Harvin,
The problem with the Miata is not that it isn't a very well-designed sports
car, because obviously it is. The problem is that the overall look and quite a
few of the details were apparently copied, without acknowledgement, from the
iconic Lotus Elan. Compare the nose, the taillights, the one-piece twin-cam
valve cover, the exhaust note... not to mention the overall shape. I think
this rubbed a lot of us the wrong way, either consciously or subconsciously.
Mazda has never officially revealed just how intentional this was. What is
known is that the company did buy an Elan S3 at the time and it was used as the
personal vehicle of the Miata design team's "Product Planner," Bob Hall. Check
out his column here:
www.miata.net/askbob
and in particular look at the May/June '99 column.
The real question is, WHY does this rub us the wrong way? I think it's
because we value the originality of our cars, and the Miata's originality is in
some sense counterfeit. If it had been a more original design, I don't think
we would have had a problem with it. Nobody resents Honda for making the Del
Sol, for example.
- Nick
> Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2006 14:46:12 -0400
> From: "Harvin Sauls \(ML\)" <lists@fusion.hopto.org>
>
> Dave,
> You have touched on a subject I find of interest. It seems that a lot
> of LBC owners really have a thing against Miata's. I've never understood
> that.
> HS
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