I understand, I'm just not a fan of kit cars if the real thing is available. Depends what you want to use it for.

I also don't care about the "chick car" thing, buy whatever you like.

agree about the kit car thing, never been big on most, though Lotus was one of the first kit cars post war that were real life sports cars. Not many 7s around.....

Yup, they are probably more like replicas than kits.

Women do like them because they are cute little cars, but I usually see middle aged to elderly men drive around in them. I think they'd be too rough for most women who just want a comfortable car to drive. To tell the truth they are chick cars in that they tend to attract women rather than men, which is definitely a plus.

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

I think it was really inspired much more by the Lotus Elan. The introduction of the Miata was responsible for my mid-life addiction to cars, although I have never owned one. I was too cheap to buy one when they came out, but chose to start driving Triumphs instead. Now , I could easily afford one ( I would want an early one anyway), but have no time or space....

Rick

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

1. The original lotus 7 was a kit car...heh!
2. the Miata will run rings around an mgb.....it will probably NOT run rings around an actual lotus elan.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

you might be surprised about the Miata vs an Elan. I think that C&D did a comparo on them when the Series I Miata came out.

I compare the Miata to the MGB because both are great daily drivers that are a blast to drive. The Lotus Elan is a great car, but I would not want to rely on it for daily transportation.

I would have thought so, but I saw an interesting article that compared a stock first-generation Miata to a Midget. They ran them around a road course. The Midget had better lap times. So, go figure.

I don't doubt that the Miata is a better car than the MGs, but I attribute the difference to the general improvement in auto technology. For its time, the MGB was in a class by itself. Nothing in its price range could match it for fun, reliability (yes, I'm serious), and performance.If we are talking lap times, then you are probably right. If we are talking day-to-day driving, neither the MG nor the Elan will match the Miata.

You are going to get some argument from folks who have TR-6s, TR-4s Healeys 240Zs , TVRs. , Fiat 124s .Even Spitfires, basically. Me among them.

A '68 MGB was my second car. I really think a TR4a or TR-6 could easily be considered in the same class. I don't think they were any more reliable than the average 60's or 70's car. But plenty of fun, like any Britcar of the sort.

Rick

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

I am skeptical about a midget beating any Miata. I cannot imagine it was stock.

The mgb was a good car for its time, and tremendously popular now because it is a sound design with oodles of aftermarket parts available.

Someone ran a 67 lotus at nationals scca autocross this year. It was beaten by quite a few Miatas, IIRC but I don't know if it really was in good fettle. I think they had trouble with it (I don't think the wheel fell off....this time)

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Datsun 240z, great car, reasonably priced (then and now)

The 240Z is an all-time great. I don't know anything about TVRs. Other than those two, the only car on your list that comes even close to the MGB is the TR4a. IMHO. The big 4-banger in the TR4 and 4a had more punch than the 6 they put in the TR6. That made the TR4 more fun to drive. None of the Triumphs drive like an MG, though.

The Fiat 124 was plenty fun, but too unreliable.

I had a '71 mgb just before I bought my mercedes and it really was the most fun I've ever had in any car. I've never driven a miata, but this thread so far has pretty well represented everything positive and negative I've read and heard about them. A miata would probably have been better for me personally than an mgb, but only because I live in an apartment and don't have a garage or a good space to work on my vehicle. That being said, however, I would never want to own a miata; they may be reliable, and somewhat fun to drive, but they lack the class and style and authenticity of an lbc. I'll have another mgb someday. . .

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1984 300D, 228k, Light Ivory, Java MB-Tex

Have you ever driven a MIata? What is an lbc, please?

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.