It’s still high summer in the Pacific Northwest, clear blue skies, 93 degrees and 36% humidity as I write this. Summer starts late up here, usually by the Fourth of July, but September is a summer month, with just the occasional preview of things to come.
Everyone knows it rains in Portland. We can go months in winter without ever seeing the sun. How do we stand it? Our summer days are long, dry and spectacular. Forested twisty roads to empty beaches are minutes away. Even a morning trip to the office can be scenic. That makes our roadsters even more special. This was the scene at my local caffeine joint this morning. Three generations of roadster bliss. All tops down!
Suppose you have the day off, this weather, and one of these cars to spend it in. Which car would you choose?
As long as the mechanicals and electrical are in good, reliable nick, I’d take the MGB, hands sown, followed very closely by the Miata. Is that the first gen? Kinda of looks it by the handles and general profile.
It even looks to be in fantastic condition as well.
Second oldest son of very good friends once had a ’74 MGB with all the electrical sorted out, and a fresh factory color orange, just like this one and I remember riding in it, top down of course.
As for this weather, definitely though a tad TOO warm. It was mighty warm in Bellevue, though out at Factoria Mall area, it seems to be stuck at 85, whilst Seattle is at 90 as I type, and Tacoma not much cooler at 88.
September is definitely a summer month around here, but we CAN get a hint of what’s to come though some years.
Yes, that’s my ’93 NA Miata. Thanks for the compliment, though up close you’d notice the paint could use some work.
The MGB belongs to the proprietor, who remarked this morning it’s been running perfectly for years.
The BMW driver’s so cool he also has a Falcon convertible (no kidding).
I’d definitely take the Falcon convert over the BMW.
I bet that Falcon convertible looks great.
Being an Amazon make mine a Falcon please.I always wished Dad had a Falcon convertible or a woody instead of the 2 plain vanilla 4 door sedans.MGBs look wrong with those rubber bumpers,chrome bumpers and wire wheels just look so much better
A beautiful day, three convertibles and all I can think about are those awful bumpers on the MG and its jacked up ride height. I always thought the ride height change had to do with bumper regs but it was actually for headlamps, according to WIki below.
I would take the white land shark for a spirited end of summer drive.
“In the second half of 1974 the chrome bumpers were replaced altogether. A new, steel-reinforced black rubber bumper at the front incorporated the grille area as well, giving a major restyling to the B’s nose, and a matching rear bumper completed the change. These are 1974 1/2 models. New US headlight height regulations also meant that the headlamps were now too low. Rather than redesign the front of the car, British Leyland raised the car’s suspension by 1-inch (25 mm).”
I’ll go with the MG-B too, even if it is one of the raised suspension ones. Of course, if it was mine, I’d replace the springs with an earlier year’s setup.
Love the gorgeous weather. We’re running 90’s in Richmond, it’s sunny (some thunderstorms tomorrow) and this Sunday is Classics on the James in New Kent County. This is the big vintage British/European car show of the year, and of course the Solstice is coming out for the trip down.
British cars on the James River! I’m sure John Smith and Pocahontas would’ve chosen the MG-B for a fine day out.
My dad will be passing his ’79 MGB down to me once I move from my apartment and into a home with a garage. It’s even the same color red! But it needs an almost full restoration. I also want to trade my ’03 Jetta for a Z4 in a couple years. I don’t need a trunk or a back seat…i think
I had an Alfa Spider when I began working at a Mazda dealer in the early 1990’s and began buying used Miatas. What I learned driving them back to the dealership from the auction (and that is what you’re going to drive, especially on a warm, sunny day) was that a Miata is the best affordable British or Italian sports car ever built. It was more powerful, handled better, rattled less and was just overall a better car than my Alfa, one of my previous Fiat Spiders or any MG that I had ever driven. The Miata is what MG, Triumph, Fiat and Alfa were trying to build but could never pull off, at least by the 1970’s and 1980’s.
The Z4 is faster and probably drives better than either of the other two but I can’t get past the Bangle styling that plagued BMW since the 2002 7-series.
My vote goes to the Miata.
I’ve driven all three. My grump against the Z4 is that, while the other two are for real sports cars, the Z4 is a GT convertible. BMW has softened the car down that its not something you’d use for a track day, or amateur racing, or anything to do with hard-ass driving.
You want a sports car BMW? Get a Z1 or Z3.
No question and no hesitation I’d take the MX5 by a mile.
