I drove the go-kart to work this morning for the first time. What a thrill! I put the top down and let the wind tug at my hair. I leave so early in the morning that the temperature was comfortable, even here in the hottest part of the Summer. I even turned off the a/c (which was like hitting a boost button, by the way).
Of course, the thrill of driving a new car, especially one as fun as the Miata, is always tempered a little by the initial curve of learning the feel of the controls. I had a few missteps. Obviously, the Miata has a brilliant gearbox – one of the best ever on a production road car. The lever has extrememly short throws into tightly grouped gears. Unfortunately, I’m used to shifting in more of a row-row-row your boat kind of fashion with long throws and questionable engagement. So, it took some time for me to adjust. I had some difficulty shifting into fifth gear, but I seemed to be better by the end of the drive. Worse, on two occasions I made a “money shift” from fifth to second, while trying to go to fourth. That’s really, really bad. Luckily, I caught them quickly before the engine over-revved.
I was also ham-footed on the throttle while attempting heel-toe downshifts. I’m used to heavy Audi flywheels, so when I blip the throttle, I really give it a good poke. The Miata’s throttle just needs a little tap to get the job done. This definitely calls for more practice, but I’m up for it!
This car is so…much…fun.
jimmy
