EVO - MX5 review

[Keith@FM]

I haven't seen the article yet but I've talked about it with a friend.

I suspect Westfield provided the car to show that you didn't need to spend a huge pile of money to get a nice little track toy. I think that's an excellent approach to take - the MX5 SDV doesn't have to be the poor cousin, it has some excellent merits of its own and value is a big part of that.

But they went too far. Remember the original EVO test of the MX5 SDV? They complained about the brakes. The car was using the brake pads off the original cheap donor car! From what a friend has told me of the article, the same car (now with new brake pads, thanks to a customer) was sent to this test with the old tyres from the donor.

That's foolish. Nobody's going to complain if your inexpensive car uses good tyres. All the consumables should be fresh and in top condition and as Lee said, the car should be well set up. I'm sure the factory is aware of how valuable press coverage is.

I work for the US dealer for the MX5 SDV. If I could help by providing a well set up car with a reasonable spec, I would. Our own car has been at three trackdays already to be set up before anyone else gets to drive it. But all I can do is watch helplessly...

[James]

Ive driven the 1.2 demo mazda SDV and for what it is I was impressed (apart from the standard sized mazda stearing wheel that was awful!) the car hadled well and went well it liked revs and sounded glorious! but its not that fast in standard trim but bolt on a turbo and way hay!

We have a spare mx5 in the family and my brother is thinking of building the SDV and I cant think of a more perfect way to go, its no where as quick as mine but it just needs some fetaling.

I would agree that the factory dont set up the cars perhaps as well as they could and I feel that this is an area that they NEED to improve as it makes all the diffrence for a new owner.

[Kevin Wood]

QUOTE

the standard sized mazda stearing wheel that was awful!

Crikey! SWMBO's MX-5 steering wheel feels like it's straight off a bus in the MX-5. Put it in a Westie and it must be like being at the helm of the cutty sark!

Kevin

[Phil @ P5]

I saw Julian on Friday and we were talking about the evo review. Apparently, they didn't tell him what article they were using the car for and if he knew there would have been no way he would have have let them had that particular car. Remember, this was the first MX-5 SDV that was built, hardly a good reflection of what the kit can actually achieve.

Phil

[Keith@FM]

Interesting stuff, Phil! Although if the car's not representative of what's possible, I'm not sure it should be handed over to a magazine for anything.

We had our car at an autocross this past weekend (I think autoslalom is the UK equivalent, not sure) and a set of good tyres such as the Toyo R888 makes a huge difference in the accuracy and grip of the car, even when compared to a highly-regarded tyre such as the Falken Azenis.