miataturbo.net-like debauchery thread (about the ND or something)
#1463
Oh almost forgot, it has hill assist. It will hold the brake for 3 seconds on a hill so you can get out of the clutch and on the gas. Been driving a stick for 25years and don't need it but it worked really well and would be nice for the wife.
#1466
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The car definitely needs a proper roll bar. GWR and 949 are working with Blackbird Fabworx to bring two levels of roll bars to the ND market very soon. Our car is getting a street version which will retain soft top compatibility and likely only need a bit of trimming of the plastics to fit, while 949's car will be getting the track-focused version which requires full gutting of the soft top and rear interior panels. Of course, the no-compromises track version of the roll bar will be able to maximize main hoop height and width as well as rear leg span over the street version.
Moti has already done a good deal of measuring and napkin designing and he's confident that he can bring good products to the table in both versions. Considering that for the NC he offers only one roll bar (the best damn roll bar for an NC on the market) that requires full soft top removal because nothing that allowed operation of the soft top would meet his safety/design standards, the fact that he says he is confident in being able to make a street version that can work within the soft top's limitations gives me high hopes.
-Ryan
#1467
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I wonder how well it works? Eg: does it gradually release the brakes as you engage the clutch, or is there a point in the clutch engagement at which the brakes simply release all at once? Seems like that'd freak me out. Or worse, get me in the habit of *not* using the handbrake, only to have me roll back into someone the first time I drove a car without the feature.
#1470
<p>
</p><p> </p><p>I've driven our Evoque and Chrysler 200 road test cars at work, both of which have such a feature. Irrelevant as they are automatics, but I thought I'd comment on how cool of a feature it is. I was on a STEEP as hill, took my foot off the break, and the car just remains stationary. It's really cool.</p><p>The range rover also has a feature for going DOWN hills, though I have not tried that.</p>
Although my tailor chastises me for it, I also wear a 30 inseam pant. I hate the legs of my pants bunching up on top of my boot when I stand. I've never driven a car with this feature, though I've heard of it. For me, using the hand-brake when starting up a hill just seems intuitive. I wonder how well it works? Eg: does it gradually release the brakes as you engage the clutch, or is there a point in the clutch engagement at which the brakes simply release all at once? Seems like that'd freak me out. Or worse, get me in the habit of *not* using the handbrake, only to have me roll back into someone the first time I drove a car without the feature.
#1471
S2000 has Steel tubing under the trim pieces, IIRC it was 1.5"x0.080", not really up to spec for any organization, but at least it's something.
Can't recall if it's DOM or ERW, though I'd hazard a guess it's ERW.
The NC has Steel hoops as well, but painfully undersized at 1"x0.062", made out of ERW.
Great for holding plastic trim pieces up, less so for roll over protection.
The ND has Aluminum hoops to hold the plastic trim pieces up there and _just_ get by the requirement to hold up the car upside down.
Nuff said.
No one that cares about their safety even remotely should trust their life to the ND stock hoops.
As Ryan said, we're working on two styles of roll bars for the ND so we can satisfy both the DD-and-don't-want-to-rip-my-new-car-apart crowd as well as the interior-schmenterior-I'll-be-at-the-track-all-the-time guys.