Miata Mailing List: June 1999, Message #10

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At 10:48 PM 5/31/99 -0400, you wrote:
>Check out the June issue of Classic Cars which has a section on the 50 
>Greatest Sports Cars.  The MX-5  is described on page 60 as "already a 
>classic" and "does everything well."  Unfortunately, it is also described as 
>"lacks classic character."  
>
>This confuses me.  Why would you describe the car in one sentence as a 
>classic that does everything well and follow up by saying that it is lacking 
>as a classic?  
>
>A bit of a contradiction, I would say.

I don't think it's contradictory at all. Classic
character is defined by many things, power being one
but a Porsche 911 has character because the ass end
swings out in corners if you don't watch it.
Lotus, Fiat, MG, Triumph, you name it they all have
their quirks. The Acura NSX got low marks because it did
everything well yet didn't stand out in any one way.
It doesn't make it a bad car but it lacks character.
Character is not always desirable and I think the
Miata has character. It'd have "more" character if
it say had really good take off power like a Viper
but the roof blew off at over 120mph. Things like that
The Vipers roofs did blow off in the early model roadsters. :)