Can tall and chubby fit in an MX5?

OpenToSuggestions

OpenToSuggestions

OpenToSuggestions

Soldato
Joined
5 Aug 2006
Posts
11,396
Location
Derbyshire
Hey all.
I am 6'3" tall and on the cubby side at 110kg.
I have the idea of a 1990s car for pure fun in mind.

An MX5 is both incredibly cheap to buy and would do the job, but am I completely wasting my time trying to fit into one?

I don't know anybody who has one so I can try to get into theirs.
I have a longer body than legs but my legs are not exactly short!

I hear that you can shop foam at the back and bottom of the seat to add a few more cm of leg room and height, plus you can get a smaller steering wheel.
 
Last edited:
6' 2" and 17 stone here...haven't really found a problem with customers MX-5's. You may just want to try one for size though...
:)
 
Your a big chap and it might be a bit of a squeeze, more width and height wise really. Once had a doorman buy one from a dealership I worked at a few years ago and it was a tight fit but he was happy.

Best bet is try and find one about and test drive if you can
 
I'm 6'4 and 15 stone (not chubby though) and I sat in one on Sun on a stunt driving day doing doughnuts.

I fitted in the car fine, however I was looking pretty much straight at the top of the windscreen surround and not out of the windscreen really.

As has been said though, go and sit in one and see how it feels.
 
6' 3" and 'large', and I don't fit in an MX5. My issue is that my legs are so long I don't have the room between the centre console and the steering wheel to move my leg to get my foot on and off the clutch.

With a super small steering wheel it might be possible, but it would still be close.

This was in a Mk2.
 
I've got to say I wouldn't like to have much longer legs in my '5 and I'm 6ft. I have the seat all the way back and it's about perfect... anything more and it'd begin to feel less than brilliant.
 
6.1, 14 stone and is comfortable other than lack of lumber support on long journeys but not due to size. Pasty smashing is also hard due to size, roof open allows a little more room for maneuvers.
 
Howard said:
I'm 6ft and not skinny and I had no problems, didn't even need the seat all the way back
Click to expand...

Perhaps I just have mine all the way back as I was used to having my knees near the dashboard on the Mini and love the difference... :p
 
I'm 6ft4 and 18st and i'm okay. I don't think Neil will ever let me in his Exige again though. :D
 
It may look a little comical, but it can be great fun.

There's a guy on another forum I'm on who is a very large lad, and he's recently got himself a Mk2 MX-5 and he's thoroughly enjoying it.

Here's a couple of pics from a recent race day we had...

Racewars22012104.jpg

DSCF0067.jpg

_DSC2350.jpg
 
I sat in the two MX5s at the RR day.
The green one I was a passenger in (leather seats) and I was fine, but then there were no pedals or a steering wheel in the way! I moved the seat forward a touch and reclided it, so my hair went from scuffing the roof to not touching it at all.
The red one I set in the driving seat, which had the fatter cloth seats. I have heard foam can be hacked out of these to give another inch in height. Getting in was awkward due to the steering wheel size but I forgot to check how the pedals felt.
Both were MK1s btw.

Sounds like I need to test drive one.
 
Last edited:
Think the mk2 has slightly more room than a mk1.

I'm 6 ft 3 (long legs) and I fit in my old mk2 ok, got some funny looks when I got out sometimes but I found it perfectly comfortable.

My dad struggled a bit being a bigger frame than me but mostly with just getting in & out of the thing, once your in its fine.

Tempted to get one again next year for a trackcar (turbo) but don't think I'll fit with a rollcage and helmet.

(Btw if you want to try a tight fit, go have a ride in a lotus elise. Now thats tight!)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom