congrats on the trade! Hardtop/convo is a really cool, and i also sing the stop-go clutch blues… so in july you can relax more during your city drives!! .cheers.

You know, I was on the phone to my mom in UK this morning and I got a really good bollocking for being a big spender. I guess she has no idea what big spendings really mean. Defo have to introduce you to her… hahahahhaaha…

Anyway, congrats on the purchase. That one good looking car!

Marcus, thanks I’m still feeling a little regret but that will probably go away once I see that awesome Stormy Blue colour in person.

Eddie, I would hardly call myself a big spender. I also forget to mention that I got a big fat bonus at work which pretty much paid for it in total.

Nice trade. I was jealous of your NC, now you have it in 1 of the nicest colours.
Trivia note - the Galaxy Grey and Stormy Blue are the 2 most popular colours in Australia at the moment.
Do you see many in Copper Red? I think that suits the NC quite nicely as well.

Thanks Ben!

I’ve always prefered a dark, rich blue like stormy blue for any car. I’m happy to be getting it. Copper Red is a nice colour as well but not for me. In Japan, white and galaxy gray are the most popular for the softtop and stormy blue for the RHT.

I’m still having some second thoughts about going for the Automatic. It feels kind of embarrassing to be driving a Roadster with the AT…

So, let there be more variety in life, ne? :) Great intentions, Roy! Then should we look forward to a renewal of a Fuji-with-roadster and other outstanding views? ;)

Roy, I can understand that you prefer AT over MT, especially during Tokyo traffic jams. The Roadster isn’t a lot of fun to drive in a crowded city - neither on packed highways (i.e. unless you open the top and catch some sunshine ;).
However the big advantage of any Mazda Roadster is the easy and unbeatably quick use of the softtop. At least the hard top version won’t take too long I guess. In fact I like the silhouette, perhaps add some MS body parts? ;)
By the way, what wheels will you choose?
Well, I hope you’ll enjoy the “new” NC Roadster in Tokyo’s summer then!

ait.meijin, you bet I’m going to take my roadster out to Fuji and all the other places, just like last time. Take the same poses too!

Jan, I like the softop too but I like the “coolness” of the PRHT. And 12 seconds is acceptable. I don’t usually open and close that often in a day. I’m taking the Advan RS wheels off of my car and will probably put them on my new one.

I have just got back from the UK. I metioned to my chum’s 18 yr old daughter that I loved the Roadstar. She gave me a weary look and said, ‘Oh God. That’s a hair dressers car.’
I was shocked. So I started telling other Brits of my car desire. AND I got the SAME response more than once.
What they are saying is this: the Roadstar is for the limp- wristed types.
Is this a common opinion? And does it have some credence?

Congratulations. Can’t wait to see some photos of your new car. This reminds me of how you bought the PS3 or Wii, I can’t remember which.

You are absolutely crazy.

Timothy, in Japan the roadster is an otaku car for people who are really nuts about pure driving rather than just trying to look cool in an expensive porsche or benz. People who drive roadsters in Japan really get the concept, but they can be really geeky too and bore you with talk about gears and stuff. So if you live in japan and drive a roadster most people would think you were an otaku rather than gay. Unfortunately, in western countries the mx-5 is considered a hair-dressers-gay-guy-girlie car, but only by those that do not understand what true oneness with the road is. They judge it based on how “cute” it looks. Also, the effeminate name “miata” didn’t help. The newer NC has a more muscular look and is attracting buyers who were turned off by the gay car stigma. All you need is to test drive on for a day with the top down on a winding road and you’ll be convinced. It’s just about the most fun car ever. If you visit the miata.net forum http://forum.miata.net you’ll find true hard core enthuiasts that drive the car hard on track day, no one would consider these people gay in anyway. I’m an active member of this forum too. If you search “hair dresser” or “gay” on this forum you will find endless threads discussing exactly what you said. I’ve lived in Japan since this car first came out so I don’t have this image like so many in western countries. But I don’t really care what other people think about this car, so long as I like it and have a whole pile of fun driving it, that’s what matters.

Andy, it’ll be july until I get some pics :-(

Brad, I know!

Roy, that is the longest reply I have ever seen from you! And well said. My only problem is that I have no car space and to have one I will have to move. If I explain this to that teenager in the UK she will probably respond with, ‘Oh that is totally gay.’
I think Oscar Wilde would say, ‘there is only one thing worse than owning a roadster, and that is not owning one.’

Timothy, you could always rent one near your house. I did that for 3 years and paid about 25,000yen per month. I’m sure you can find a good space around where you live. If you become serious about buying a roadster let me know and I’ll come to the dealer with you. After having purchased 3 new Mazda Roadsters in this country I think I have enough experience to give you good advice on what to get, not get etc. Or if you are thinking about getting one used I can help track one down to. I’m always looking at those classifieds anyway. Also, I’m not sure what your financial situation is but getting a car loan is one of the easiest things to do in this country. In fact, dealers would rather you take a loan than pay the amount outright.

Hey Roy,
I’m a long time reader but this is my first posting.
You won’t regret getting the AT. I bought my NC last August..it’s a True Red Sport AT and I love it. Plus i always drive it in manual mode it’s really fun. Congrats on the new car!!

Congrads. now you must purchase the Auto Art 1:18 version in Stormy Blue!

Hi Jimmy, thanks for visiting. And thanks for the reassurance about the AT. I talked to the dealer yesterday and had them change my package to include the paddle shifters so I can enjoy that F1 feeling. Also, you have a cool site!