I worked on way too many B’s at the shop I worked at in college as we were the only shop in town that would touch a British car other than the shop behind us that only did Jags and Corvairs, yes an interesting paring. The only British car that did anything for me was the Stag.
As to the BMW I’ve seen enough exploding radiators other cooling system problems in 3s and 5s to ever want any BMW in my driveway. Plus I can’t stand the looks of them.
He did say “for the day”. Presumably the BMW would make it without an issue.
Yeah it probably would as would the MG but I’ll still take the Mazda, I’ve always considered top down cars primarily as relaxed cruisers. For all out performance I’ll take a closed car.
Well, I know I don’t fit too well behind the wheel of the Miata so that’s out.
I thought I didn’t fit either, until I tried one at the first Portland CC pub gathering almost two years ago. My problem was headroom, and a driver’s seat foamectomy can be the answer. I barely fit in this one, with the hardtop on I can’t wear a baseball cap, the button on top is too thick. Of course today headroom was not a problem at all.
About 15 years ago I squeezed into a Miata at the Mazda display at an autoshow. The top was on it, which didn’t help, but the only way I could get out was crawling.
I once sat in a Pontiac Solstice which had a manual transmission. It wasn’t possible for me to put either foot down without overlapping two of the three pedals. I maybe could have driven it if I wasn’t wearing shoes. (My feet are size 13-wide.)
I tried to get in a Viper once and that didn’t work so well either. Was able to fit in a Prowler. I got to drive a C4 Vette once, but by the time the clutch was fully engaged my left knee was in my chest. I don’t recall having problems the time I test drove an Audi R8, but it had paddle shifters not a stick.
Small sports cars just don’t agree with me. I’ll stick with my big old Chryslers. 🙂
I have an MGB (about the same colour as the one featured here, but an earlier chrome bumper model) that I was driving around last night – so I guess that’s my answer.
I also like the Miata a lot – it’s the same sort of elemental unpretentious roadster as the ‘B, but with the added benefit of early ’90s technology. I like all Miatas, but the NA is my favourite as it seems closest to the classic roadsters, and I like some of the styling touches such as the “Alfa Spider” style chrome door handles on the NA.
If I had to choose one of the above, it would probably be the BMW. Of course, now that I’ve lost a fair amount of weight, I could prolly fit in the Miata, which kept me away from them before.
Otherwise, a Solstice GXP would be the thing for a nice September evening cruise. Even here in Western Michigan, our September evenings are fairly warm and we get the best sunsets…
Make my Solstice black, please.
Unfortunately, I swear every one I’ve ever seen for sale was that dark silver.
As is mine.
The Miata all the way. The first gen Maita was stunning when it first came out and a well taken care of example(such as the one in the pic) is still stunning. It took the bugs in teeth British roadster and made it reliable.
Plus you can pic up a good running NA Miata for next to nothing so you can enjoy open air driving without the sticker shock of the BMW or worrying if that Lucas infested MGB will start up or keep running to get you home
Leon,
If you buy an MGB with the fixed Lucas electrics and such thus all sorted, these MGB’s can be quite reliable.
My best friend’s older brother Dan had bought a ’74 in the early 80’s sometime and due to just that, it was reliable, way more reliable than I remember them ever being.
For the day? The BMW, without a doubt. I lke to experience some genuine performance once in a while. My XBox peters out at about 110 or so.
Well if I have to chose one of the ones there… give me the Miata for not having to worry about anything.
But honestly if I have to chose a convertible I’d just take mine.
Of these three, the Miata. But if I could swap the MGB for a TR6…
I would take the Miata of those three, although I might be tempted to take a Z3 (not 4) over all of them.
When I come to Portland for work, my office is just a long walk or short drive away, at 44th and Halsey. 🙂 Love that neighborhood.
Miata. Quick enough for fun in the twisty bits and more modern tech than the MG. I’d save the MG for tootling around town.
Exactly!
Bayerische Motoren Werke, keep the rest. Wouldn’t mind to drive it beyond the year 2020. For whatever reason BMWs in the US seem to disintegrate completely just after warranty, at least that’s what I always read, and for whatever reason they don’t here.
All BMW’s disintegrate after warranty, even in Europe. The major difference is we drive more over here and Europeans are used to wrenching on cars and calling it “maintenance.”
How do you know so sure ? Or is this the TTAC echoing well ?
I know from being around the car repair business for 35 years and having a nephew who is a BWM tech.
Fine with me, you’re still not in Europe.
