NYT says Miata "gay by design"?

Also "Poofs on hoofs", so maybe horses are a gay vehicle? Not seen
"munchers in Miatas" yet.


"Mal Osborne" > wrote in message
...
>I Guess the Miata is kinda impractical as a family car, & gay people often
>have procreation problems. On the other hand, the vehicles I would say
>that has "gay icon" status are usually made by Harley Davidson. The local
>(Perth) & Sydney Gay mardi gras both regularly feature dozens of "Dykes on
>Bikes", never seen a Miata there anywhere.
>
>
> "my_two_cent" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> Folks;
>>
>> See
>> http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/fa...=1&oref=slogin
>> for the whole story, but the gist of it is that some cars are seen as
>> "gay" and the Miata is one of them. Other gay cars are the Volkswagen
>> Beetle, Mini Cooper, and Subaru Outback. Does it make sense to you to
>> say that a Subaru is a "Lesbaru" or that a Miata is "gay" and an
>> Escalade is "manly"?
>>
>> Don't construe this as some kind of sexual preference bashing, I just
>> want to know if some people really think that the choice of a car can
>> say something about their sexual preference, or anything else for that
>> matter. I know some people prefer certain emblems because they cost
>> more, but when I see that fancy Mercedes tooling past, I know it's a
>> lease with a nasty downside and my Miata is all mine for a long time.
>> But is that cool lady behind the wheel looking at me and thinking I'm
>> gay because I know which car is the most fun to drive? The NYT says
>> "Yes, she is."
>>
>> The article goes on to say that automakers are interested in targeting
>> their marketing to different demographics, so if Mazda decides to
>> advertise in the gay media, will that make the Miata a gay car? :-)
>> For all I know, they already do advertise specifically to gays and why
>> not? It's a desirable demographic.
>>
>> I can't imagine I'm going to switch away from the Miata if someone
>> thinks it's gay. What would I switch to? I don't have any idea how to
>> tell what models are for gays and which ones are for straight
>> guys. :-)
>>
>> OK, got my flame retardant underwear on ...
>>
>

On 2007-04-18, Mal Osborne > wrote:

>> (*Expensive as in a new one costing around $60,000 - $70,000
>> and therefore about 3 times the cheapest car you can buy here
>> in Denmark.)
>
> I think that ratio would work in most places. Here in
> Australia, the cheapest car I could think of was a Hyundai
> Getz, at $13990, the MX-5 starts at $42870. (prices from
> manufacturers web site). That makes the MX5 a little over 3
> times the cheapest.

Yikes. I haven't checked prices in the past couple years, but
here in 2004, you could easily buy a new MX-5 for well under
$20K. I think the cheapest new car I saw around that time was a
few dollars under $10K, so in the US a Miata is about 2X the
cheapest.

--
Grant Edwards grante Yow! You were s'posed
at to laugh!
visi.com

"Grant Edwards" > wrote in message
...
> On 2007-04-18, Mal Osborne > wrote:
>
>>> (*Expensive as in a new one costing around $60,000 - $70,000
>>> and therefore about 3 times the cheapest car you can buy here
>>> in Denmark.)
>>
>> I think that ratio would work in most places. Here in
>> Australia, the cheapest car I could think of was a Hyundai
>> Getz, at $13990, the MX-5 starts at $42870. (prices from
>> manufacturers web site). That makes the MX5 a little over 3
>> times the cheapest.
>
> Yikes. I haven't checked prices in the past couple years, but
> here in 2004, you could easily buy a new MX-5 for well under
> $20K. I think the cheapest new car I saw around that time was a
> few dollars under $10K, so in the US a Miata is about 2X the
> cheapest.
>
> --
> Grant Edwards grante Yow! You were s'posed
> at to laugh!
> visi.com

Hmm, MX5=$21180, Chev Aveo=$9890 That gives us a ratio of 2.14. I guess
the USA don't have heaps of crap like the Getz, Hyundai USAs cheapest is the
Accent which is $15990AUD here. Australia also only get higher trim level
MX5s. Comparing the specs, it looks like entry level here is a US $23890
Touring, with a few extra options. (immobiliser, Torsen diff & DCS are
standard)

