Interesting article which tested 32 cars including the MCS.......my wife owned a Miata for a few years and I was never really that impressed with it's handling, the transmission was terrific and it was fun, but didn't feel to me like it handled as well as the reg MINI....surprised the MCS didn't even make the finals...

In the 26 Aug issue of Autocar there is a big shootout article about choosing the Best Handling Car of 2003:

The group of selected best handlers started as:

Palmersport JP1
Ariel Atom
TVR 350C
GDT70 (Lola replica)
Porsche 911 GT3
Noble M12R
Caterham R400
Elise 135R
Vauxhall VX220T Sprint
Westfield XTR2
Radical SR3 LM
Lamborghini Murcielago
Pagani Zonda
Impreza Type-C
Mitsubishi EvoVIII FQ300
Alfa 147 GTA
Focus RS
Audi S4
BMW Z4
Porsche Boxster
Merc E55
Mini Cooper S Works
Renault Clio V6
Mazda RX-8
Jag XJR
Pug 206 GTi 180
Honda Accord 2.4 Type S
Volvo S60R
Astra GSi
Ford Sport Ka
Skoda Fabia RS
Mazda MX-5 (Miata)


From these 32 cars, after the tests/competition 7 cars were selected as finalists:

Porsche 911 GT3
Noble M12
Caterham R400
Lamborghini Murcielago
Subaru Impreza Spec C
BMW Z4
Mazda MX-5 (Miata)

From these 7, as the best two were selected:

Porsche 911 GT3
Mazda MX-5 (Miata)

The choice of which of the two is the better one has been tough,
but in the end the winner The Best Handling Car of 2003:

Mazda MX-5 Miata

The drivers who tested the cars around the racetrack and selected the winner:

Tiff Needell (former F1 driver/broadcaster - ex BBC's Top Gear, Chan 5's 5th gear)
Justin Wilson (current Jaguar F1 driver)
Takuma Sato (current BAR F1 driver)
Michael Bentwood (BMW BTCC driver)
Phil Bennett (Proton BTCC works driver)
Martin Anderson (Lotus Technical Manager of vehicle dynamics)

Here are the words about the winner:

"The baby Mazda roadster is already a synonym for handling excellence, already holder of Autocar's best sub-£15k driver's car title. Its sublime flingability and nifty power-to-weight ratio sustain satisfaction like nothing else. It has delicious steering which combines pinpoint accuracy with perfect weighting. It turns in crisply, grips more than amply and has simply the most adjustable cornering balance. The precise gate and short-throw action of its gearchange are a joy, too. The whole MX-5 vibe is consistently engaging. It's the place input and feedback are perfectly synchronised. And it wins."

"And out most gifted testers were always amused by it, even if they'd just been extending themselves in the GT3. So the MX-5 wins, repeating the victory it scored after it was first launched in 1990. Britain's best driver's car under £15K is Britain's best handling car, period"

 

Wow, that story above had the best successive events in the world with a great confident outcome.

Thanks

 

My vote for the best handling sports car:



or of course:



I found it interesting that they mentioned the JCW MCS - it has the same suspension as the stock MCS. There are some mighty impressive cars on that list!

Randy

 

My wife is on her second Miata. I think her first one, a 1990, handled better and was more fun than the replacement, a 1999. I'm driving a 2001 330CI which I'm handing off to my wife and selling her Miata. That's going to be replaced by an MCS. My MCS. I like the MINI's driving characteristics better than the Miata's. I find that a little odd since I much prefer RWD to FWD. Perhaps on a track the Miata's perfect 50-50 balance makes the difference. But around town and on some local twisties, I felt more confident driving the MINI (I rented one) than the Miata. Of course the MINI's cabin is more spacious which may contribute to my sense of control of the vehicle. After all, performance is more than skid pads numbers and 0-60. It's a sense of total control and communication with a car. IMHO I think the MINI stands out from the pack. Just one man's opinion.

