That was annoying.
I haven’t driven the updated engine yet (or an RF ). I ’d be curious to take it on track back to back with a brz...
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Mid Engine
> AestheticsInMotion
03/25/2020 at 13:31 |
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well, it does have a storage cubby between the seats. Also, the cupholders are bizarre. I mentioned the track to my wife, she has zero interest. Not even autocross. I have my Cayman for track time
BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast.
> Mid Engine
03/25/2020 at 14:04 |
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How much bigger is the Cayman interior? I can’t fit in an ND the way I barely fit in an NB.
Would a 986S or 987/981 base Boxster 6- speed be the best of both worlds, drop top, and Porsche… or is Miata a better convertible, and used Porsche buyers should stick with the coupe?
Should other cars come with a folding targa/hardtop like RF, and which other cars would you like to see that way, real or hypothetical?
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Mid Engine
> BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast.
03/25/2020 at 14:42 |
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My Cayman feels marginally bigger, I’d have to do some research to find out the specs. I’m 6' and 200lbs if that helps at all. I fit in the Miata but do feel there’s very little space around me.and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to throw a helmet on for track days.
I didn’t consider a Porsche for her, they do have their quirks and they’re not very easy to work on, being mid-engine. She loves convertibles and I insisted on a manual transmission so your choices are pretty limited. Add in we had a budget of ~ $30k and were looking to buy new.. yeah, the Miata was an obvious choice.
The folding top isn’t a new thing. Mercedes has been selling ‘em for a long time. There’s a couple of reasons I selected the hard top: a little more structural rigidity , it’s not uncommon for people with soft tops to have them cut and stuff stolen out of their car, it’s marginally quieter, and less likely to leak.
Poor_Sh
> Mid Engine
03/25/2020 at 14:53 |
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Should we be best friends?
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Mid Engine
> Poor_Sh
03/25/2020 at 15:01 |
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I have a 2018 Tacoma too, perhaps you need to add to your stable?
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Poor_Sh
> Mid Engine
03/25/2020 at 15:08 |
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Oh you mean like this manual 2018 Tacoma? (That I can borrow from my friend any time lol)
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Mid Engine
> Poor_Sh
03/25/2020 at 15:35 |
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Friends are good. I’ve been “st oring” this for a friend for months. I love it!
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Poor_Sh
> Mid Engine
03/25/2020 at 15:41 |
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Lol nice!
My friend’s cars I can sometimes use also include:
Veloster N
WRX
Ge o Tracker
500 Abarth maybe
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BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast.
> Mid Engine
03/25/2020 at 16:03 |
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I’m 6'2", and ~31" inseam, so headroom is more of a reason I don’t fit in ND than leg room, but yeah, I didn’t fit. That was a soft-top first year ND, thought, too.
Our NB was good, but a bit tight. I’d like to get a used Porsche... but I keep waffling back and forth between Boxster 986S or 987, and 996... maybe 997 by the time I get enough money together after taking care of other things... (which has taken another in a long line of big steps backward in terms of fun-money, with this economic situation)
Every time I remember how much we liked our Miata, I keep going back to Boxster... then back around to Cayman or 996... or maybe an Evora... and back around again.
I realize that SLK and others have had power folding hardtops for quite some time... Volvo C70... and others. even older Merc SLs are almost affordable anymore.
But I was curious if after experiencing the RF’s folding roof, which is kind of half-way between a full folding hardtop, and a folding targa that doesn’t require as much manipulation as a lift-off targa, if there were other cars that you wished had something similar.
Years ago, I photoshopped the FT86/Scion FRS concept with that sort of a spyder folding hardtop panel and roll-down rear glass...
For all the people who say that what I would call a “35" car won’t work, ~ 350+ effective horsepower & torque , 3500lbs or less, starting at or under 35,000$... because the marketshare is too narrow, I contest that, if it would be an appealing lifestyle car.
Cayman, Charger, and Supra are fixed coupes .
Miata is not a fixed-roof at all, nor is C8 Corvette yet, just targa and convertible... but that involves bodywork changes. Z4 is convertible only.
Boxster, non-RF Miata, Mustang, Camaro, and 370Z are soft-top convertibles, not folding hardtops. SLK is gone.