Kai, yes I saw that at the car museum shop in Odaiba. It’s tempting but a little too big.

omedeto gozaiamasu, or lachaim. ; )

Congrats on the new car. I used to work with an ex-Marine who owned several Miatas and there was nothing “hairdresser-ish” about him. He loved popping the top and just driving

Thanks guys!!

I’m really surprised this post has gotten so many comments. I always thought most of my readers were not that interested in the car posts.

Roadster Roy, thanx for your kind offer to help me purchase THE car. I will do what you say and start looking for rentable space in my vicinity. And when I do we shall go forth out into the dealerships.
As to the hair dresser epithet; one of the problems of UK is the need to label and classify and put down. It used to be Skoda jokes. Then Ford Cortina people. So I was suprised at the negative reaction to Roadster drivers in the UK.
Are there any hair dressers reading this who are Roadster drivers? Speak up at the back!!!!

this reminds me of your former post when U followed a friend to buy his Wii
and the next U remember was the salesclerk handing YOU one 8)

Roy, let me get this straight. You make a fundamental decision like changing from MT to AT without even trying an AT in Tokyo traffic? Or trying an MX5 with AT at all? No wonder that you keep on wondering and “second guessing” whether you made the right choice. It is funny to see that you made that decision like this, and advise others to rent a car for a day to see how it feels.

J. Actually, the way I wrote this post it does seems like I have never driven the AT but I test drove the 6AT Roadster last year for about half a day in Tokyo. I also participate in forums that discuss these transmissions to death. I even know the gear ratios. I live and breath these cars. But I’m always seeking feedback from people who own and drive the 6AT regularly. My second guessing is whether I will be happy with 6AT instead of 6MT. In an ideal world I would have both. Of course I made the decision quickly but there was months of research behind it. Also, I’m suggesting people who have never driven the car to test drive it. I’ve been driving this car for more than 4 years now and know how it feels.

Umm… didn’t your last roadster still have gas in it from like last October? This car might last you till the end of summer vacation!;)

Roy, I will be interested to hear your (longer term) experience driving AT v MT.
I’ve always thought the Roadster/MX5 is better as MT; but a few reviews in Australia suggest the NC AT is quite good.
MT may be a bit ‘purer’ for involvement etc, but the NC AT is beginning to sound like an ok compromise for daily duties.

Ben, yes almost all the roadster enthusiasts I know who have the 6AT are satisfied with it. Most agree that it is about 90% as much fun as the MT and they’ve assured me that I won’t be disappointed. When I test drove the car last year, unfortunately it was in heavy traffic most of the time so I didn’t get a chance to really play with the paddle shifters to see what they could do.

I thought your previous roadster was cool, this is even better!
More pics of it pleaze!!
And you really should take it out for a spin more often!

Roy, “whether I will be happy with 6AT instead of 6MT. In an ideal world I would have both.” That is a great remark! Enjoy the fun of looking forward to receiving the car. I understood you will have plenty of time for that (until July).

J. I was discussing this with other roadster owners and they all said the same thing. I know some people who have owned over 15 roadsters and some who still have 4 to 5 in their garages. It’s not uncommon for us to buy more than one. I’m not that rich yet. But the next house I move to will have more space to park a few cars and I will definitely get another one!!

Roy:

I recently purchased a car as well in Tokyo, though I didn’t get the Miata. :( I also had to decide between MT or AT, but in the end I wound up getting AT. However, my car comes with the F1 paddle shifters as well. Not as good MT, but I also found that my leg would get tired driving in city. It’s not so bad either when you let the baby run on the expressways; the paddle shifters are good!

Also, I tried to get a car space before I got a car; this proved to be a bit difficult as you need a car ownership (shaken sho) paper before you can rent a space. However, I got around this by asking the dealer to talk to the car space rental agency.

Nice site, and I always enjoy your blogs!! :D

Gerwalker, thanks for visiting!

Your Audi TT is sweet! I definitely like the new design over the previous model. It has a little bit of a back seat as well, doesn’t it? Did you get the 2.0 or 3.2?

Also, “Gerwalker” would happen to be from Macross would it?

Hi Roy,

Thanks! It took me a long time to decide which car to get. Actually, I also went back to driving school (Koyama Driving School in Setagaya-ku — I only realized after I signed up that you went there as well, lol).

I love my 2007 TT! It absolutely flies on the expressways, and is a very smooth ride. It is the basic line model — 2.0TFSI with 16″ wheels. Don’t see many TTs or Miatas out on the streets of Tokyo. ;)

It does have a bit of a backseat, but it is more like a Porsche in that you either have to be a kid or really small to sit comfortably.

And yes, I am a big fan of Macross. :)

Actually, interestingly enough, I had a debate with my friends and the car dealer over whether the Audi TT is considered a “girly” or “gay” car. I was informed that most people thought (or still think) that the 1st Gen TTs were for girls more. Guys who chose to drive the TTs were not “manly” enough.

I brought up this topic to the dealer, and he responded in an interesting way — he “understood” that public viewed the 1st Gen TT “in error”, but Audi decided to distinctly design the new TT to be more “muscular” and appealing to men. He then, interestingly enough, went on to cite the Miata as an example of a “sister” car to the TT — earlier versions were viewed to be “girly” but the latest models put more “oomph” into the design.

Didn’t they add the rear spoiler on the Audi TT in later generations as the car turned out to be instable at higher speeds (think German Autobahn)? Maybe due to that later generations TTare considered more “manly”?