 

 

As much as I hate to say it. I'm not surprised the MCS didn't win. While it does handle well, I think that a stock MCS has WAY too much understeer compared to many of the other cars on the list. A heavy trail brake into corners can counter act this, but the base "settings" of the suspension just aren't up to the same level of many sportscars.
I don't feel that this is a design flaw of the MINI. I just think that the engineers who setup the suspension on the MINI purposefully made it handle the way it does.
Dare I say . . . . . . . I think my 1978 MGB handles better than my MCS.

 

Its interesting to discuss but, personally, I continue to be amazed at the weird results from most of these automotive shootouts...so weird as to make them seem at best questionable and at worst irrelevant. I have always respected Miatas though....and they always seem to be a big fav of the British auto mags.:smile:

_________________
'03 IB/W Cooper

 

Very interesting post, thank you!

Of course, IMHO even multi-tester jury based competitions like these are still subjective, and also differ by market (some cars have very different specs in different markets). In this particular instance I have a wee bit of a hard time reproducing the results, but then, that's why we have different reviews and competitions. I had one track day so far in my MCS, at the TWS track, and there were two highly modded Miatas, and they ran circles around most other cars, but not around the 911 Turbos. While it ran, a highly modded classic Mini also outran everything else, for 2 laps until the engine blew.
I drove a friends special anniversary edition Miata some time ago, and it is a very nice car, but I prefer the handling of the MINI, mostly because the steering and feedback is sooo amazing, and I find the MCS more predictable than the Miata.
But whether the Miata ranks top, or near the top, I think most people would agree that it is a truly amazing car with outstanding handling, and probably some of the best bang for the buck to be had. Kudos to Mazda for making such an evergreen sports car. We can only hope that some day people will talk about the new MINI that way.

Interesting post, thanks!

_________________
Celeste: 03 EB/W MCS, cold, premium, sports a la carte w. W16"V, Lapis, HK, Forge coolant tank, saddlebags, interior trim in EB, euro shelf

 

I owned a 91 Miata back in 91 and I was amazed at how they were able to engineer into the car the same type of 'road feel' as the my 65 Sprite, 67 MGBGT and other English sports I have owned.
I have not driven a new Miata and suspect the engineering is quite wonderful. However, compared to my S Works car the Cooper is my choice hands down for sheer fun.

 

I bought that same issue of Autocar. Remember that test is best handling not necessarily most fun. I was never a big fan of the Miata until I drove one. It really is an amazing car. The handling is so neutral. I race cars and on a road course a good Miata driver can turn a better lap time than a corvette or porsche driver. The handling of a Miata is that GOOD, the cornering speeds are amazing. The Mini is a great handling car on the street but will understeer heavy at the track, plus the Mini doesn't have an lsd.

However, most fun would have to be the MCS. I'd take my MCS over a Miata any day.

RaceCarDriver

 

You are correct Randy but I may add one thing....it handled great if it stayed running.
_____________________

I had a 72 914, unfortunately a 4 and not the 2.0 6. It reminded me of the reg MC in handling and performance. I never had a problem with mechanicals and it was a pretty solid car, paid like $4300 brand new back in 72, traded in a 69 Dodge 440 R/T, quite a contrast...lol ! Maybe the 6 was more tempermental to keep running with it's carboration compared to the 4. Put over 20K miles on it till I realized it couldn't handle every turn...missed a corner, hit a pole and it was sadly totalled, wasn't hurt except my ego :smile:

 

I test drove an '03 Miata just for the fun of it and to see what all the fuss is about and didn't find it fun at all. Perhaps that's because I've been driving more powerful and more expensive cars, but the sportyness didn't seem all that impressive to me. It just seemed bumpy. First gear had hardly any pull, second gear was only mildly better, so using it as a daily driver would have been a pain. Perhaps I should have thrown it around some curves but by the time I got to a more interesting road I was ready to just go back to the dealership.

