rontizzam
Latest Post
My (loving) review of a 1997 Mazda Miata
Miatas make the RX-8 seem boring and mundane in comparison.
Having owned and driven a fair share of cars over the last three / four years; admittedly it is an addiction I can’t seem to kick. Why? There are certain (few, but definitely out there) vehicles that give you a sense of, well, I don’t even have the word for it. Drive her and you think to yourself: “damn, the engineers knew what they were doing with this car”. The connection between the driver and the machine is instantaneous, effortless, geared to be driven …everything feels …right. The car has life in it.
A 1995 Mazda RX-7 first pleasured me with this sensation – till this day I still lose sleep for giving her up. The only other machine that embarrassingly, I felt in love with. (Read what I wrote for her).
Well, love struck again. This time, with a cute-faced Mazda Miata. I took her home over the weekend; with close to 16 years on her back, dialling in slightly over 120,000 kms, it’s utterly shocking how the Miata is still ready to play and eager to impress.
Mazda designed the Miata to be a true-to-form roadster; merely 30 minutes behind the wheel and I could tell they hit bulls-eye. If I were to describe the Miata in short, “street-legal go-kart” comes to mind. The only criticism lies within the power department – a 1.8L engine is suffice for the job, but you can always sense a lust for more ponies once you push her around hard. That probably explains why most serious Miata-philes choose to go forced induction – go figure.
Handling is the essence of this car. Everything feels direct; steering is quick and responsive, unhampered by the techno-gadgetry that plagues many cars. For me, the steering could be stiffer – it lingers on the soft side, just enough for you to feel the road, but more would have been better. The 5-speed gearbox is tight, with short throws (rowing through gears is a breeze), albeit on the notchy side to be critical. If you prefer this toy in automatic then shame on you! The short wheelbase makes cornering, even in tight situations, a stroll through the park. Turn-in is instantaneous and before you can realize, the rear end is already ’round the corner, ready to throttle out of the curve. Equipped with a LSD, the tail is willing to slide out, if that’s what you demand from her.
The Miata merrily weaves in and out of downtown traffic, (not saying you should) thanks to its small size. It fits snugly in any tight spot, so if parking is not one of your forte, she is perfect for you. Whether you’re on an open stretch of highway or bustling along in city streets, the Miata seems just as happy either way. As with most cars from the 90’s, the ride is harsher than modern vehicles, and especially so due to its sporty nature. She doesn’t like it when you drive through streets loaded with potholes and bumps, and she translates that to you inside the cabin. It’s not punishing, but not comfortable either. The best part? She drinks very politely, so much so that even after 80KM of thrashing, the fuel needle has barely made any movement.
A ready-to-rev 1.8L DOHC power plant sings a friendly grunt with an exhaust note that reminds you of its sporty nature. With the soft-top down, blind spots are non-existent and you truly feel the go-kart nature of this machine. Many Miatas lack comfort features, my example is void of any power features – yes, for once “roll down the windows” has to be taken literally. This makes daily commutes slightly less convenient, but I don’t drive a Miata for convenience, nor comfort. I drive the Miata because, it’s a Miata.
I really don’t mean to give the Miata this much praise, but it really deserves every bit of it, and more. It’s simple, to-the-point and most of all, she doesn’t try to be something she isn’t. A bundle-of-fun-roadster, that’s all she is. But she smiles at you, dignified, proud of herself … and all I can do is smile back.
-rontizzam.
Previous Posts
Too much time? I’ll day dream. Too much time? I’ll write. End result? Read below:
Haven’t wrote in a while, my apologies. Been obsessed with everything else in life. Picked up a pen and scribbled again yesterday. Better stuff on the way; promise.
– rontizzam
In hot pursuit for that temporary high.
we are all searching for mr.happy.
Wednesday. Hump day. Just seconds after my eyes shot wide open to the sound of my dreaded alarm clock, thought of the approaching Easter long weekend lightened up my mood, even if just ever so slightly. Today’s also 420. “Not all that bad”, I tell myself. A tiny wave of euphoria begins to flood all over.
As fast as it came, its as if someone pulled the plug. The happiness is draining away. 8:47AM… stuck in morning traffic with thirteen minutes to make it on time; starting to worry. 10:07AM, sitting here blogging as I stare defeatedly at the list of articles that needs to be composed before day’s end. Uh-oh.
Happiness is truly a fleeting moment. Temporary. Passing. Perishable. It is genuinely unbelievable how much time and effort each of us as individuals spend chasing after this momentary gratification. Holding onto “feel-good” appears to be impossible. Recall the last moment you were happy. Now fast-forward half a day. Were you still as happy? Maybe. Now flash again to the next. Regardless of how good you were feeling the day before, undoubtedly that feeling have diminished when you awoke the next morning. And it’ll keep dwindling till it subsides. Till that happiness is just a memory, serves as nothing more than a reminder – the actual feeling has already expired.
A wise acquaintance of mine once said: “happiness won’t ever hang around. The bad stuff however, does.” The amount of truth, or as I’d like to say, tr00f, in this statement is insurmountable. You can feel bad one day, and wake up the next feeling even worse. I wish the same could be said with happiness.
Now don’t get me wrong, the purpose of this post is not to bring you down and have you sulk. Rather quite the contrary. There are some things in life which provide constant sources of happiness. It’s the reason why people are materialistic. The reason why people look for a partner in life, get married, and hopefully, till death do they part. It’s the reason why we do a lot of the things we do. If there is something, or better yet someone that constantly brings you joy.. HANG ON TO IT. For these treasure chests are real treats in life… they don’t come around too often. The next time you’re feeling ‘way-up-there’, hang tight, and enjoy the ride.
Till next time,
rontizzam
“There’s a first time for everything.”
Firsts are special. Just like first-impressions stick around, so does the memory of your first boy or girlfriend, your first day of school, your first day at that job – let’s not forget the first time you did something which made you go… “woah.” Or the first time you drove a car; when you felt as free as the wind.
Rarely do we forget about our firsts. Somehow, for some reason, it leaves an imprint in our memory that just never seems to fade away. Nope, not even with time. Maybe it’s because human nature feeds off novelty, and firsts are nothing short of novel. Fresh. New. Unfamiliarity. We are programmed to enjoy new experiences. Try to recall some of your most enjoyable first-time-experiences. I bet you’ll flash-black at least half a dozen times before the end of this sentence.
This is my first ever blog post, and hence this topic. I’ve decided to listen to the man-behind-the-desk and start up my very own blog. It’s a first for me. Sad but true, everyday we all fall victim to routinization; day-in and day-out.. as if someone pressed the repeat button. Ask yourself how often you break out of the rotation and truly attempt uniqueness. I suspect this is partly why we find novelty so attractive, since it only comes around every now and then. If you’re like me, often hit by waves of redundancy, make today the day you brainstorm and try something new. Make it a “first”. Gain that first-hand experience. If you’re the dare-devil type, gun for something outrageous, make it your first AND your last – double the impact. Try something you’ve never done before. You’ll enjoy it, guaranteed. [ Leave a comment below and tell me your new “first” today ]
To finish off, I’m going to share with you one of my favourite songs. Uncanny how fitting this song is given everything you’ve just read. Enjoy
Rontizzam.
rontizzam 