Re-read Mr. Niedermeyer’s comment in the GM-Vauxhall part 3 story about why cars are the way they are. Different countries, different needs, different cars.
I would buy a used BMW 6 cylinder twin turbo (or even tri-turbo) diesel in an eye-blink. One of my clients hauled potatoes to grocery stores in a tandem axle trailer. You know what he used to pull that trailer with, for many years in a row ? No, not a Chevy Silverado V8 gasoline. He drove a sweet all-black BMW E34 5-series 525 tds.
Something about different countries, different needs.
To blast for the day the BMW who cares if it falls apart or wont go next week I wouldnt own one though.
Edit my comment above: the BMW’s complete disintegration just after warranty has now also been reported from Down Under.
Hmmmm. The BMW has never really spoken to me. My choice would be the MGB or Miata. I would probably go “classic British” and take the MGB for the day. If I were going to buy one, it would be the Miata. Unless the field were widened to include a Mopar C body . . . . .
You mean a “real” convertible? 😉
I wouldn’t turn down the chance to drive any of those 3 but I think I’ll stick with my ’65 Chrysler.
Miata, followed by the MGB. Of course, I’ve already made my convertible choice, so I’ll stick with Eeyore for now. I find when it gets over about 85• that the a/c is preferable unless the humidity is low.
Surprised there wasn’t a Boxster there. Of the three cars pictured you can put me down for the Miata. I don’t think the BMW roadsters are that attractive, to me they look out of proportion or something. As someone has said, the MGB would be nice if everything was sorted out. My experience with MG’s, several friends had them back in the day, was that it was a rare day when everything on the car worked as intended. They are pleasant cars to drive when they work though.
The day off to go play? Hell, if it made it there, it will make it back and then some. MGB.
And heck its just for a day, so forget about dropping the height, or the V8, or swapping for a chrome-bumper unit or a TR6 (tho I’d personally prefer an ice-blue TR250 with white bonnet stripe) and just enjoy the experience.
Tomorrow’s another day.
And I was really hoping that sign said “Wholesome Blondes” instead of “Blends”…
I prefer my blondes to be somewhat less than wholesome . . . . . . .
As Confederate Railroad sang: “I like my women just a little on the trashy side…”
In my book, wholesome is better than halfsome.
I’ll drive whichever one someone tosses me the keys to. Of the three, I’ve only driven a Miata, but I imagine they breakdown as follows:
– MG: a hoot, but the one you have to pay the most attention to while driving. Will give you a bit of a workout on a good road.
– Miata: Easy and fun to hustle without really getting yourself into “go directly to jail” trouble.
– Z4: easy drive, but a bit less connected to the road than the Miata ( in the Z4 conquers the road, while the Miata follows it sense). Much more power coming out of a tight turn. Much more relaxing drive for any distance.
I don’t get the BMW hate. I own one that is now 12 years old. They are more maintenance intensive than many other cars (including the cooling system, suspension bushings), but in my experience (6 cyl, manual trans), they are reliable. If you perform some of your own work, when little things like cam sensors fail, they are cheap and easy to replace. There is also tons of on-line support to assist you.
Well I live in the Pacific Northwest (Seattle) and own an Miata, that I bought new in ’91, and a 2003 Z4 I just picked up last winter.
The Z4 is a lot of fun with amazing grip and I love the six cylinder with the six speed manual. Wasn’t really looking for one but liked the way it drove and it was cheaper than a used Miata with similar mileage. And the styling has really grown on me. Unfortunately a warning light has just come on that looks like the “steering angle sensor”. I like to work on my own cars but step one of the instructions for replacing the sensor is “remove the steering column”! This is going to be expensive.
The Miata has 176k on it and runs great. It is a base model with no options except limited slip. That means manual steering, crank windows and no AC. It is a ton of fun to drive. You feel much more connected to the road than with the Z4. It is also cheap and easy to work on and has been ridiculously reliable. I think the Miata is a truly great car and don’t know if I will ever be able to part with mine.
Never driven an MGB but I always considered my Miata an MGB I could drive every day.
So setting aside the MGB, which one did I drive? I drove the Z4 to work, as I do almost every day. It’s a quieter and more comfortable car for daily use. Plus, with AC it’s nice when it gets above 90 degrees. After over 20 years of using the Miata as my daily driver, it is now reserved for the weekends.
The Miata but with the MG’s wheels.
The BMW running gear (assuming it has the delightful sounding straight-6) inserted in the MGB body and all put together by Mazda. The result would sound and go great, look great, and be put together great. Just great really.