 

Great post. I'll have to defer to the talent that the Brits compiled for the '03 runoff.
Personal experience, as an ex-Miata owner/driver I'll say it is a sweet ride, but the best handling car I've ever driven was a Lotus Elise. A 914-6 GT sure would be nice to have in the ole garage, and I know it is THE Giant Killer at PCA meets. Only driven the 4-banger though, and it could have handled a lot more power, IMO.
MCS for a fwd is incredible, only the 2nd generation Lotus Elan is its equal for modern cars. The first generation Elan handily beats the Miata, although it was so fragile, that a strong breeze could cause structural damage to the fibreglass tub.

 

God I love my Garage!!!! The girly car strikes again. If you haven't had the opportunity to flog a Miata, Well lets just say it's all about the feeling!!!!

 

A friend of mine at work traded cars with me for a few laps on the top of a parking garage. He has a Miata with 254/45/17 tires and Borla exhaust. We did a "quickest off the line" and he beat me due to wheel spin but I caught up and started passing when we ran out of safe room.

When I drove his around the "lap", it stuck as much as the MINI but felt softer...or mine felt more harsh. The funny thing is he felt it was exactly the opposite!

 

i believe road and track had the MCS as the record holder for their slalom time, eclipsing the Porshe GT 3 or GT 2 i dont remember by more than a sec i think. So it depends on who drives the car i guess, cuss we all know the MCS didnt gain any time on the Porshe with HP!

 

Hard to argue w/ such a crop of experts. I do think that throwing a FWD car around is so much different than a RWD car that it would hugely influence a serious RWD driver, which leads to the question: how many of the other entries are FWD- I don't know enough about cars to come up w/ that info. I've got a Cooper, not an S, and the one thing I've noticed about high speed curve work w/ it is that when you do get the rear wheels to start to come loose, dropping off the throttle a bit almost always pulls them right back in line. At any rate, can't be much doubt that the miata is a great car, but I'd still bank on the MINI for the fun factor. Miata's have never turned my head. MINI's always have.

 

It is very interesting that no FWD cars made it to the finals of this competition (only RWD or AWD). I would venture that this does maybe reflect a wee bit of bias by the drivers. Even amongst the Porsche's, in most other mags the AWD 911 Turbo is elevated above the GT3 in terms of handling, yet here the RWD GT3 is at the top.
The Miata handles very well, but for me, it doesn't come anywhere near the MINI In terms of the steering. I do think though that the different versions of the Miata handle quite differently, and I've heard it makes a big difference if you get the sports suspension vs not.

_________________
Celeste: 03 EB/W MCS, cold, premium, sports a la carte w. W16"V, Lapis, HK, Forge coolant tank, saddlebags, interior trim in EB, euro shelf

 

I think this is one of the best handling cars ever.





