I'm glad you mentioned the hardtop -- if this will be a part-time DE/track car, make sure you check with whoever you run with before buying any roadster.

A lot of clubs will make you run a hardtop even if it has no structural function at all -- my local BMW Club is a good example. They would not let me take my old S2000 without a hardtop.

I had an 01 S2000 that was a bit tail-happy on the track. I understand that later model years saw some suspension tweaking that made the car more idiot-proof, but also lowered the red line several hundred RPM.

Someone where I work is driving a new black Solstice. Beautiful car. Much nicer looking iup close than in the pictures. If only it weren't a Pontiac.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1154360449.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1154360479.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1154360506.jpg

I think the Solstice is a beautiful car. I've read and seen a couple of comparo's between the Solstice and new MX-5. Everything seems to point to the miata being the driver's car and the Solstice being more of a fun cruiser. Still both have similar 0-60 times and similar handling, but the Miata is lighter and more responsive while the Solstice is attractive and has huge tires. And that's comparing to the new "NC" miata, not the NA ('89-'97) or NB ('99-'2005).

I think the problem with the Solstice or new MX-5 is that they aren't really "cheap". A used, older miata that's destined to be a track/autox car can be had for anywhere from $2k-10K. Lots of people pick up nice older miata in the $2500-5000 range.

OK, I'll prepare for a beating here. Went thru the same thing 3 years ago. After a short 40 year absense from fun cars, the bug bit again for a Sunday driver. Mrs. ruled out the first choice, Ducati.

Looked at Boxster, Z3, too new, too expensive to justify for limited use.
Miata. Nice, but I'm not THAT secure. :)
Replica Lotus/Speedster/Cobra. No top or windows. Dubious safety.
British roadster. I danced with the Prince of Darkness before.
Alfa. Not much better than the above.

Then I drove a 914/4. Kinda fuglee, but what a hoot. Steel doors, rollup windows, targa 'roll bar', 4 wheel disks, simple engine, removeable top. Can run with just about anything on Mulholland, short track, or A/X. Good DE car.

After 3 years of owning this thing, it has become beautiful. 15 k miles, 5 oil changes, one set of tires, 2 valve adjust/tuneups.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1154365642.jpg
How I see it :)
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1154365766.jpg

if the solstice and new sky from saturn get production numbers like the pt cruiser i think they will be available cheap in a couple of years. as to how they will hold up over time and multiple owners, only time will tell.

I'm considering the 914 but, like the old Brit cars, rust is the enemy. 914s are a hoot though.

do you taller guys fit in a Miata? I'm 6'1" and felt pretty cramped when I sat in one about 5 or 6 years back.

The only "tuner" thing I saw from Mallet for the Solstice was that they will drop in the Corvette's 7-liter V8. The conversion costs as much as the Solstice does.

Still, for $40k, it is one sweet ride.

I'm 6'2", 200#, and I do best with Levi's with a 35" inseam. I felt ok in the miata. With a modification to the driver's seat I'm now doing much better.

Miata seats initially look like they'd be pretty supportive, but when you sit in them they feel flat and hard which is a hard change to live with when you are used to the seats in a 911. A common mod for the tall guys is to shave 2-3" of foam from the bottom and back of the stock seats. This results in a much lower seating position and much, much better lateral support. I'd advise anyone to either give a miata seat a "foamectomy" or replace the seat.

I'm 6'3" and I....uhhh.....just bought a '93 Miata for the wife. Yeah....that's it.

I just performed the seat foamectomy and pulled out 4" of foam from the seat bottoms. This made a huge difference with headroom. Then I took the foam I cut out and made a 'cushion' for my wife to sit on when she drives the car.

For me leg room wasn't the issue, it was head room. Now I can sit up straight and not hit the roof.

Still not enough room for a helmet though. For that I'll have to bolt a racing bucket to the floor.

I've driven the S2200, new Miata, Z4 2.5/3.0, Boxster/S, and SKY/Redline around tight race tracks and winding roads. Here are my thoughts and ramblings.

