Kia_Racer wrote: Fiat 124 spider has a back seat. I wouldn't want to sit back there but should be ok for kids if the driver isn't too tall.
I was thinking Fiat 124 too. I drive an E36 convertible, and I like it... but it's not Miataesque.
Kia_Racer wrote: Fiat 124 spider has a back seat. I wouldn't want to sit back there but should be ok for kids if the driver isn't too tall.
I was thinking Fiat 124 too. I drive an E36 convertible, and I like it... but it's not Miataesque.
mkiv supra targa, not very miataish but certainly a good car to drive, that will certainly hold it's resale value, you might even make money owning it. Mine was a hardtop, I had a very nice ownership experience, they're great cars.
In reply to carbon:
Does that even have a back seat that people with legs are cable of using?
MadScientistMatt wrote:Kia_Racer wrote: Fiat 124 spider has a back seat. I wouldn't want to sit back there but should be ok for kids if the driver isn't too tall.I was thinking Fiat 124 too. I drive an E36 convertible, and I like it... but it's not Miataesque.
There is -no- legroom in the back of a Fiat 124. Literally, the back of the front seat will contact the front edge of the backseat when it is pushed all the way back. The "backseat" was just a way to get a better insurance rate for the car by calling it a "four seater". The later Pininfarina Azuras had a carpeted shelf there instead
Qualify this to confess I've never driven a Miata - but I absolutely love the S2. Handles like a go kart, plenty of power, 50/50 balance, Porsche brakes, and has been bulletproof in my 4 years of ownership. Having owned an E30 Cab of the same vintage years ago, I can say the S2 is way more fun all around (and a lot more fun on mountain roads here). Rarity might make one harder to find though - I looked for 8 months before finding one 15 miles away by trolling our local PCA newsletter, and prices have been creeping northward the past couple of years. Good luck with whatever you decide!
carbon wrote: mkiv supra targa, not very miataish but certainly a good car to drive, that will certainly hold it's resale value, you might even make money owning it. Mine was a hardtop, I had a very nice ownership experience, they're great cars.
I saw one just like that yesterday, good lord those cars aged well. I was drooling
About 8 years ago, I wanted a Miata as a daily driver and autocross car however, I needed to drop my two boys off at school every morning. I liked E30s so I bought the convertible version. The E30 convertible was a nice cruiser car but that was it. They added about 200lbs of structure in an attempt to stiffen the car. (also a 50lb block under the trunk mounted battery) I added suspension, LSD, wheels and tires. NOT a fun autocross car. It was handsome, sporty and fun on the street I suppose. But in comparison, it makes my current Miata a pleasure to autocross.
octavious wrote: Not to be the Porsche guy that suggests a Porsche, but... Porsche 911s have 4 seats. Granted the back ones are for circus midgets or small children but it does have 4 seats. Convertibles and targas are usually cheaper than coupes. Different driving than the Miata though. What about a Porsche 944 S2 or 968 convert? I don't know how they drive compared to a Miata, but 4 seats, front engined, rwd, and convertible.
944S2. BTW, 968 cabs are two seaters in the USA. I have heard of people buying RoW rear seats or using them from the 944 cabriolet, but we only got two seat open top 968s.
As new as you can afford, not nearly as rigid as a miata but very few affordable convertibles are.
In reply to Lugnut: Of course the back seat in the S2 is pretty much only ok for kids due to lack of legroom. And the top bows intrude right about where you'd normally rest your head. But my 9 and 6 year olds don't seem to mind.
I had three people in my fiat 124 yesterday, the shortest of which was 5' 9"
nepa03focus wrote:carbon wrote: mkiv supra targa, not very miataish but certainly a good car to drive, that will certainly hold it's resale value, you might even make money owning it. Mine was a hardtop, I had a very nice ownership experience, they're great cars.I saw one just like that yesterday, good lord those cars aged well. I was drooling
Smooth lines 90s cars look far better than the blocky transformersesque car designs we use now.
Far better than any car design on any modern western or asian lineup today IMO other than the very high end.
Duke wrote: In reply to carbon: Does that even have a back seat that people with legs are cable of using?
I'm 6'2" and you wouldnt want to sit behind me in a supra (unless you were an amputee), but you could sit behind swmbo (5'3") just fine. Rear seats fold flat too, pretty good trunk space.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-Supra-ANNIVERSARY-EDITION-1997-toyota-supra-w-sport-roof-limited-edition-15-year-anniversary-/321407097117?forcerrptr=true&hash=item4ad55b191d&item=321407097117&pt=US_Cars_Trucks
25k. That's about double what I was expecting them to go for.
kanaric wrote:nepa03focus wrote:Smooth lines 90s cars look far better than the blocky transformersesque car designs we use now.carbon wrote: mkiv supra targa, not very miataish but certainly a good car to drive, that will certainly hold it's resale value, you might even make money owning it. Mine was a hardtop, I had a very nice ownership experience, they're great cars.I saw one just like that yesterday, good lord those cars aged well. I was drooling
I concur, 90s japanese cars were great. So many good options back then, 300zx, mr2 turbo, celica alltrac, 1g dsms, 3000gt vr4s, prelude sh, integra type r, 240sx, on and on.
P.S. maybe a type r is the answer.
Gee, I thought the obvious answer was R52 MINI. It's heavier than the coupe but still under 2800lbs. Easily modded for more power with a reduction pulley, exhaust, intake and more. Responds well to suspension mods to. The rear seat is OK for kids, but full size adults will be unhappy.
A MINI most definitely does not feel like a Miata. In fact, it's almost the exact opposite.
FWD vs RWD, it plants through corners while the Miata tosses, it pulls, while the Miata pushes, it has a dense and grownup feel to it, while the Miata feels sparse and almost juvenile. One has power, the other has balance. One can drift, the other can't ever break loose.
One is a BMW, the other is a Mazda.
I've owned both, and my personal preference at this time is the MINI, though I've had fun with both, but they are not similar.
Similar to the Mini, this is FWD, but they are probably fun to drive: NX2000 with T-Tops.
In reply to SVreX: But when compared to other 4 seat verts the MINI is light, nimble, and easily modded for power. Sure there is the whole FWD vs RWD difference no doubt about that. The OP can either get a larger much heavier RWD car or go stay small. I see them as similar in that respect.
Umm... If you say so.
The MINI is heavier than the E30, which was already nixed due to weight.
If weight was the only issue, the 1st gen VW Cabrio would win hands down. It's 1000 lbs lighter than the MINI.
But the OP asked for something that feels like a Miata. Neither the MINI nor the Cabrio feel like a Miata. In fact, I would suggest the E30 is much closer than either of them.
But, the bottom line is there is no such thing as something with 4 seats that feels like a Miata.
E30 Cabrio with a 5.0 swap. Works great as a 24 hours of lemons car, and always puts a smile on your face.
travellering wrote: Reliant Scimitar GTC SE8....
Damn, you beat me to it!
drsmooth wrote: This might be just what you are looking for. LINK
That isn't as horrible as it should be! I was trying to top it with a 4 seat Lotus 7 but I couldn't find a picture.
More seriously. This really could be family fun.
Mini convertible. I had an R56 Turbo and have had several Miata. The driving feel is very similar.
But, the bottom line is there is no such thing as something with 4 seats that feels like a Miata.
Agreed. I cant even think of anything available anywhere else in the world that fits that description off the top of my head.
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