have I sinned?

A couple of weeks before the challenge I picked up a Miata from a fellow board member that had a few mild mods. ( agx's Tien S springs, rear sway, smaller diameter steering wheel, konig 15's and an aggressive alignment ) I went and looked at a 95 bone stock Miata earlier this week, I actually used numb to describe the car to a couple of friends. So my question is this; did I sin in doing so? It actually bothers me that I used said word to describe it. I love these cars, but wow what a difference.

Only if you're being dishonest.

Numb compared to a modified Miata? No foul.

Numb compared to a Taurus? FOUL!

No not in comparison to a Taurus. My comparison was with the modified car. Still hard to believe I thought that of a Miata. I do remember trying to take a corner a bit hot and it seemed like I turned the wheel and had to wait and wait and wait for the car to respond.

I blame it on stock spring/struts/steering wheel.

Comparing my 99 SE maxima to my 95 gle maxima is a huge difference in driving feel and responsiveness. Same for a my friends stock 240sx and mine exactly the same but with basic coilovers. The older maxima just has worn struts/valving and feels like crap. And of course new coilovers that lower CG and are a decent bit stiffer then stock will improve chassis responsiveness.

And I LOVE MY NARDI wheel! It doesn't dumb down the steering feel and vibrations as much. Its a little smaller diameter then stock and makes a GREAT upgrade on a power steering equipped car.

So no I don't think you were in the wrong, modified to stock is a huge difference and stock miata to appliance is a huge difference....

~Alex

I remember getting out of my friend's DSP X1/9 and thinking my Porsche at time felt like a Buick Roadmaster....so no foul, it all depends on what you are comparing it to.

the last time i got home after a week in a rental suburban, my xterra felt so much peppier and nimble than the lumbering beast that the suburban was, even with 325hp

I love driving my 26' box truck at work. The Miata feels like a shifter kart after that thing (though I don't have the cool sequential gearbox).

Yes, it's all what you are comparing it too.

as much as I love my Integra with Koni's ... it feels numb when compared to my STS CRX....

alignment specs make a big difference in steering feel on the miata.

I would say when I had one the previous owners specs felt fairly numb compared to after i had the car realigned with a lot more caster.

it's all down to what you are comparing the stock Miata to, and what tires are on it (the stock Miata), and to a lesser extent the way the car is set up. same thing with speed, if you've just spent your time doing 250+ on the VW test facility's 13 mile oval, highway speeds are gonna feel like you put it in reverse. just ask James May, the first time he took the Veyron up to 253/254 (depending on where you round off when converting Km/H to MPH), after he managed that, he got on the binders and went to open the door when he felt he was slow enough and looked at the speedo and realized he was doing 80mph

Thanks guys. Like I said I felt bad about even saying it, so I thought I would ask. The owner even gave me a funny look when I said it during the test drive, I may have to take mine back over there to look at it again tomorrow and let him take a spin in mine so he understands where I'm coming from.