[MR2] what makes a car "fun" to drive?

[Steve Bagdon]

And the Wrangler is next on my list (and was going to fit it into the
thread). Yet when it comes, the '92 Pickup goes (manual trans, manual
windows, manual steering, 2d short cab, 2wd, only option is a/c).

An Elise is in there, yet it's just too darn expensive. >$20k, *still*?!

Steve B.

-----Original Message-----
From: William Brandt [mailto:wbrandt1 at sbcglobal.net] 
Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2011 9:37 PM
To: Steve Bagdon; 'MR2 List'
Subject: Re: [MR2] what makes a car "fun" to drive?

I think you nailed one of the main aspects of a neat car - why do people 
still love the WW2 era Jeep?

Simplicity.

Bill

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Bagdon" <mr2 at bagdon.com>
To: "'William Brandt'" <wbrandt1 at sbcglobal.net>; "'MR2 List'" <mr2 at mr2.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2011 1:31 PM
Subject: RE: [MR2] what makes a car "fun" to drive?


Simplicity.

That's why I truly enjoyed my '85 and '91NA (manual steering, transmission,
etc), and truly enjoy my '94 Miata R. And even my '92 Pickup.

When I was parting and combining cars, I was usually taking stuff out, not
putting stuff in.

Steve B.

-----Original Message-----
From: mr2-bounces at mr2.com [mailto:mr2-bounces at mr2.com] On Behalf Of William
Brandt
Sent: Saturday, September 17, 2011 11:44 PM
To: MR2 List
Subject: [MR2] what makes a car "fun" to drive?

Been thinking about this all day -

I think we can all agree that functionally the cars today are the best that
have ever been made.

One can argue that the exponentially-higher complexity makes maintenance
down the road in time problematic (cars now are "totaled" for a small dent
and all airbags deployed) - but performance-wise, reliability and economy
have never been better.

That being said I'll bet most of you would get a grin driving a 1964 Lotus
Elan or even a late 30s Morgan.

As for a 30s Duesenberge SJ even though it was so expensive as to be
unaffordable by all but the wealthiest - it would probably feel "clunky" by
today's standards.

I think an 1962 MGB would probably be fun; a 1961 MGA iffy and an MG-TD
definitely more work than fun, although that was the car that introduced
Americans to sports cars post war.

So technology plays a part but it isn't the only component. The Duesy was so
advanced - DOHC, supercharged, other than electronics and metallurgy one
would he hard pressed to explain how cars are fundamentally "better" - other
than metallurgy, electronics, tire and suspension technology and the Duesy
technology now affordable to everyone - there isn't much difference.

So what is the "fun factor"?