Miata of the Month December 2006

My history with the Miata is so long that I don't know where to start. The first Miata I ever saw was British Racing Green (with tan interior) back in early 1991 in Princeton, New Jersey. It was spring and it was parked along Nassau St. with its top down. When it was first announced a year before, everyone was already anticipating its sale. There was a long queue at the dealerships and when I saw the car for the first time I immediately understood why. The concept of a back to basics sports car is common now after all the copy cats that have emerged since. But back then, the idea was revolutionary. There was a crowd that had gathered around it and in that setting, in the north eastern United States amid maple trees, red brick buildings and a cobble stone driveway, the car was just perfect. That was my first image of the Miata and up to this day it still embodies to me what the carfs soul is. A true and pure sports car ready to take you on adventures where there is no destination but the driving itself.

It wasn't until late 1994 that I acquired my first Miata, a red '91 US model. The second one was a black Philippine domestic model purchased brand new in 1996. Nicknamed "the Juice" that black car was immediately spruced up with aftermarket wheels, accessories, and go fast goodies and what not. The red car remained and still is to this day bone stock. These cars were two of the first cars to be listed in the Manila Sports Car Club (MSCC) Miata Registry, the birthplace of the Miata Club Philippines.

Throughout the years, the Miata Club has done so many things, been to so many places and achieved so much that the club as it is now is a living tribute to its members. I would say that it is one of the closest knit and most consistent car clubs in the country. The club is also so diverse that it has organized itself into subgroups that pertain to the different interests of its members.

I myself am most active in the Racing subgroup of the club since what I really really like to do in a Miata is drive it fast. :-) Whether it be driving to Baguio, Pagudpud or even just Tagaytay, I get a kick out of making this nimble little sports car perform. It always seems faster than it really is. I know it may sound juvenile to some or even irresponsible but that's how it is. Miata Club racing was born out of this attitude I guess. For reasons of safety and sanity, the best place to drive one's Miata to its limit is really the race track.

Miata Club racing started with track days. These were really fun events when a whole bunch of guys from the club would drive down to Subic and take driving lessons from Kookie Ramirez. After a long day at the track (that seemed too short) everybody would go out and share glorious meals and share the past day's experiences. Some would take night drives around Subic with their tops down just for the heck of it and some would just simply hang out. Those were really good times.

But sooner or later, just as in any sport, Miata Club racing evolved into something more serious. That's a good thing for the most part. It has prompted the current bunch to raise the performance level of both car and driver to new heights. Ask anyone in the Cup for performance tips and you will get race proven advice on what works and what doesn't. The level of research and development that has gone into the Miata race cars is superb and a treasure the club can be proud of. You only get that through racing.

On the other hand, I think that the present level of competition in the annual Miata Cup has discouraged some who were into the track thing mostly for the fun of it. That's a shame though. If you go to the races, you'll see that the activities are still the same, and that they're really just the same bunch of guys, only faster. :-)

My latest Miata is "Mrs. Peel". Nicknamed thus because of its color which is the same as that of Emma Peel's Lotus Elan in the TV series "The Avengers". Everything is in Mrs. Peel, she's been through it all. She's had a face lift, bigger mouth, new brain, bigger heart, stiffer legs, firmer body, etc. The only thing is that her rear-end is still kinda soft. :^P I'm proud of her and one day she'll retire from racing to roam the streets once again.

Happy Holidays everyone and see you at the Christmas party -another great Miata Club tradition!

Cheers!

Joey Pery
21 November 2006

!!! MX-5 Miata Of the Month !!!

December 2006

Joey Pery

Previous MCP Winners