Miata Mailing List: December 1998, Message #334

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The Probe suffered from a shrinking sport-coupe market and the flashier
Eclipse and classier Integra. If the Probe had been popular or successful,
Ford would still be selling it. Ditto the MX-6.

IIRC there was a UK TV sitcom that had a character who owned a Probe in
which they made fun of the sexual connotations of "Probe." This further
reduced the cars image. Does someone in the UK remember this? 


Craig

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	gchoate@nowsco.com [SMTP:gchoate@nowsco.com]
> Sent:	Wednesday, December 02, 1998 2:55 PM
> To:	Multiple recipients of list
> Subject:	Re: Mazda news item (NMC)
> 
> Uh, oh - looks like I have attracted the wrath of the Probe GT fans on
> this
> list!  Sorry guys, I wasn't trying to put down the Probe GT - I actually
> like the car as well, for several years I wanted one.  My wife really
> liked
> them, so we may still try a used one.
> 
> BUT - let's face it, it was a Mazda 626 coupe in wolf's clothing with a
> stiff suspension.  Granted, a very well done 626 coupe in ... .  It was
> the
> identical chassis to the MX6, differing only in suspension tuning and
> wheels/tires (as far as performance goes - ignoring the hatchback vs
> trunk,
> etc).  It was a sporty coupe, not a sports car.  Sporty coupes include the
> Probe GT, the MX6, the new Cougar, the Honda Prelude, the Celica GTS, the
> DSM coupes, etc.  Interestingly enough, while the Probe GT was popular,
> well-reviewed, and successful here in North America, it was almost
> universally panned in the UK and considered a reliability/service
> nightmare
> (probably mostly due to parts availability problems?).  I never understood
> that, but I suppose it is the reverse of the Fiat syndrome - well-liked
> and
> reliable in Europe, nothing but trouble in North America.
> 
> I recall a post to the list some two and a half years ago, where a list
> newbie came to the defence of an earlier Ford product, the Taurus SHO,
> that
> had been criticised by Bill Cardell as being from the traditional Ford
> performance suspension tuning school of fat swaybars and stiff springs.
> Well, that newbie was me, and I've been trying to learn more about
> suspension tuning in the intervening years, and the bit about Ford GT
> tuning was true (recent products from SVT excepted).  Anyway, did you ever
> notice that the ultimate handling limits of the MX6 was reeeeaaallllly
> close to that of the Probe GT, even though it had softer springs and
> narrower tires?  There's more to handling than just stiffer springs,
> although, not to discount their effect entirely, they do make a big
> difference in the response of the vehicle.
> 
> I will defer to the Probe owners in their assessment of the relative
> merits
> of the Probe vs. Cougar, not having driven the Probe in a great while and
> the Cougar not at all.  Remember, however, that there are few go-faster
> parts available for the Mazda 2.5 V6, and more and more coming available
> for the Ford 2.5 V6, beginning with Ford's own SVT division (such as the
> gear on their current 200hp 2.5 V6).  Also, being based on the Mondeo, the
> Cougar will benefit from suspension and brake bits already available from
> European tuners.  At any rate, kudos to Ford for even offering a sport
> coupe with a V6 5 spd, when other manufacturers have ignored that market!
> 
> Regards,
> Gordon Choate
> Calgary, Alberta
> 96 BRG/tan
> 
> 
> Jeff Schrum wrote:
> 
> > I'm with Ian.  I, too, traded a '94 Probe GT in on my '99 Miata (mine's
> green
> > too, Ian).  The Probe GT was one of the best cars around...the same
> people who
> > voted the Miata car of the year voted the Probe GT car of the year.  The
> > Cougar is not a sports car, and IMHO has nothing on the PGT.
> >
> > Jeff Schrum
> > '99 EM LP
> >
> > Ian McCloghrie wrote:
> > >
> > > On Dec 2, 1998 gchoate@nowsco.com wrote:
> > > > equivalents.  The Cougar is a better car than the dear departed MX6
> and
> > > > Probe, and the new Lincoln looks to be a winner as well.  After all,
> they
> >>
> > > Having traded in a '95 Probe GT on my '99 Miata, I'll have to disagree
> > > with this one.  The Cougar has 6 more hp, a couple hundred pounds
> > > extra weight, and a suspension that's tuned much more to the luxury
> > > side of things than the PGT's was.  Admittedly styling is a very
> > > personal thing, but the Probe had very smooth, flowing lines, whereas
> > > the Cougar is just.  Ugh.  No thanks, I'd take a 2nd gen Probe over a
> > > Cougar any day.
> >>
> > > --Ian
> > > '99 Emerald Mica LP
> 
>