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Wouldn’t that take the fun out of the the Miata because of the heavy weight added?
You'd probably save a little weight going from an engine to a motor. Some of the motors I see for sale are about 80-150lb. A fully dressed 4-cyl engine is maybe 400-500 lbs?
So you are at 200lbs for battery and motor and maybe adapters and misc hardware. Probably shave off at least 100 lbs and the weight is all down low. Sure, you will only get minimal range (100 miles or so) , but does a hobby car really need full range? Those big battery packs are where the weight is.
As an engineer, I'm so tempted to dig into something like this, but I just love my V8's too much.
Test drove one years ago - this won't be a popular opinion but I dismissed them as slow and unresponsive in acceleration.
Being close to the road may give the appearance of being fast, but they are dangerously underpowered.
Test drove one years ago - this won't be a popular opinion but I dismissed them as slow and unresponsive in acceleration.
Being close to the road may give the appearance of being fast, but they are dangerously underpowered.
New ones run 0-60 in under 6 seconds..........how would that be "dangerously underpowered?"
Try to follow one on a race track with a skilled driver, you will see guys in Corvettes/Mustangs/Camaros get their feelings hurt in just a couple of laps.
I think the problem with slow or fast depends on road conditions. For example, most open roads and non-pro drivers anything that does 0-60 under 7 is pretty quick. While I've been in cars that explodes off the line under 4 secs to 60, it was more than handful to stop or turn due to reflexes. And a lot of modern cars using electronic steering doesn't communicate well so you're handing on to the wheel or using your eyes most of the time to judge. While having a car that is just fast enough with a stick and hydraulic steering you can feel the road and the engine while having just good enough reflexes to enjoy the car's performance. Anything faster than 60 under 4 secs is too much for regular roads and you need the stopping power too.
Anything like a Vette or Tesla P series cars on the road certainly is fast off the line but you really have to get a handle on the steering quickly before the car get away from you. This is why I haven't seen anybody on a vette on the roads does anything faster than 80. The car can get away from you for sure and it's about taming of the beast.
Vettes are more of sports GT so where it shines is above 100mph on the smooth open roads or racetrack. Otherwise it's sitting on 2nd gear. Nothing wrong with it but just too much car for me.
I heard Subaru BRZ is just as fun too but my last try with a 16' BRZ left me less impressed than the Miata. So I will check out the BRZ also but I just feel having a short wheel based car like Miata could be better experience.
...While I've been in cars that explodes off the line under 4 secs to 60, it was more than handful to stop or turn due to reflexes. ...
Anything like a Vette or Tesla P series cars on the road certainly is fast off the line but you really have to get a handle on the steering quickly before the car get away from you. This is why I haven't seen anybody on a vette on the roads does anything faster than 80. The car can get away from you for sure and it's about taming of the beast.
Vettes are more of sports GT so where it shines is above 100mph on the smooth open roads or racetrack. Otherwise it's sitting on 2nd gear. Nothing wrong with it but just too much car for me. ..
I can't recall the last time that I reached 80 mph on public roads in America. The only time that I'd do a 0-60 run would be on a drag strip. But neither of these is the point. I might be going 20 mph, and suddenly need to reach 35 mph. How to do it? How long would it take? Again: the goal is to accelerate from 20 mph to 35 mph as rapidly as possible! Not 60 mph. Not even 36 mph... just 35, thank you very much.
The ideal would be insanely, explosively violent but utterly brief bursts of acceleration - right now, on demand, but over just as quickly as they began. Final speed stays moderate. Nothing outlandish, nothing illegal. Just tap the throttle, hold it for fraction of a second, and release. Boom, and done! The car "won't get away from me" because it will never be going faster than the minivan in the adjacent lane. What I don't want to have to do, is to drop a gear and to rev to 5000 rpm just to be able to catch up to the minivan... as has been normal practice with the Miata.
New ones run 0-60 in under 6 seconds..........how would that be "dangerously underpowered?"
Try to follow one on a race track with a skilled driver, you will see guys in Corvettes/Mustangs/Camaros get their feelings hurt in just a couple of laps.
You missed the "years ago" reference I guess, should have changed my second sentence from "are" to "were". They are faster now, but don't go overboard with the corvette comparison.
What I don't want to have to do, is to drop a gear and to rev to 5000 rpm just to be able to catch up to the minivan... as has been normal practice with the Miata.
What's wrong with that? It's how you drive a standard transmission - need quick acceleration, you downshift.
Try to follow one on a race track with a skilled driver, you will see guys in Corvettes/Mustangs/Camaros get their feelings hurt in just a couple of laps.
I can attest to that. Traded my Mustang with a buddies Miata on the AutoX course and holy hell did I get humbled.
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