The Perfect Drive
I decided this was my year to exercise my prerogative to have a mid-life crisis. To conform to stereotypes, I confronted Lynne with either: 1) a mistress; 2) a convertible sports car.
We both decided the mistress would be too expensive.
So, meet “Mia”, my new Mazda Miata
Lynne is probably a better stick-shift driver than I am. But, I’m striving for the “perfect drive”. It is a 20 mile, 40 minute commute to work (and back). So, each time I take Mia to work, I strive to always be in the right gear at the right time going the right speed. No jerking, no chugging. Just a smooth, perfect drive.
I’m getting better. I’m much better at simply remembering what gear I am in!
I start at 100 and then take off a point each time I think I screwed up the perfect drive. I scored a 98 the other day!
A friend emailed me this morning to say “Have you seen the OTHER Rick Robinson’s website? And gave the url to your site. Well, no I hadn’t, but when I got here I saw this post.
I bought the first Miata, when they first went on sale in the US, sold in Orange County, CA. It was red, like nearly all the early ones (the other colors that first year were white and an awful blue). Black interior, black top, stick. It cost $18,200 fully optioned, though the option list was very short then, floor mats, upgraded speakers. It was my baby and I loved it until I got broadsided by a truck which ran a light. That little car was built so well it probably saved my life. I’d driven sticks all my life, so that was never a problem for me, and the Miata had one of the nicest shifting transmissions of any car I’ve driven. They still do, I drove one a year or so ago, just to see if they were still as much fun. I still miss that car. I hope you enjoy yours and keep it perfect. Congratulations on your car!
Posted by Rick Robinson on 07/02/2010 at 09:27 PM
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