January 04, 2004

GENERAL MOTORS

This smear-mongering is downright unfair:

Retired Gen. Wes Clark a girlie-man? So say some of his foes, snickering that he likes to drive a "chick car," his wife's Miata, and the campaign minivan. We tried the wimp smear on Clark spokesman Chris Lehane, who fired back with both barrels. First, he notes, while commander of the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor, 4th Infantry Division, his guy drove a tank. In the Balkans, he favored a humvee. "Despite all the different rides," says Lehane, "Clark knows that it is the man who makes the sleigh, not the sleigh that makes the man."

I drive a Miata (known outide the US as an MX-5) and there’s no way it’s a chick car. A gay male’s car, maybe. Depends on the Miata; mine is the ultra-het no-power-steering early-90s version. With custom floral paintwork.

Posted by Tim Blair at January 4, 2004 10:22 PM
Comments

Why yessth, Tim, your car sounds so butch! That floral motif is a sure sign you're a man's man, and I bet without power steering your arms are just soooo buff!
:)

Posted by: rinardman at January 4, 2004 at 11:37 PM

Nothing says "testosterone" like an enormous daisy pattern on the driver's door! And I get around the power steering problem by inflating the front tyres to 80psi. It really workth!

Posted by: tim at January 4, 2004 at 11:57 PM

In Japan, they are known as "Roadster". Not that it matters, affects, or has any real bearing on your post, just had the mad urge to post a comment, and I did. Ok, I'll quit now.

Posted by: Scott at January 5, 2004 at 12:57 AM

Yes, the Miata/MX-5 is a chick car. Any car that is somehow slightly more attractive to women than to men is a chick car. But the Miata/MX-5 is also an outstanding roadster, and a beautiful one at that. Why not drive one?

I drive a BMW 3-series, which has been identified by many as both a chick car and a car for gay men. Does the car define me, or do I define the car? Neither; I just like a fun drive.

Besides, mine's an M, so it can eat your puny Miata for breakfast, girlie-man.

Posted by: JustSomeGuy at January 5, 2004 at 03:06 AM

An M? For "metrosexual"?

Posted by: tim at January 5, 2004 at 03:12 AM

Does a 43 year old Ford Falcon qualify as a manly man's car? What if it has bucket seats? Or am I just a cheapskate?

Posted by: Doc at January 5, 2004 at 03:26 AM

I almost bought She Who Is Perfect In All Ways a Miata, but it wasn't enough car for her. She had a '95 Ford Probe for a while (target demographic - female white trash). I still remember the mad dash through the North Carolina mountains, intimidating the Winnebago ahead of us right off the road, weaving more than Tim after one of his long, expensive, wine soaked lunches, sticking to the curves just like a sloshed Tim (although those curves don't slap back).

She upgraded recently to a Subaru WR-X with turbo. Sometimes she lets me drive it.

Posted by: Annoying Old Guy at January 5, 2004 at 04:35 AM

Yes, M for Metrosexual. I desire sex with cities, erm, subways, or something like that.

Probably the ultimate guy car is an unstoppable object, like a Ford Excavation, and the ultimate chick car is the uncatchable object, like...a motorcycle.

That makes your Miata a pre-teen girlie-car, or possibly a bed-ridden male accountant's car.

Posted by: JustSomeGuy at January 5, 2004 at 04:47 AM

I always thought of the Miata as a middle-income-middle-aged-guy's-midlife-crisis car. (Sorry, I knew somebody who had one.)

And I seriously doubt that General Clarkbar drove his own tank, or even his own humvee. Don't generals usually have drivers?

Posted by: Rebecca at January 5, 2004 at 06:56 AM

As a former owner of a Miata, this steams me. That car is awesome. Chick label be damned. I've never driven anything that handled as well, was as fun to drive. If it went any faster, 50% of those driving it would be dead or in jail, given how irresistable it is to floor it in that thing.

Plus it survived being spun out at 110 mph AND being broadsided by a Dodge Durango!

Posted by: Bill at January 5, 2004 at 07:20 AM

Perfect for zipping to and from those LONG lunches with EXPENSIVE wine.

Posted by: Fidens at January 5, 2004 at 08:04 AM

i'd like the "carla zampati limited edition" mx5. i dig those 'lippy' holders.

Posted by: roscoe at January 5, 2004 at 08:53 AM

The Miata is gay in the metrosexual Queer Eye sense. But the Hummer H2 is even more gay, in the Venice Beach bodybuilder sense.

What's the difference between a BMW and a porcupine?

A porcupine has pricks on the outside.

Posted by: iowahawk at January 5, 2004 at 09:34 AM

I used to have respect for you Tim. Not any more, you chick-car driving poof.

Get one of these up ya

Posted by: Mike Hunt at January 5, 2004 at 09:55 AM

"Get one of these up ya"

Mine's Purple.

But who cares, with 260 KW (330 HP) it makes the MX-5 look like a lesbian hill-trolly.

Posted by: Jon at January 5, 2004 at 10:26 AM

One would probably count the Oz-only turbo version as blokey enough. Just. But only in silver.

Posted by: Paul Johnson at January 5, 2004 at 12:01 PM

An M? For "metrosexual"?

M as in M3. The "M" Division is BMW's racing division. It is manned by dwarves from The Black Forest, who build them with tender loving care. Think of Corvette L06 performance, but with room for 4 people and a usefull trunk.

Posted by: CGeib at January 5, 2004 at 02:36 PM

Miata? Miata get a real car.

Posted by: Dave at January 5, 2004 at 03:12 PM