Girl Car / Smirl Car

Click and Clack (Car Talk) recently published the results of a survey they did ranking all cars per the gender people perceived their owners to be. Does it surprise you that the Miata ranked third strongest in the 'Girlie car' category?!! Does this piss you off like it does me?!! All week I've been telling myself 'who cares' or It doesn't matter' or I've been digging up facts that say differently. And NO! I DO NOT feel insecure with my masculinity to be letting this bother me! (thank you very much). I'll be damned if I'll consider trading my Miata for a Viper or Prowler!

Thanks for letting me vent. Anyone else got thoughts? (I'll hear from Miata owners ONLY) Jim and Sassy

But then, who lets Click & Clak speak/think for them??!!

How was the survey conducted? Did Click ask Clack and his mother? Did they put a question on their web page? Or was the survey peer-reviewed and published in a leading journal?

One does want to know who 'people' really are, not?

Without knowing who 'people' are, no.

No. Americans think of the Miata as a very *small* car. Guess why. I don't, but I was born in Europe. Gender and smallness can be confused if you are not a critical thinker.

Since WHEN do FACTS influence opinion polls?? You just immigrated to this country from Red China? The facts (forgot the source, sorry) indicate that the Miata market is predominantly male, more so than similar cars. Does that change the size of the Miata? How many in this opinion poll have become familiar with the facts versus how many have been able to see the size of the Miata?

Hum. OK.

You would be. Though I liked the prototype of the Z8, before they turned it into this monstrosity. Some other cars are OK. Always liked the MGB Coupe myself. I liked my first gen CRX-Si, though I would not trade it for Bozo in the world.

Two yuppie weirdos for whom the pinnacles of automotive desirability were a black Rambler and a rotting Dodge Dart? ROTFL!

Bottom line: why on Earth should anyone care what other people think about your car? In the 30-some years since my first one, I have not bought a single car to please anyone but myself.

Just a note for Leon:

I wouldn't turn down a 1967 Jaguar XK E-type.

Amy and Seeger '91 Silverstone 'A'

'The horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.'

No.

No.

You're right, it doesn't.

OTOH, the VW Golf/Cabrio... now _that's_ a girlie car.

If I had one, it would be yours.

Well, Jim, my friend, you sure know how to start something LOL. Now, I must admit like Amy that I think the M1 in particular is 'cute'. The M2 is more 'sleek'. I didn't buy my 1989 for it's cuteness, but rather because all my life I'd wanted a small convertible sportscar that I could afford.

As for wanting any others, I must admit I LIKE the Z3 and the Boxter. I wouldn't mind a new Corvette either. Thank goodness, we now have a 1999 RED Corvette in the family that I have NOT driven yet (too scared with all that power). However, I would NEVER trade my Krikkit (see? a male name) for ANY car. I ADD to it, but not get rid of it....no matter how 'girlie' it is

Hugs to you and Sassy Cissy & Krikkit -=Cissy=-

Amy, have you ever seen a Lotus Elan? (The real one, not some stupid Kia wannabee.) The Mazda design team bought an Elan to study when they were conceiving the Miata. In fact, when I saw my first Miata in 1989, my initial thought was 'Gee, I don't remember Elans being nearly that large.'

Since the Elan was, IMHO, the most beautiful and desirable sports car ever produced

The survey results don't suprise me in the least. Every time somebody sees my car the first comment is 'Thats a cute little car.' My friend's wife gives me a hard time, but she doesn't count because she is part of the SUV cult. She shut up after I started in on her Civic (preferred by 9 out of 10 sorority girls). It all bothered me at first but now I just don't give a sh*t. There are very few people who will still talk crap about the Miata after they have been behind the wheel. Anybody that has knows that the Miata provides an incomprable experience. Yes it isn't an American V8, it isn't big, and its an anti-SUV. I think that's what prompts most of the negativity. There is plenty negative to say about any car. Now if anybody gives me crap I just rip on their ride. Corvettes are for rich white trash. Camaros are for white trash that think they're rich. SUVs are for soccer moms who have to have the latest and greatest thing so that they can keep up with Sally from across the street, that don't care about anyone elses safety, and that don't give a crap about the environment. I could go on and on, and for the sake of anyone reading this I won't get started on Mini-vans. The fact is the Miata is considered girlie by the public at large, the good news is that any resulting low demand keeps the prices down for those of us who know what driving a Miata is really like.

I haven't had the pleasure of seeing one in person but they are beautiful, and after my last post I thought 'Oh dear, someone is going to bring up the Elan', and lo an behold.

Yes, I agree, the Elan is beautiful and there is a lot of Elan in the Miata.

But I -still- think the Miata is -still- a distinctively Japanese car.