Moose are very dangerous for drivers because they can weigh well over 1,000 pounds, and their long legs mean hitting one can cause all this mass to collapse down on a vehicle's passenger compartment.This potential hazard is why the famous moose test for automobiles is so important, and now it's time for the hardtop Mazda MX-5 Miata RF with the available Bilstein shocks to take a turn at the evaluation.
The Miata is famous for its sharp handling, and the roadster shows off those abilities here. The evaluator is supposed to take the moose test at 77 kilometers per hour (47.85 miles per hour), but the driver here does the first run at 75 kph (46.6 mph). The car has absolutely no problem with getting through the cones at this speed. The video's voiceover says: "Even though body roll was considerable, it did not affect handling, which is excellent."
A second run at 80 kph (49.71 mph) is also successful. However, the Miata gets so close to one of the cones to blow it out of the way.
The tester then increases the speed even more for runs at 82 kph (50.95 mph) and 83 kph (51.57 mph). The Miata runs over one of the inside cones in both of these higher-velocity evaluations, though.
The Miata in this clip is a 2018 example, so it doesn't have the upgrades for the 2019 model. The refreshed roadster has a more powerful 2.0-liter four-cylinder that now makes 181 horsepower (134 kilowatts) and 151 pound-feet (204 Newton-meters) of torque – a 26-hp (19-kW) and 3 lb-ft (4 Nm) increase. There's also a new GT-S package that adds a front shock tower brace, limited-slip rear differential, and the Bilstein dampers.
These results are impressive, especially in light of the same organization's test of a Miata soft top with the available Bilstein dampers in 2016 (video below). Even at 75 kph, the roadster narrowly clipped one of the cones but not enough to knock it over. At 76 kph (47.22 mph), the car completely runs over the same cone.
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