Mustang, Camaro, and 370Z are 2-body-shell cars, with coupe and convertible...
Porsche is, if you consider Boxster and Cayman one model with different names, rather than two different model names. BMW is two body-shell, if you count Z4 and Supra as the same car with two different brands, models, and completely different styling.
Those cars can make a business case... but if my “35" car were folding-hardtop-panel , or Spyder-roof only, with roll-down rear glass... or even SLK/SL/Portofino-like folding hardtop (more expensive and heavier, though)
It would have the lifestyle appeal of a convertible, but the security, and reduced noise, inclement weather sheltering, and better looks of a coupe when closed... in ONE body-style.
And then if a club-sport or other harder-edge limited edition could make a business case for a sub-model ... the roof could be fixed in place structurally, like a Z06 Corvette or something, stronger and lighter than the targa coupe, or the convertible.
Whether Mazda, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Ford, GM, FCA, or whoever were to build that “35" car that way, and got EVERY aspect right... I think they could do well.
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Mid Engine
> BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast.
03/25/2020 at 16:14 |
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Funny you bring up the Supra, my ‘89 had a removable roof and the RF looks exactly like it. The Supra had a clamping system in the hatch to store the roof, and to remove the roof you had to back off four bolts. The RF is very cool, press a button and in ~ 10 seconds the roof is retracted and stored between the seats and the trunk. It’s fascinating to watch.
If you cons ider manual a must, the market is very narrow IMHO. Since everyone has to have a CUV/SUV /Truck these days, I doubt the take rate would be worthwhile.
I did not consider Ford as the reason we bought the RF was because the Powershift tr an smission in the Focus was a disaster, dealer took it on trade. I’ll never buy another Ford product. I’ve never liked GM styling and have (perhaps unwarranted) concerns about quality and reliability. Same goes for Fiat. So... Miata was the answer.
davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
> Mid Engine
03/30/2020 at 13:09 |
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Is a Cayman really worth twice as much as a Miata? =)
I will own one (or both) of these some day.
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Mid Engine
> davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
03/30/2020 at 14:00 |
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For pure driving pleasure, yes the Cayman is objectively 2x better. Is it worth 2x? Probably not.. and I have no anecdotal evidence but I’m thinking the Mazda parts will be a lot che aper than Porsche.
TLDR: If I had to give up one of the cars, I’d keep the Cayman
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davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
> Mid Engine
03/30/2020 at 14:20 |
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This is good info. I’m happily watching 981.1 S values continue to drop!
(but an ND will be hard to ignore once they can be had in good spec for $10-15k)
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Mid Engine
> davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
03/30/2020 at 15:56 |
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I prefer the 987 due to the fact the 981's are electric steering (electric handbrake too). Also, the 987 has gorgeous hips
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davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
> Mid Engine
03/31/2020 at 15:23 |
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I love the 987, too (dem hips) - seems like 987.2 Ses are hard to come by. I knew about the EPS (less than ideal - can a tune help the early versions? ) , but didn’t realize they had an electric handbrake.
I think I’d be willing to live with EPS, maybe, as long as I got a sweet inline 6 to go with it. I assume you’ve driven a 981?
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Mid Engine
> davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
03/31/2020 at 15:29 |
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Don’t get too hung up on the year of the 987 you’d consider. Also, although the S has some performance gains it’s not enough of a difference to exclude the base models. Yeah, I drove a 981 a few times, they’re nice cars and have a few more nice-to-haves but again, I prefer the styling of the 987's.
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davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
> Mid Engine
03/31/2020 at 15:42 |
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I like the styling of both in different ways. I’d be coming from a ~ 450 hp V8 M3 (8 lb/hp), so I’d miss the grunt if I went for a base Cayman, I think.
IMS less of an issue than it’s blown up to be? We may have talked about this in the past - ha!
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Mid Engine
> davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
03/31/2020 at 17:19 |
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IMS is a myth for 987 and newer, no wo rries there. I feel ya with grunt factor, the 98x series aren’t considered super fast compared to a M3 or C08 , but the handling and braking are unmatched. Also keep in mind the 98x weighs damned near nuthin, plenty of power on tap. Track is a a different thing, but again, the handling & braking will win the day.