Jason,

Great points. Eveything you folks said were the reasons why I was locked onto the Caymen to start with. May be I'm a sucker for 'coolness', but the electric hard-top has always been a big draw on me. First with the old SLK, then the SL, and now the Miata PRHT. But I have succesfully dispelled the MB thus far. So may be in a month or so, the PRHT will loosen it's grip on me yet again.

One thing about the Cayman. I read Caymanclub a lot, and it seems to have quite a few niggles. Probably normal for a first MY brand new model. May be by the 07 or 08 MY it will be fine. After my disappointment with the M5, I'm a little more leary of unreliable high-priced cars.

CP

 

my cayman(s) had zero prob, except the sticking clutch (that's on the heavily tracked one) and it was replace under warranty no question asked, they do know i track the crap out of it. two of the mechanics even came out to TH for a ride with me ;-).

none had any rattles, rms etc.

btw, the track cayman was the very very first batch of cars for n. america. it's a launch car.

 

There's no guarantee that Mazda is going to do a Mazda Speed version of the MX-5.

 

i had a miata before i moved on to the 997. much better car (more expensive, but hell i've wanted a p-car since i was 12)

there is a huge difference in build quality and ride. my miata felt like being inside a wristwatch. my 997 feels like i'm inside big ben.

 

CP - since money is not a factor, go for the Cayman. If you were going to give me a Cayman or a Miata, I'd choose the Cayman every time. You should certainly drive the Miata when it's available. Since neither car is stupid fast, like your Ruf or other supercar, does it really matter which has a couple more hp vs. the other? And you will not be tracking or driving it super fast anyway. Both are fast and have great handling. The Miata is certainly a better deal at 20k less, but the coolness factor of the Cayman is far greater. A factory prepared Mazda Speed version would probably ride more harshly and may not be as comfortable as a daily driver as the Cayman would be. Mooty likes it so much, he bought two of them.

Hope this helps.

 

If you want something just for fun, I'd get an Elise/Exige.

 

Get the Miata.

I have an F430 which I truly adore (hey, what's not to love?), and I also have an Alfa Spider parked right next to it. It's a totally different driving experience, and that's what makes it special. And it sounds like that's what you're after. I wouldn't trade the Alfa for anything, and when I get accustomed to some aspect of it's performance, I modify it, which keeps it endlessly entertaining. It's the difference that keeps it fun, rather than some aspect, like comparability, or HP or the like.

Cars like these are bought primarily for entertainment, so my philospohy is get what's fun, and for me that's variety. And although there are other high buck exotics that I could( and do) own, the difference isn't nearly as apparent, kind of like comparing a good Barolo with an Amarone....rather than a Grand Cru Bordeaux with, say a lively Gewurtztraminer.

 

Pong,

If you did choose to get the Miata hardtop then you'd probably have a whole lot more change leftover for MODS! I'm playing devil's advocate here. Going back to the Cayman side, I remember how scary it was to drive your Miata at high speeds. That leads me to believe that even the newer Miata will still not be as confidence inspiring at high speed runs down the highway compared to the Cayman which was no doubt designed to be an Autobahn barnstormer from the start.

I'm also getting a first year Turbo myself but I figure that by the time my car is built (next week) they'd have worked out most of the "niggles." I'm guessing that it'd be even better for you by the time you decide to order your car.

 

A retractable hardtop Miata is going to handle worse than a stock Miata with a hard top. The retractable hardtop is going to add weight to the car (in the worse place) and will affect the handling.

Cayman S is an awesome car, but if you like the Miata go with that.

Do check out the S2000 as others have pointed out. You can get one here in Jersey for invoice and that $299 lease is a steal.

 

CP,

As you know, I have both an SC Miata and a CS, so I have a pretty good basis for comparo. I've also driven an S2K, great car but too small for me, unlike the Miata.

I know that the CS corners on rails, but no one can tell me that it is more fun in the corners than a Miata. Faster, unquestionably, but not more fun. OTOH, I've seen pix of the MX-5 PRHT with top up, and it is butt-ugly. A standard Miata with hardtop installed is a great looking car, but the PRHT is just homely beyond belief, IMO. What was that Suzuki, the XC9 or something? Ugly like that. Porsches are special, but you know that and have one. An MX-5 will be lots of fun in daily driving, and you'll use most of it, whereas a CS you can use no more than 60% of the car before they cart you off to jail. I love my CS, but it lives next to my Miata, it didn't replace it.

If you're not doing track stuff, the Elise and Exige would be a nightmare. They are really track cars, brutal to live with and they have quality issues that you'd never face with a Porsche or a Mazda.

OK, good luck with your decision. Is this a wonderful world, or what?

 

[QUOTE=RaceCarDriver]A retractable hardtop Miata is going to handle worse than a stock Miata with a hard top. The retractable hardtop is going to add weight to the car (in the worse place) and will affect the handling.
QUOTE]

75 pounds, according to Mazda. Not a lot, but not insignificant in a car where owners are always looking to shave a pound or two.

 

I will drive the S2000 this Friday. I read some comparos and the S2000 always took first place, ahead of BMW, Porsche, and Audi. That's a good sign.

My biggest issue with the S2000 is actually it's greatest strength: it is a hard core sports car. When you wring it out above 6,500 RPM, it's beyond comparison. Trouble is I am usually a gentle driver and shifts around 4,500 - 5,000 RPM on the streets. I am also not big into screaming engine notes at high RPM. So the S2000's strong suit is not my cup of tea. Also given my ingrained dislike for soft-tops, I have never seriousely considered the S2000. The Miata, however, could be fun even at 3,000 RPM. Although with the M5, the Miata, and now the RUF, I'm changing..... slowly.

May be I am the wrong guy to even consider a fun sports car. I really have to examine myself and see if I am wasting cars like S2000, and Cayman as a daily driver.

Man why do I even own a RUF? Life's one big mystery to me.

CP

 

if you drive miata at 3000rpm then you can drive s2k at 3000rpm. s2k will have as little torque as miata does. so at the lower end, the two cars are about same.

but s2k is very noise on the fwy regardless of rpm.

hardtop kills 85% of that noise. the hardtop is 3800/new.

 

you will see the two faces of the S2k if you drive it long enough during the test. having to keep the car below 5K during this break-in - it is quite pleasant and a breeze the drive around town. PLENTY of power and eagerness to respond, it wants to go fast - and then you have VTEC. It really is a car with too faces.

It is SMALL. minimal storage. you may not like it - but you "wear" the cockpit like a "suit of armor."

here's a little pic to wet your whistle.

 

is that a comptech SC or somesort of intake?
a friend of my stripped an AP1 to 2500lbs wiht full cage and does about 2min flat at TH with cyclone. i htink he's on slicks.

if you are on s2ki, that would be rylan.