^ I was just getting ready to say "Where's Brant??!!"

 

So Brant.... I think you should do a next gen Miata rather than a Caterham 7... I just can't imagine living with a car like that day-to-day. And, by all accounts, I'm pretty hard core.

 

The thing about Miata as well as other convertibles including S2K is that the resale value is not all that high. It is a fun car to drive and if you can drive it for 8-10 years, you are definitely getting your money's worth in my opinion. I had a friend who traded in his Miata and actually owed money because the value was so low. Convertibles are definitely a niche car.

 

You? Hardcore? You put your car away for winter, you flaming wimp!

I like the new Miata ok, but I wouldn't get rid of my current one to get it. Robyn wants me to get an S, and that's the most "compromise" I want my next car to be. I've lusted after the Caterham/Lotus 7 since I was old enough to understand what cars were...

Interestingly, I can TOTALLY imagine living with a Caterham day to day.

 

Dude, that's OVER... I'm out there now, in the snow, whatever, top down... You're talking about the old Chazmo.

(Oh, wait... I'm still old.. )

 

You'll always be old to me, Chaz...

As for the new Miata, I like that they've made more of a design statement than the second generation car. My favorite thing about the original series is the door handles. I love the little one-finger chrome latches. I even like the pop-up headlights...even though I'm not usually a fan of them. It just gave the car...CHARACTER.

The second generation car, while a better overall car, lost that character. It's still attractive, but nothing about it grabs me from a design standpoint.

On the 3rd generation car they have rediscovered some character. I like the cut line for the hood. I like the reshaped headlights and the fender flares. I'm not sure about the interior...but it's not bad.

As for the Caterham...it SCREAMS character. From the bugeye lights to the cycle fenders to the fact that it HAS NO DOORS! I love the car and I WANT ONE!!!

 

Is any one familiar with the Noble GT? I saw one a couple of weeks ago in Richmond, VA. At first glance I thought it was an Elise.

http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?se...8&page_number=1

It is a bit on the pricey side until one gets the value of zero to sixty MPH in 3.3 seconds compared to the price of the other cars with that performance. Then it becomes a bargain.

 

It is made by the same company that does the Cobra replica and the new Daytona Coupe replica - Superformance in South Africa. That photo makes it looks EXCEPTIONALLY good. It did not look anywhere near that good in video they sent me. I am "considering" a Daytona Coupe. Plan to test drive one this month.

 

Dave, if you are interested in Cobras at all, be sure to check out Factory Five racing here in Massachusetts. Their replicas are excellent -- I think I've heard better things about them than Superformance, but I'm not positive. I don't know if they do any Ferrari knockoffs though.