how many of you guys owned miata before graduating to boxster? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Perfectlap · 11-16-2005, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steven choi

hey Perfectlap,,

i had those BSP low profile headlights and TSI as well, on my 93 red.
ahhhhhh.. memories..
I donated 93 for tax credit.. It had 250000 miles on it. Other than a new radiator, everything was still original. That was one sturdy car.

and its one of the most represented cars in grass roots motorsports. My buddy's sister was joking about "who goes from a Miata to a Porsche?!" I guess very few people know how many people actually track and autocross their miatas.

jtucker · 11-17-2005, 02:40 PM

before my Boxster. Really liked that car alot. Sounded great w/ aftermarket exhaust. 6 speed was excellent.

xavier405 · 11-17-2005, 03:41 PM

Dare I enter this thread?

I owned not a Miata, but a del Sol.

Fabulous little car, I loved the turbine rocket sound as the VTEC kicked in. I think it was a highly underappreciated car. At 200k miles I came to a decision - trick it out for racing, or spend that money on a Boxster. So I got the Box, but looking back I always wish I knew how my del Sol would have faired with new intake and exhaust, sway bars, wheels and tires...

Biz-z Z · 11-17-2005, 04:26 PM

I bought my 99 Miata just after the second generation hit the market in June 1998. After many mods (coil overs, s/c, roll bar, bling-bling, etc.), I still have it and now use it as my daily summer driver. Was going to sell it to help pay for the Box but my wife and daughter talked me out of it. Glad they did.

MikeinLA · 11-16-2008, 03:38 PM

I bought my '99 Miata a day after the test drive. The little bit of extra room created with the new model was just enough to make it comfy for me. I really loved that car. Sold it when I got my 2005 Boxster S last summer. If I'd had a 3 car garage, I would have kept it forever.

Mike

QuickSilver · 11-19-2008, 06:24 AM

I have owned a number of Miatas and truly appreciate the car. It is a fantastic platform for serious suspension upgrades. My recent 01' was fitted with Tein coilovers and other bits to make it feel like it was on rails. The gearbox is so easy to shift that I have never found anything comparable. Even my S2000 didn't equal the gearbox of the Miata.

I just purchased my 01' Boxster S and it's in another class. I previously owned an 88' 911, which I truly loved and now I'm back to Porsche again. I am looking forward to many years of ear-to-ear grins with my new ride.

stephen wilson · 11-19-2008, 09:29 AM

Quick, you should have some insight on my auto purchasing dilemma, having owned all 3 cars I'm considering. How was the S2000 to live with on a daily basis? I've driven it, the Boxster, and Miata. The lack of low end power is annoying w/ the S2, but the shifter is great, and it's at least $5,000 cheaper than a Porsche. I like the Boxster best, but am worried about maint. costs (and IMS failure!), and the fact that I can only afford a $25k purchase price right now, which means an older/higher milage car and more service issues. The Miata is OK, but didn't excite me like the other 2 options. Thoughts?
Thanks,
Steve

renzop · 11-14-2008, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xavier405

Dare I enter this thread?

I owned not a Miata, but a del Sol.

Fabulous little car, I loved the turbine rocket sound as the VTEC kicked in. I think it was a highly underappreciated car. At 200k miles I came to a decision - trick it out for racing, or spend that money on a Boxster. So I got the Box, but looking back I always wish I knew how my del Sol would have faired with new intake and exhaust, sway bars, wheels and tires...

I had a delSlo also. It was a great car. With the removable roof that did not compromise trunk space and the roll down rear window it was a true Targa. It got great fuel economy and was a hoot to drive. But the problem with it as a race car was the chassis. Without a roof the car was just too flexible to be a great handling car. You made the right decision. Putting stiff springs and bars on the car would have made it a cowl shake king.

jmatta · 11-15-2008, 02:08 PM

I've enjoyed reading the responses regarding the Miatas. I've driven them, as many friends owned them, but I never had one personally. My brother-in-law is on his second and it's a really neat car. Having two kids, my weekend car has always been a 911 variant due to the two rear seats. Now that my kids are both in their teens, I finally got my Box S a few years back to go along with my 911.

I wanted an open air sports car for my 50th BD and it had to be a Porsche. If I would have had the opportunity earlier on, I may have bought a Miata just to hold me over. Now, many of my friends park their Porsches and have bought spec Miatas for the track. They handle great, though underpowered, but a blast to drive. And you don't have to worry about a $20k + engine rebuild!

BTW, my son started to AX the Box this year...what a blast to watch.

greg9ball · 11-15-2008, 02:47 PM

I have a 05 Boxster S for my street car and a modified 1991 Turbo Miata for DE track days. The Miata is street legal and I always have a smile on my face when I am driving it. Its not unusual for me to wonder while I am driving the Miata why I even own the Boxster. Then I drive the Boxster and I am immediately reminded. They are both fantastic in their own right!

slogans7 · 11-18-2005, 06:10 PM

I had one of the first ones brought into the US as I had a friend who worked at Mazda. I loved it and kept it for 9 years, selling it for a 325i convertible. I hear now they're just going to call it MX5 and drop the Miata name because it sounds too feminine or something. Go figure.

shumphries · 01-20-2006, 09:27 AM

Had a 1996 M for five years before pulled the trigger on an 01 S. Loved it, hated to sell it, and still think the shifter on it was marginally better than Box. No regrets now, though. Obscure downside of the Miata was the name of the color: Mazda's version of navy was "Starlight Mica" at the time. "Lapis Blue" is better. (Or "Moro Blue Pearl" on my new S4 "need-a-back-seat-to-drive-the-small-kids-around" car.)

Perfectlap · 01-20-2006, 09:34 AM

OMG I can't believe you stuck a DelSol in this thread...

Maybe the second worst "convertible" I have ever driven. Honda and brakes a match made in hell. The worst? the Chrysler Sebring. I bet if you drove off a pier it could float away as a tug boat.

BoxsterSbob · 01-20-2006, 10:33 AM

Yep, I had an '01 Miata LS.

04S
bob

aerocrosby · 01-20-2006, 10:41 AM

Me too - Had a new '90 and then a '92. Both great cars!

rbizet · 02-15-2006, 05:39 PM

Yep,

Had a 1991 silver Miata with a hardtop.
I did not really upgrade it is more like I totalled the car.
I got rear ended in a snow storm by a Lincoln Navigator while waiting at a stop sign.
The whole trunk was gone !!!!
I had a sore neck for about 2 months.

KevinH1990 · 02-16-2006, 08:43 PM

I'm considering making the switch to a Boxster from my 94 M Edition Miata. I would enjoy the additional space and power of the Boxster, but the Miata is a lot of fun to drive.

kelly1005 · 04-12-2007, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

OMG I can't believe you stuck a DelSol in this thread...

Oh yea, well I'll add to the sickness. I too had a vtec del sol (a '95 maybe?). AutoXed that for a year and won my rookie season it in. I remember my times improved with the top on as the body flexed so much with the roof off. Not a lot of structure in that tin can.

Then I switched to a '92 miata and then later got a '90 miata. The miatas were great, and I think I managed to sell both of them for more than I paid. Gotta love buying cars on the low end.

For someone who doesn't like the sun, I sure end up with a lot of convertibles. I thought about getting a new(er) miata as my fun car this time around but the wife said I had "been there, done that" and she wasn't impressed with the size of the new ones. Good thing she never rode in either of the old ones.