>>Interesting article which tested 32 cars including the MCS.......my wife owned a Miata for a few years and I was never really that impressed with it's handling, the transmission was terrific and it was fun, but didn't feel to me like it handled as well as the reg MINI....surprised the MCS didn't even make the finals...
>>
>>In the 26 Aug issue of Autocar there is a big shootout article about choosing the Best Handling Car of 2003:
>>
>>The group of selected best handlers started as:
>>
>>Palmersport JP1
>>Ariel Atom
>>TVR 350C
>>GDT70 (Lola replica)
>>Porsche 911 GT3
>>Noble M12R
>>Caterham R400
>>Elise 135R
>>Vauxhall VX220T Sprint
>>Westfield XTR2
>>Radical SR3 LM
>>Lamborghini Murcielago
>>Pagani Zonda
>>Impreza Type-C
>>Mitsubishi EvoVIII FQ300
>>Alfa 147 GTA
>>Focus RS
>>Audi S4
>>BMW Z4
>>Porsche Boxster
>>Merc E55
>>Mini Cooper S Works
>>Renault Clio V6
>>Mazda RX-8
>>Jag XJR
>>Pug 206 GTi 180
>>Honda Accord 2.4 Type S
>>Volvo S60R
>>Astra GSi
>>Ford Sport Ka
>>Skoda Fabia RS
>>Mazda MX-5 (Miata)
>>
>>
>>From these 32 cars, after the tests/competition 7 cars were selected as finalists:
>>
>>Porsche 911 GT3
>>Noble M12
>>Caterham R400
>>Lamborghini Murcielago
>>Subaru Impreza Spec C
>>BMW Z4
>>Mazda MX-5 (Miata)
>>
>>From these 7, as the best two were selected:
>>
>>Porsche 911 GT3
>>Mazda MX-5 (Miata)
>>
>>The choice of which of the two is the better one has been tough,
>>but in the end the winner The Best Handling Car of 2003:
>>
>>Mazda MX-5 Miata
>>
>>The drivers who tested the cars around the racetrack and selected the winner:
>>
>>Tiff Needell (former F1 driver/broadcaster - ex BBC's Top Gear, Chan 5's 5th gear)
>>Justin Wilson (current Jaguar F1 driver)
>>Takuma Sato (current BAR F1 driver)
>>Michael Bentwood (BMW BTCC driver)
>>Phil Bennett (Proton BTCC works driver)
>>Martin Anderson (Lotus Technical Manager of vehicle dynamics)
>>
>>Here are the words about the winner:
>>
>>"The baby Mazda roadster is already a synonym for handling excellence, already holder of Autocar's best sub-£15k driver's car title. Its sublime flingability and nifty power-to-weight ratio sustain satisfaction like nothing else. It has delicious steering which combines pinpoint accuracy with perfect weighting. It turns in crisply, grips more than amply and has simply the most adjustable cornering balance. The precise gate and short-throw action of its gearchange are a joy, too. The whole MX-5 vibe is consistently engaging. It's the place input and feedback are perfectly synchronised. And it wins."
>>
>>"And out most gifted testers were always amused by it, even if they'd just been extending themselves in the GT3. So the MX-5 wins, repeating the victory it scored after it was first launched in 1990. Britain's best driver's car under £15K is Britain's best handling car, period"
M3 e30 1988

 

The only reason that the MINI lost top spot were the lame drivers listed !!

The MINI needs a real driver:

Randy BMC Webb would have blown their doors off !!
(Autocross anyone?)

Best Regards,
Ron

 

>>I've got a Cooper, not an S, and the one thing I've noticed about high speed curve work w/ it is that when you do get the rear wheels to start to come loose, dropping off the throttle a bit almost always pulls them right back in line.

hmmm... sounds like you might have anyourself one of the few rwd minis, fms. oh, wait... maybe you're driving in reverse

wanted a miata. needed a rear seat. got a mini. can't complain.

 

Well, we have the best of both worlds. We just picked up our 2001 Miata yesterday. I must say it is a blast!!! I absolutely love my MINI but I have a feeling that Miata is going to run neck and neck with him. Fine with me, I'll have a smile on my face driving either of them.

Laurie

 

Interesting post. "Handling" is a term that can has a wide range and is very open to opinion. The Miata is a great handling car, I've come very close to buying one a couple of times, but could never accept the lack luggage of space. For more scientific results attend any autocross and you will see that, with equally matched drivers, the MINIs (both MCS and MC) will run shorter times than the Miatas (and every other car) all day long.

 

>I've got a Cooper, not an S, and the one thing I've noticed about high speed curve work w/ it is that when you do get the rear wheels to start to come loose, dropping off the throttle a bit almost always pulls them right back in line.

Good thing the Mini is front wheel drive. On a RWD car if you lift off the throttle while the back end is loose you'll spin.

 

>>God I love my Garage!!!! The girly car strikes again. If you haven't
had the opportunity to flog a Miata, Well lets just say it's all about the
feeling!!!!

The only "flogging" I've done to a Miata was at the stoplight and it did
feel "good".

GT-3 vs a Miata, please...I always preferred my '72 Beetle's handling to
my Corvette too - b.s. I do agree with some of the comments though, I
personnaly thought the Elise (just from what I've read and knowing it's
wheelbase) might have made the final 7 cut. Quite an exotic list of cars
there.

Way to instigate Miniblues!


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