The island is notable for two things:
 

• The roads have no speed limits
• The cats have no tails

It's also notable for a certain motorsports events, such as the TT which runs motorcycles around the island on public roads, rally-style. You can drive the TT circuit yourself (virtually at least) in some of the popular video games like Playstation's Gran Turismo. There are other motorsports events involving four wheels as well, including the National Rally in which ridiculously overpowered cars run at insane speeds around the tiny island. Who could ask for more? No speed limits, races on public roads, thousand year-old castles, old world charm?

Sandy beaches and 80 degree weather come to mind, but certainly not to Man - it's actually a cold, rainy place which is somewhat isolated. Which brings us to cats-with-no-tails. Natives of the island call themselves Manx, which is also a breed of cat, native to the island. It's not clear how the breed developed, but it's almost certain that the cats originated off of ships from Europe. It just happens that breeding with a closed gene pool produced a unique creature which looks somewhat like a regular cat, but with certain significant features. The Manx is characterized by it's tail: There are three types: Rumpies, Stumpies and Longies. Stumpies and Longies, as the name implies have tails, but not much. The Stumpie's tail is about two inches long, a Longie's about five inches. Rumpies have no tail. Rumpies are the only type of Manx which can be shown in cat-shows. You can't breed Rumpies together, because the kittens will die. Therefore, you need to breed Rumpies with Longies. What you get is a mixed litter with Rumpies, Stumpies and Longie kittens. There are also more subtle clues to tell is a cat is truly a Manx: They have very thick fur which is actually two layers to protect them from the wet weather. They are the only breed of cat which does not seem to have a significant aversion to rain or snow - perhaps because the Island is covered with it most of the time.

Manx are working cats. They grow large, often reaching 15 to 18 pounds - all of it muscle! Manx are also distinguished by their large hind legs. These legs are powerful enough that the cat can easily jump up to five vertical feet with no apparent effort. When they run, they look more like a rabbit. Their faces are also very round and they are known for their intelligent, playful disposition. As working cats, they like the outdoors more than the house and will reward their owners with a spectacular collection of local wildlife (most of it hardly eaten at all!). The Manx is  known as the "Dog Lover's" cat. Their friendly, outgoing personality has won over many a cat-hater (including my wife!)
 

I happened to befriend an expatriate of the island, a certain Bruno-the-kayt. He's a tuxedo Manx, a kind of a suave, sophisticated fellow. But he wears those sneakers with his evening wear - gives him kind of a down-to-earth look. Don't be fooled, though - he's got the sharpest fangs and claws I know and a license to kill ("The name is Kayt, Bruno T. Kayt, and I prefer my kibble shaken, not stirred"). If you've ever seen a nature show with loins pursuing their prey on the african savanna, you'll have some idea of what it's like in our backyard on a summer's day. The grace and agility of the cat is amazing. Fourteen pounds of sleek, black fury, tearing around the back yard, like he was a motorcycle in the TT.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Which brings me to another incredible, sleek black creature: My Z3. It's a 1997 2.8 liter roadster. The 2.8's have the massive haunches, just like a Manx. The agility, the traction and the power all reminded me of Bruno. Thus the name of the car: The Black Manx. The Z3 owes much of it's spiritual lineage to the British Roadster Tradition, so it only seemed fitting that the Manx should have the proper attire to go along with the name: An authentic English license plate, R281 MNX  . On UK plates, the first letter indicates the year. It just happened that 1997 were the "R-regs". R is also the first letter of my name. The 281 was chosen because of the engine size (2.8 liter). The letters usually indicates the town or region of the country. Actually, the region code for the Isle of Man is MAN, but at the time I ordered the plate (from Royal Ascot BMW) I wasn't aware of this, so I just made it sound like the name "The Manx" (MNX) - Richard's 2.8liter Manx!
 
 
 
 
 

Susan and I started off by dipping our toes into the roadster world with a three year lease of a base Miata (MX5). We leased the car because we weren't sure if we could live with a two seater car (even though we've also got a nice, sensible sports sedan to haul our two teenagers around at other times). After three years with the top down, we were both smitten. The question changed from "Can we live with it?" to "How did we ever live without it?". The Miata is a great car. Easy to own, fun to drive, a real performer on back roads. However, in 1996 I lost my heart to the Z3. It seemed to offer everything the Miata did with a degree of style and flair that the Japanese car could never hope to equal. I had my sights set on a 1997 1.9 liter when an unexpected inheritance came my way. Not much, but it was from an uncle who loved cars (T-Birds!). What better way to celebrate his life than to "trade up" to the 2.8! Both Manx delight us. I never tire spending time with either of them. We've driven all over New England, up and down the coast. Up into the mountains. The trunk is just perfect for a picnic for two with room left over for the inevitable antiques and treasures found on the way. When we're not driving, I can spend time with Bruno, chasing flying insects, or fighting with the tall grass.

The Manx has been modified slightly - The 1997 models lacked roll hoops. Those were added when they became available in 1998. I've also replaced the yellow turn signal lamps with white to highlight the aggressive rump.  Recently, I  replaced the front light pods with Euro-white lights. 

Right out of the box, the Manx came pretty well equipped - 17" wheels, extended leather, OBC, chrome highlights, heated seats (just like the cat!).  Other additions include additional chrome accents to the interior from MG Racing, a short shifter (courtesy of BMW Mod-God Ron Stygar), additional parcel nets, a hard-top (to make it as weather resistant as the cat!), yellow fog lights, BMW trunk storage system, BMW chrome tail-pipes, Clifford 800 alarm, V1 Radar Detector, tilted driver's seat, integrated garage door opener, stoneguards (to protect those massive flanks), a European hazard triangle, chrome valve stem covers (stolen twice!) and the addition of two wind-blockers, one from BMW, one from J Diaz. 

I've also removed the gills to paint them silver (matches the alloys) because I thought they were just a little too subtle on a black car.

The latest project has been the installation of an excellent prototype for a Short Shifter kit from BMW-Mod-God Ron Stygar. The modification shortens the shifter significantly and provides an almost Miata-like precision. I've also had my shoft knob replaced with a shorter BMW unit with a chrome ring at the base and a chrome shift pattern insert to match the really cool chrome surround I got from MG Racing.
 
 

As the urge for chrome hit me and hit me hard I also decided to upgrade my grill from black plastic to metal chrome via a chrome grill kit, also from MG Racing. I also recently hard-wired my Star Tac.

Future projects include a strut-brace.
 
 

Note: The cat's eyes in the signature are,
of course, Bruno's.  They were graciously
animated for me by Robert of //MZ3.NET.
The drunken sheep's name is Dayzee and there's a long,
long story about her.