On 2007-04-18, Mal Osborne > wrote:

>>>> (*Expensive as in a new one costing around $60,000 - $70,000
>>>> and therefore about 3 times the cheapest car you can buy here
>>>> in Denmark.)
>>>
>>> I think that ratio would work in most places. Here in
>>> Australia, the cheapest car I could think of was a Hyundai
>>> Getz, at $13990, the MX-5 starts at $42870. (prices from
>>> manufacturers web site). That makes the MX5 a little over 3
>>> times the cheapest.
>>
>> Yikes. I haven't checked prices in the past couple years, but
>> here in 2004, you could easily buy a new MX-5 for well under
>> $20K. I think the cheapest new car I saw around that time was
>> a few dollars under $10K, so in the US a Miata is about 2X the
>> cheapest.
>
> Hmm, MX5=$21180, Chev Aveo=$9890 That gives us a ratio of 2.14.

That sound about right. The cheapest car I remember a couple
years ago was a Kia something for $$9999 or something like
that. I'm not sure what MX-5 list prices were at the time, you
can usually get MX-5's well below list if you shop around.

> I guess the USA don't have heaps of crap like the Getz,
> Hyundai USAs cheapest is the Accent which is $15990AUD here.
> Australia also only get higher trim level MX5s. Comparing the
> specs, it looks like entry level here is a US $23890 Touring,
> with a few extra options. (immobiliser, Torsen diff & DCS are
> standard)

The MX-5 trim level here in the US is gradually creeping
upwards. The NA base model used to have stamped steel wheels,
no AC, manual windows, no leather, cheap radio, etc. When I
was shopping in 2004, it was really hard to find a base model.
Almost all of them had various "trim packages" and then a bunch
of negative-value extra "dealer options" on top of that
(fiberglass wings and other crap, crome filler lids, and so
on).

--
Grant Edwards grante Yow! WHOA!! Ken and Barbie
at are having TOO MUCH FUN!!
visi.com It must be the NEGATIVE
IONS!!

> > the gist of it is that some cars are seen as
> > "gay" and the Miata is one of them.

I wonder if the MGB or the TR6 is "gay"?

> The term "girl car"/"Wife car" is in use here in Denmark but it's a
> label put on cheap small cars like the Opel Corsa, the Ford Fiesta and
> similar.

The three Fiestas I've owned were some of the best cars I've had. Just call
me girl.

> There is also a term best translated as a "Hair dresser" car

I heard that said around LA for Ferrari 308GTBs some years back.

miker

"my_two_cent" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Folks;
>
> See http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/fa...=1&oref=slogin
> for the whole story, but the gist of it is that some cars are seen as
> "gay" and the Miata is one of them. Other gay cars are the Volkswagen
> Beetle, Mini Cooper, and Subaru Outback. Does it make sense to you to
> say that a Subaru is a "Lesbaru" or that a Miata is "gay" and an
> Escalade is "manly"?
>
> Don't construe this as some kind of sexual preference bashing, I just
> want to know if some people really think that the choice of a car can
> say something about their sexual preference, or anything else for that
> matter. I know some people prefer certain emblems because they cost
> more, but when I see that fancy Mercedes tooling past, I know it's a
> lease with a nasty downside and my Miata is all mine for a long time.
> But is that cool lady behind the wheel looking at me and thinking I'm
> gay because I know which car is the most fun to drive? The NYT says
> "Yes, she is."
>
> The article goes on to say that automakers are interested in targeting
> their marketing to different demographics, so if Mazda decides to
> advertise in the gay media, will that make the Miata a gay car? :-)
> For all I know, they already do advertise specifically to gays and why
> not? It's a desirable demographic.
>
> I can't imagine I'm going to switch away from the Miata if someone
> thinks it's gay. What would I switch to? I don't have any idea how to
> tell what models are for gays and which ones are for straight
> guys. :-)
>
> OK, got my flame retardant underwear on ...
>

Do you like Broadway show tunes?

