| The Remarkable Sports Car |
6 Aug |
Mazda provided the automotive world with an affordable true sports car with its Mazda Miata. This vehicle was developed and designed in the California studio of Mazda and the complete manufacturing and production was really and entirely done in the companys factory in Japan. This vehicle has certainly garnered such a quite large interest in the automobile industry. And throughout the world, this vehicle has gained much popularity.
The Mazda Miata comes in a small sized car with clean lines, a simple drivetrain, an outstanding handling, and a very unpretentious character and appeal. Since its introduction, this vehicle has always maintained its world-class appeal, and at present continues to be the phenomenon that it is. This vehicle has been continuously credited for reviving the passion for roadsters, and at the same time it has achieved other vehicle manufacturers to pursue ideas like the Mazda Miata. It could be accounted for the creation of other vehicles like the Dodge Viper, the Volkswagen New Beetle, the new Ford Thunderbird, the Chrysler PT Cruiser, and the Chevrolet SSR. After its introduction, the Mazda Miata entered countless of Top 10 lists for vehicles.
It was first introduced in 1989 as a 1990 model. The Mazda Miata resembled the early 1960s Lotus Elan. Even if it was not quite quick, this Mazda Miata became a sensation. It was a relatively small and light vehicle with just an 89.2 inch wheelbase and 155.2 inches overall. Everything it held had a light touch making this quite a remarkable car. It had an optional power steering feature, and given as a standard feature was the manual rack-and-pinion set up that reacted on impulse to steering inputs. It reacted with subtle details about what was going on with its tires. The first of its kind was powered by a 1.6 liter dual-overhead cam that was capable of powering up to 116 horsepower.
As the years went on, the Mazda Miata, a sports car that could take in two passengers, went through different changes. Added as options were antilock brakes, and a four-speed automatic transmission. Also, its paint had changed in color and hue, plus an addition of leather seating, a rear suspension cross brace, a roof liner and defroster for its hardtop, a sensory sound system, passenger-side airbags, power steering, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, power windows, power mirrors, aluminum alloy wheels, cruise control, power door locks, remote keyless entry, Bilstein shock absorbers, and BBS wheels. The corporate logo was also mounted on its nose.
A new Mazda Miata is soon bound to roll its way to the streets and highways this 2006 or 2007. It is built on a modified version of Mazdas RX8 sports car platform. This time, it has a 2.0 liter twincam 4-cylinder engine. It will sport a more rounded and serious look with its flared wheel arches, fuller body sides, and more aggressive looking nose. It will offer a little bit more space and room. Also, torso side airbags will be added in.
Locating Mazda Miata parts and other Mazda auto parts is a breeze for online companies like Mazda Parts and Mazda Auto Parts offer quality auto parts with the best prices to save customers on over-priced purchases.
Tags: Automobile Industry, California Studio, Chevrolet Ssr, Chrysler Pt Cruiser, Dodge Viper, Dual Overhead Cam, Ford Thunderbird, Inch Wheelbase, Lotus Elan, Manual Rack, Mazda Miata, New Beetle, Optional Power, Other Vehicles, Overhead Cam, Sized Car, Subtle Details, True Sports Car, Volkswagen Beetle, Volkswagen New BeetleRelated posts
read comments (0)| Ford GT 2005 Car Review |
14 Mar |
When I approach an exotic car that can go 204 MPH with a roof line that is only as high as my belt, I have low ergonomic expectations. Ill probably get some bruising from the suspension and hopefully be distracted by the acceleration to forget how uncomfortable everything else is. I was only right about the acceleration.
The Ford GT is the remake of the 1966 Le Mans champion car called the GT40. The original GT40 was a great looking car, but this new GT has a spectacular exterior design. Im normally quick to whine about a benign design concept, or a trunk line or the shape under the front bumper, or at least some little picky thing. But the more I looked around this car, the more admiration I have for this work of art. And the designers & engineers had to factor in stable aerodynamics at 200 MPH that would have flipped the original model on its top.
The 5.4-liter engine fills the entire back half of the car, and the supercharged V-8 produces 550 horsepower. For the performance fans: the GTs 0-to-60 time is only 3.3 seconds, and it takes only 11.6 seconds to pass a -mile. The engine note is pretty plain; no NASCAR guttural tones or Formula-1 scream that I could tell; the glass partition between the interior cab and the engine deaden the sound. (From the inside you can turn your head to see a giant belt turning, to what I presume to be the superchargers).
Under the front hood is plenty of storage room for a sports car; about enough for 6 tennis balls or a pair of flip-flops, but not both at the same time! Once inside the car, you realize that the only storage is in the front trunk. There is no glove box, no side-pocket, no cup holder, but I suppose I could slide a few envelopes under my seat. But this is exactly what I want in a true sports car all business at propelling me forward and nothing flying around the cockpit as I take big g-forces in the turns.
