Miata Mailing List: March 1993, Message #68
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   From: (none)
Subject: Re: '94 Miata R1 (?)
   Date: (none)


In message <93Mar18.143854edt.71024-4@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu> to Multiple
recipients of list  on Thu, 18 Mar 1993 14:39:44
-0500, "Michael Butler"  writes:
> I've just gotten off the phone with Rod Bymaster of Mazda.  Here's the latest
> on the '94 Miata.  Of course you know about the 1.8l engine.  The latest
> figures (all approximate still) are +10 hp and +10 ft-lb torque.  Weight goes
> up 50-75 lb.  Brakes are bigger all around and wheels go to 14x6".

Hmm, not much change for the fourth year (is that right?) in production.
Unless the new engine has much better long term reliability, it wouldn't get
me very excited (+10 hp yet +75 lb.?).  Bigger brakes might make me feel more
secure, but still nothing exciting.  It looks like that stuff about a
long-lived design that appeared in the "P729 affordable sports car concept"
article in the MCA magazine a couple of years ago may have been for real.
 
> There will be an "R1" model with aero thingies (for the SSC guys) and a
                                   ^^^^ ^^^^^^^^
Sorry if I offend anyone, but BLECHHH!  This kind of stuff detracts from the
appearance of almost *any* car, not to mention that of a nice, cleanly
designed roadster.  I remember some automotive writer (in R&T, or some such)
years ago describing the vaunted Lamborghini Countach as "...having too much
aerodynamic laundry out to dry."  I agree.  Oh well, I suppose if you're
interested in road stability at speeds over 140 mph, or find the aesthetics of
_Transformers_, _X Men_ or any other Saturday morning cartoon 'tough guy' fare
appealing, this might wind your watch.

> Torsen diff.

>From some of the chat I've heard here about "turning the viscous LSD into
peanut butter," this might be useful for our AutoX guys, anyway.

Sigh.  One hundred thousand miles, anyone?
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  James Miller -- developing Unix software at (!) IBM -- Austin
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