ramfann

hey,

orange mazda here in albany has a velocity red that they will allow people to test. I asked if it was for an owner or if was to be held as strictly a demo....the answer was demo and so my eyes lit up knowing that i could drive this beast like it should be driven.

The red is absolutely beautiful, especially in the sunlight! i did notice that the general consensus is correct about the engine being quiet......man, quiet as a kitten! the interior was nice and i had no problem getting myself comfortable in the drivers seat...headroom, legroom, positioning all not a problem.

the clutch engages about 3/4 of the way up and within a few shifts became very natural to me. the shifter is not as short a throw as the miata, but still quite fun. it actually had a really nice feel like it was already broken in. the metal beauty responded like a cat ready to pounce on prey...very resposnsive! the handling is just superb and the car actually felt really light and easy to handle at all times. tight steering made it nice for the hands and i had no problems with reaching anything within the cockpit, very nice ergonomically.

ok, now for the fun....after a few turns trying to worry the salesperson sitting in the passengers side, we hit the ramp for the interstate and gave a quick shift and put a smile on knowing that i would just bust up the rev's without worry. absolutely no strain at all and within a very short time raising the tac up to the 9g mark in third, it ran like nothing i have felt before (not having been in a rotary before)......all i can say is nice nice nice! ya-hooo was the words being yelled out the window at a nice crusing speed of approx 95mph.....man, i wanted to shift this thing and just push the next few gears a bit, but looking over at my lucky salesperson i had noticed him looking a bit green under the gils, i figured it would be best to lay off a bit and just keep a bit of interest for when i get my yellow beast under my body ready to ride. it was a very linear acceleration, no peaks of power, just straight forward driving.

i do have a question though, when i returned to the dealer (with a huge smile :o) i tried out the back seats....now the passenger side of the gt, you can move the seat forward to get in nice and easily, but with the electric drivers seat, there seemed no way to do this and it did make it a little bit of a challenge to get in the back. it is a small concern because that spot is reserved for my darling daughter of 5, but if i ever take a foursome out on the town, it may be a bit of a hassle. does anyone know if there is something i am missing?

well, if you live nearby, i suggest that you call the orange mazda sales rep and take a spin.....you will love it!

Hercules

I really never had a problem sitting behind the driver's seat... just got right in. It's a matter of foot placement. You have to slide your foot underneath the front seat before you actually sit down... then you're golden