On Apr 17, 8:14 pm, my_two_cent > wrote:
> Folks;
>
> Seehttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/fashion/12cars.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
> for the whole story, but the gist of it is that some cars are seen as
> "gay" and the Miata is one of them. Other gay cars are the Volkswagen
> Beetle, Mini Cooper, and Subaru Outback. Does it make sense to you to
> say that a Subaru is a "Lesbaru" or that a Miata is "gay" and an
> Escalade is "manly"?
>
> Don't construe this as some kind of sexual preference bashing, I just
> want to know if some people really think that the choice of a car can
> say something about their sexual preference, or anything else for that
> matter. I know some people prefer certain emblems because they cost
> more, but when I see that fancy Mercedes tooling past, I know it's a
> lease with a nasty downside and my Miata is all mine for a long time.
> But is that cool lady behind the wheel looking at me and thinking I'm
> gay because I know which car is the most fun to drive? The NYT says
> "Yes, she is."
>
> The article goes on to say that automakers are interested in targeting
> their marketing to different demographics, so if Mazda decides to
> advertise in the gay media, will that make the Miata a gay car? :-)
> For all I know, they already do advertise specifically to gays and why
> not? It's a desirable demographic.
>
> I can't imagine I'm going to switch away from the Miata if someone
> thinks it's gay. What would I switch to? I don't have any idea how to
> tell what models are for gays and which ones are for straight
> guys. :-)
>
> OK, got my flame retardant underwear on ...

I just tell people I'm straight but sensitive.

I can understand why people think this car is gay. I did when I was
younger and my son didn't like it when I got mine. But after driving
the mountain roads in it for the past month, we both really love this
car. Granted, he doesn't wave wildly at me when I pick him up at
school as when his mother picks him up in her Porsche. Also, I live
near San Francisco, CA, so this car doesn't carry as much stigma as
other places in the nation I would imagine.

Grant Edwards > wrote:

>Almost all of them had various "trim packages" and then a bunch
>of negative-value extra "dealer options" on top of that
>(fiberglass wings and other crap, crome filler lids,

Chrome filler lids are positive-value items. )

Leon
--
Leon van Dommelen Bess, the Miata Bozo, the Miata
http://www.dommelen.net/miata
The only thing better than a white Miata is two white Miatas

my_two_cent wrote:
>
> Folks;
>
> See > http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/fa...=1&oref=slogin
> for the whole story, but the gist of it is that some cars are seen as
> "gay" and the Miata is one of them. Other gay cars are the Volkswagen
> Beetle, Mini Cooper, and Subaru Outback. Does it make sense to you to
> say that a Subaru is a "Lesbaru" or that a Miata is "gay" and an
> Escalade is "manly"?
>
> Don't construe this as some kind of sexual preference bashing, I just
> want to know if some people really think that the choice of a car can
> say something about their sexual preference, or anything else for that
> matter.

Wa-a-a-all, sure, Hell, that's why I bought one. Being so awesomely
masculine and unremittingly heterosexual as I am, one fine day I started
to worry about how anxious it must make all those less macho dudes to
behold me in all my incomparable manly vigor. I mean, I sure don't want
to inadvertently hurt anybody's feelings, even though I'm clearly twice
the man that they might ever hope to be. When you're as much of a *God
of Sheer Raw Masculinity* as I am, you feel like you can afford to make
a few concessions for the benefit of the more obviously wussy guys
around you, such as all those limp-wristed overcompensating Hummer
drivers. So I got me a Miata just so I could set their minds at ease.

The other thing is, if I had a car with a back seat, every day bunches
of smokin' hot babes (especially the chronically-unsatisfied wives of
those Hummer-driving cream-puffs) would be crowding into my vehicle, and
I'd have to mediate all the conflicts between them about who gets to do
*it* with me first. But in a Miata, I don't have to worry about that.
I can speed off to a beach-front hotel with the hot babe of my choice,
and leave all the other disappointed ladies behind, heart-broken, to
dream of another happier day when it will be their turn.

Yours, Achilles the Magnificent