The interior was much more comfortable than I expected, and the black and silver knobs and dash have an edgy look to them. It has the usual big red Start button that many expensive cars have made popular (again), and toggle switches like a space shuttle for the rear defroster and hazard lights. The tachometer is the big dial in front of the driver and that irrelevant speedometer is off to the right, nearly next to the passenger. Dont forget to set the temperature controls before you start moving because they are under your right elbow in the center console and awkward to reach while driving.
When driving the car, the biggest surprise I had is how comfortable it takes the potholes and uneven surfaces. Ive ridden in sport BMW sedans that dont ride this smoothly. The GT is easy to launch and shift, with power delivered without a noticeable spike from the superchargers. I didnt get a chance to throw the car around many corners, but the low profile and wide stance would indicate an adeptness with lateral-speed.
If you are trying to avoid attention, I cant think of a bigger mistake than being in this car. Everywhere I drove some people were staring and pointing, and at nearly every stop light, someone had a question about the car a lot more public attraction than any other unique production car Ive piloted. But for the GT most of its features are extremes, and I am very pleased that Ford has proven it can compete in the +$150,000 world market.
Tags: Admiration, Aerodynamics, Cup Holder, Exotic Car, Ford Gt, Front Bumper, Glass Partition, Glove Box, Gt40, Gts, Liter Engine, Nascar, Original Model, Silver Knobs, Storage Room, Superchargers, Tennis Balls, True Sports Car, Trunk Line, Work Of ArtRelated posts
| Definition of a Sports Car |
15 Feb |
A simple definition of a sports car is a small low car with a high-powered engine, and generally seats two people. This is more or less a textbook definition but gives us an idea of what the public perceives to be a sports car.
The Houghton Mifflin dictionary defines a sports car as: An automobile equipped for racing, especially an aerodynamically shaped one-passenger or two-passenger vehicle having a low center of gravity and steering and suspension designed for precise control at high speeds. This dictionary definition does not seem to capture the general perception of what the public sees as a sports car.
The Houghton Mifflin definition of the two seat rule seems out-of-date. Many sports cars today offer small back seats (sometimes referred to as 2+2 seating) and there is a current movement underway to increase the seating room in models long considered sports cars by most automotive experts.
Insurance companies use their own formula in classifying automobiles and often the presence of two doors automatically makes any car a sports car in their eyes. This perspective, of course, is as overly simplistic as the standard dictionary approach to defining a sports car. One can certainly think of any number of two door vehicles that fall far short of being an actual sports car. Economy cars and even larger two-door vehicles that are not built with power and performance in mind should not qualify as true sports cars.
Some car buffs will refer to high-performance muscle cars and other larger vehicles as sports cars. Others, however, draw a distinction between these vehicles and true sports cars. These individuals will claim that a car can be a sporting car or simply sporty but still fall short of being a true sports car. Thus, regular cars may be outfitted with a sports package and/or accessories to make the car sportier, but may not fit a strict definition of a sports car.
Not all automotive enthusiasts, however, embrace this restrictive view of sports cars. In many circles, a sports car is any car offering greater performance or power than more standard offerings. This school of thought will consider muscle cars and other larger vehicles designed with performance in mind as sports cars.
Others will maintain that the distinction between a sports car and any other type of car lies in how the car’s suspension and handling are addressed. Technical debates rage over whether various suspension packages qualify as belonging to true sports cars.
Some will argue that a sports car can be defined by its intentions. If the car is designed for performance more so than for utility, they say, it is a sports car. This intent-based definition, however, provides little guidance in determining whether a car is a sports car or not. Particularly in the modern era, the notion of designing a car of any sort without significant consideration of its feasibility and utility seems unlikely. Any commercially viable vehicle, regardless of its performance, must retain significant utility.
Road and Track, a leading automotive publication, summarizes the sports card definition debate with a simple observation: Ask five people the exact definition of a sports car, and you’ll likely get five different answers.
There is no clear-cut definition of what really is a sports car. The restrictive definitions of the past seem ill suited to categorize today’s’ diverse automotive offerings and common usage of the term runs contrary to most long-held definitions.
There is, however, a common thought that seems to run through almost all of the outlooks on the meaning of sports car. If a car is designed with high performance or race-like capabilities in mind, it can probably be safely termed a sports car. Some purists may balk at such a liberal perspective, but alternative definitions fall far short of accurately distinguishing sports cars form regular production models.
Tags: Car Buffs, Car Economy, Car One, Center Of Gravity, Dictionary Approach, Dictionary Definition, Economy Cars, Enthusiasts, High Speeds, Houghton Mifflin, Insurance Companies, Models Cars, Muscle Cars, Precise Control, Sports Cars, Steering And Suspension, Strict Definition, Textbook Definition, True Sports Car, Two DoorsRelated posts
