A pre-production version of the new '06 MX-5 was on display at the Miatas in Moab event. Kudos to Wanda Bates not only for hosting the 2nd edition of Miatas in Moab, but for managing to persuade Mazda to provide an NC for us to get touchy-feely with.
We were allowed to sit in it, look under the hood and in the trunk and ask questions. Rides and drives were not allowed.
I tried to persuade the Mazda rep, Yass to let me drive it, offered to let him drive my Sunburst car if he would let me have a short drive in the NC. He declined although I did later take him for a quick demo ride in my car and Bill Cardell let him drive the Ubercharged '95M. He was impressed!
However, while sitting in it, I asked to start it up and listen to the engine and exhaust. Yass kindly handed me the keys and I fired it up. Yass was standing there with his hand on the door sill. I slipped it into gear and drove forward about 2 feet and then back again. Short as that drive was, I lay claim to be the first non-official person to drive the NC! Observers said Yass looked ready to spring over the door if I tried to drive away with the car.
Officer Ken of the UHP giving Wanda Bates and Teri Cardell the "look" for speeding, just sitting in the parking lot. He then decides to try it on himself.
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Officer Ken and wife pose for the cameras. Ken was there to check out the car for his son who works at a Mazda dealership in Salt Lake City.
A couple of views from under the rear of the car. The exhaust pipe enters the middle of the muffler, with an outlet coming off each end. Standing behind the car, with the engine being rev'd, there is no discernable sound coming from the exhaust, all you can hear is the mechanical sounds of the engine. Mazda had better do something about this before production begins. If not, the aftermarket will have a hot selling item if they can make the car sound right.
A couple of views from Canyonlands National Park, the cactus was in bloom this week. The jeeps are working their way up the first major section of the Poison Spider Trail. We are waiting to decend. No, we did not take a Miata up the trail, we rented a Jeep Liberty. (Note: don't buy this silver Jeep Liberty from Thrifty when it comes up for sale.)
John, the new mechanic at Flyin Miata inspecting the underside of a custom '99 that he is about to extract the engine from. His comment of the big red brace: It would have been more effective had they tied it to the body in the middle as well as the ends.
