The road defines the car
Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2014 12:49 pm
My MX 5 is used entirely for pleasure. It goes out once a week and is used on 'B' roads where traffic is light and I can just enjoy the car for an hour or so.
I have a few regular routes that I rotate for variety, and they all have more corners and more interesting terrain than the main roads.
Even so, there is not really anything in them that really highlights the MX5's abilities, and over time you forget just how good these cars really are.
Yesterday I decided to run the gauntlet of roadwork in the region and take the car for a run up the newly resurfaced Mt Morgan Range near Rockhampton.
It was like discovering the car all over again.
The Range road is steep but only short, dríven in just a few minutes, but all tight 3rd gear corners, and now covered in smooth, even hot-mix bitumen.
It's years since I last drove the road (in it's former rough, uneven, corrugated form) and I had forgotten how beautifully the MX5 makes the transition as the steering wheel is flicked from left to right.
With the revs up in second and third, there is a purposeful growl from the exhaust that I don't normally hear, but no squeal or scrub from the tyres as the car just bites and takes the curves in it's stride.
It's all over far too soon, and I was left with the desire to just go back down and do it again.
dríven sensibly, it's safe as houses with no speed limits exceeded and no road rules broken (although no doubt the killjoys would be outraged at the thought of anyone actually enjoying driving)
The only danger from the incompetents (cars, motorcycles and even bicycles) who can't stay on their side of the road.
Viva MX5.
I have a few regular routes that I rotate for variety, and they all have more corners and more interesting terrain than the main roads.
Even so, there is not really anything in them that really highlights the MX5's abilities, and over time you forget just how good these cars really are.
Yesterday I decided to run the gauntlet of roadwork in the region and take the car for a run up the newly resurfaced Mt Morgan Range near Rockhampton.
It was like discovering the car all over again.
The Range road is steep but only short, dríven in just a few minutes, but all tight 3rd gear corners, and now covered in smooth, even hot-mix bitumen.
It's years since I last drove the road (in it's former rough, uneven, corrugated form) and I had forgotten how beautifully the MX5 makes the transition as the steering wheel is flicked from left to right.
With the revs up in second and third, there is a purposeful growl from the exhaust that I don't normally hear, but no squeal or scrub from the tyres as the car just bites and takes the curves in it's stride.
It's all over far too soon, and I was left with the desire to just go back down and do it again.
dríven sensibly, it's safe as houses with no speed limits exceeded and no road rules broken (although no doubt the killjoys would be outraged at the thought of anyone actually enjoying driving)
The only danger from the incompetents (cars, motorcycles and even bicycles) who can't stay on their side of the road.
Viva MX5.