The 260hp SKY Redline (aka Solstice GXP) whoops ass on all but the Boxster S. Motor is unreal, way more power curve than any of the others. The regualr-strength 177hp SKY/Solstice are just okay, not ebough power for me. Chassis feels fat, not delicate like the Boxster or small like the Miata. It isn't a scalpal, it's a butcher knife. Very well balanced. Great brake feel. Just okay steering feel, but the tires are huge, so. The sight lines on the SKY sucked. I'm 6'2" and my head brushed the top, the windshield is 'Speedster-like', and the sexy fenders block the 'line' on a tight autocross course. You will hit cones. And the damn thing is WIDER than a Vette in the rear. Fat a$$. The tires are 245/45-18 with more room underneath ... try that in a Miata.

The new Boxster FEELS way faster than it really is. Everything is just right: it makes all the right noises, the shift quality is superb, it communicates well .... so much more than numbers on paper.

The Z3/Z4 is a crude tractor. Please don't take offense.

The new Miata isn't as good as the old, although it is more 'liveable'.

The S2200 isn't as peaky as the S2000, but you still have to plan your rpms or you will not be in the game. I actually fit in the S2200 better than the others. The digital gimmicky dash crap can go, as can the power top. Clutch felt best in the S.


To the question / criteria posed: Miata

E

Pontiac Solstice, Opel GT, Saturn Sky, Vauxhall VX. All the same cars pretty much, just a bit of International "Badge engineering".

Miata +1, nice daily driver/backup car

6'1" and I fit in the Miata better than a 1986 944. The steering wheel doesn't hit me in the legs. I will do the foam thing eventually for a little more comfort. It makes my 911 with sunroof seem spacious by comparison.

Driven a turbo'miata yes it was still slow and got a "is that your wifes car"

drove the s2000 at willow springs best way to compare the car is to a heavily ported 125 cc shifter kart zero torque then bam you have a furious narrow band of power not all that fun and 2900 #s

not sure about the weight being 1900#'s on the sky closer to 2600

corvettes are 3100-3200 BUT have 400 hp and 400 foot pounds of torque and are cheap to maintain, and have the same footprint as a 911

hmm go test drive some cars

The hot Solistice turbo was orginally was supposed to be 240 hp.....latest info says 260. And a good looking car to boot. Is this Bob Lutz revolution to little/too late to save GM? The ultimate boy racer is the Elise, but it ain't cheap. The ForceFed turbo version has somewhere north of 270hp andbigger wheels in a 2100 lb package, but it adds $10k to the $43-44k price tag of the Sport model. First gen S2000 and 2.7 liter Boxster get my votes for fun car that are semi reasonably priced. For a bit less, how about the original 1.8l Z3? iknowit's a 4 cyl, but my cousin had one it it didn not seem to lack power in the grand scheme of things. Plus, that is the same block as the one they stretched out to make the original 2.3: M3. Imagine a lightweight 4 cyl Z3 modded with one of those long stroke 250hp M3 motors like the weekend racers use:eek:

The Mini, not the convertable. Hot sht car, kicks but, stock. Buy the John Cooper special and you will kick butt, Porsche included at any autocross.. This car is a HOT ROD, straight out of the box, the S version will give you rubber in 1, 2, 3 and 4 out of 6 gears, no sweat. And cornering, its a go cart. Did I mention rubber in 3rd at 60 plus mph! 110 mph is no sweat and its still in 4th gear.

Stability at 100 plus mph, you will not beleive it, its just like a rock stable.

This car is the ultimate (for a front wheel drive pos) go cart.

I've got a 2005 MINI, not the S. And, it is a kick butt car. However, it's not a roadster. I really like open top cars.

Funny how I love the Cooper S, but view the cab version as a chick car. Just me, or do others agree? Felt that way about Miatas until the recent ones as well. Never buy a car that a woman refers to as "cute".