Swapped over to a set of 215/45R17 Continental ExtremeContact Sports on the MX5 and I can't believe what a difference it makes. The rear end feels far more planted, and the steering response is far sharper. Being this is the first time I'm properly driving on summer tires, ever, its a very welcome surprise.
The amount of grip imparted gives me even more confidence in the high speed corners, and I'm really looking forward to pushing these at the next autocross. I choose these tires as they appeared to be a good blend between dry/wet performance and their price wasn't too obnoxious. I've driven about 300km with them so far, with most of the mileage clocked up was on boring highways. They do feel much better than the winters on acceleration and braking, and I'm surprised how much more lively the car feels with them.
Now in the twisty corners is where these tires shine. I can take most twisty corners at the speed limit when regular cars have to brake (bad comparison, honestly. roadster vs econobox) and I can feel them really latch on to the road. I could do that in my winters (WinterContact SI) for sure, but I could hear the winters squeal when I push them too hard, and it just doesn't feel as confidence inspiring.
Ride quality wise, I honestly find it tough to say how much better it is compared to the winters. It takes the usual speedbumps I take _perhaps_ a little firmer, but that could be because my winters are on a 16 inch rim versus the summers on a 17 inch.
One final reason why I spent so much cash on new tires is unsprung weight. The Michelin AS3 (no plus) tires that came with the car are supposed to be really good, but they are about four pounds heavier per corner compared to the Conti ECSs. That adds up to a fair bit of unsprung weight on for a lightweight roadster, and they're run flats so... yeah no. Regular tires please. Plus the threads on the ECS looks far more boss XD
Originally, I wanted to get some Dunlop Direzza ZIIIs as they look frakking cool, basically a semi-slick. Unfortunately, they're not commonly available in Canada, and I am not so hardcore as to pick up a set at Point Roberts.
Plus, I've read that these top performance tires are not really good for a newbie autocrosser; their performance can mask the driving errors on the circuit. I've decided that in the off chance that I really get into autocrossing, I'm going to buy some really lightweight wheels (Enkei PF01SS 17x9 perhaps) and RE71s just for that.
Next up, summer fuel prices! I did not know about this an it is absolute bollocks. I used to fill up 91 octane about 1.50/l, but my last top up was 1.73/l, and I've seen some posts online with 91 octane now over 1.80/l! OUCH!
While I'm thankful I don't drive everyday, the amount I drive on weekends probably exceeds most people on the weekday commute lol.
Finally, I had the chance to go on a ride in a Lotus Elise last week. It's a very interesting car for sure! For a start, it's much smaller than I thought, and the passenger seat is actually much more spacious than my NC MX5. I can actually stretch out in the passenger seat of the Elise, while in my MX5, the passenger's footwell is narrow and does not allow me to stretch my legs out. It also has a transmission bump that extends into the passenger footwell! On the flip side, to get a narrow car, the elise is tight. Really tight. The driver and I were shoulder to shoulder in the cabin, and getting into the cabin is far more tedious than I thought it would be.
I was also surprised to be told that the windshield frame is fiberglass, and it could be damaged if I used it as a support for getting in and out of the car. Shocking!
On the road though, the car grips like nobody's business, and that was on Nokian R3 winter tires. I wonder what it'd be like on high performance summer tires. It takes high speed corners very flat, and I felt like it could easily push way above the speed limits if desired. The engine is behind and I honestly didn't think I liked the sound of it that much. It's fun to hear it rev out to nearly 8k rpm but if it's for a long drive I think I would tire of it rapidly. The ride is not as punishing as I thought it would be, but I swapped over to my mx5 after the Elise and immediately I felt like I was in a luxury car lol.
It's not a cheap car either, looking on autotrader, for a used model, it's almost three times what I paid for my mx5. But it is an exotic, and one of the most affordable cars on the road. It's guaranteed to turn heads no matter where you go.
Initially, when I got in the car... I was like... damn, I really should have said fuck it to my bank account and got an Elise for the hell of it. It's a really nice car. But after having sat in it, just the effort and care need to get in... it's one of the cases of "Don't meet your heroes". It takes a hardcore car enthusiast to own one of these, and I'm definitely not an car enthusiast, nor am I a "car guy".
