MX5/Miata Thread

MX5/Miata Thread

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Well, he was right about one thing, no one is allowed to not like the MX-5. :lol:
 
jasonof2000 said:
Never heard of him but I could give two craps about a guy who disagrees with pretty much every other automotive journalist.

I watched a few other reviews of the guy and he just seems like a massive douche.
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Chris has been the only person to speak openly about Ferrari's PR dept and how they tune up dealer/PR cars, does that also mean he's wrong about it?
 
LeVeL said:
I disagree. Any car can be modified to become faster but that does not necessarily make it a sports car. My old roommate's stage II WRX (with suspension, good tires, etc) was much faster than my Miata and yet I found the former quite boring to drive. Also I can't believe Chris Harris would rather have a FWD French hatchback :lol:
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Let me rephrase to keep it to the point. Having the ability to be modified into a good sports car does not make it a good sports car. Chris's view is that it should be that way when it is stock. I'm not saying a stock Miata isn't a good sports car, but that was his complaint.
 
He said that sportscar should just get better and better more you push it. I agree that 100%. He also said the stock NA didn't totally succeed in this. The only stock Miata I've pushed hard was my own one, and to be honest with 160k kms / 100k miles on the clock it wasn't that accurate on the limit. A bit worn stock bushing, not so finely adjusted alignment and worn OEM dampers were easy to feel. It was fun on the street, but when driven on the track the car was a bit lively.

Now all those are replaced and I'm really satisfied with the result and it's great fun to really push the car. What I would like to know is how is the original stock NA to drive, before things worn down. The example Harris drove did look to be in pretty good condition, but when we are talking about 15-20 year old cars there can be huge differences between examples.

Still, it all comes down to different tastes. Harris loved the GT86. Most editors of Evo magazine like the NA Miata but were left a bit cold with the GT86. There is nothing wrong with that.
 
Lastsoul said:
Still, it all comes down to different tastes. Harris loved the GT86. Most editors of Evo magazine like the NA Miata but were left a bit cold with the GT86. There is nothing wrong with that.
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Funny thing is, I know a number of people who unloaded miata's for FRS's. Mostly because it's new and shiny and is a bit more secure in a parking lot than a Miata. I have a feeling Harris likes the GT86 so much because of the crap tires and that they did what they could to benchmark it with Porsche Boxster's.

I'm not a fan of the way stock miata's drive myself. They are designed to be comfortable and to get any semblance of "handling" they keel over onto the bump stops and then change direction. The 1.8l engine sounds like complete ass. It really doesn't encourage me to go "oh I should rev it harder." Definitely not like my 1.6L did.

I'm not a fan of the Toyota FRS, but it's a bit better than the Miata for handling.
 
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I really like the way my 1.8 sounds. I also think that although very soft, the stock car handles decently well; at least well enough to have a lot of fun in. But the Miata is much like the Civic in that although its decent stock, its a great platform for tuning and opens up a world of possibilities. Btw, I, for one, prefer my Miata to the FRS.
 
I was really impressed with the FRS I drove. I got to drive an early NC once, but it was too soft and leaned too much in the corners. I know it's a good platform for mods, but when it comes to my daily driver, I prefer cars that are bone stock and under warranty. I'd much rather buy a cheap NA or NB rather than a NC, and then modify the shit out of it. But I'd rather have a stock FRS or BRZ to drive everyday. Well, maybe not completely stock, the standard wheels would need to go. :p
 
It can impact warranty for related components. Changing to significantly stiffer suspension would make denying a warranty claim for a hub reasonable - the hubs take more stress with the stiffer suspension. But they don't just refuse to warranty thing A because thing Q is aftermarket. It would need to be related in some way. :)

My aftermarket suspension did not impact my transmission or engine warranty claims in any way.
 
So I've been finding myself contemplating trading my FB for a slightly knackered NB lately...to undergo a 13b swap. I love the FB, but the suspension and steering is so antiquated, and parts are not getting any easier to find...

What do you guys think? I almost bought an NB last year, but was very disappointed with the stock engine. A 13b powered one would be just about perfect, IMO. Does a rotary improve the balance of the car? It seems like it would have to be mounted higher than usual to line up with the factory transmission, which would kind of spoil one of the chief benefits of the rotary engine...but the sound and the n/a power potential of a 13b is far greater then the 1.8...
 
Eunos_Cosmo said:
So I've been finding myself contemplating trading my FB for a slightly knackered NB lately...to undergo a 13b swap. I love the FB, but the suspension and steering is so antiquated, and parts are not getting any easier to find...

What do you guys think? I almost bought an NB last year, but was very disappointed with the stock engine. A 13b powered one would be just about perfect, IMO. Does a rotary improve the balance of the car? It seems like it would have to be mounted higher than usual to line up with the factory transmission, which would kind of spoil one of the chief benefits of the rotary engine...but the sound and the n/a power potential of a 13b is far greater then the 1.8...
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A v8 swap is easier to pull off than a 13b swap. Though I have a theory on oil pan mods to make it fit easier (look into 13b swaps on RX2's and you'll start seeing my idea). The current known ways to make it work involve SEVERELY weakening the front sub frame.

the NB's actually have a good motor, if you get a 99/00 you have one of the more desirable setups. Though also the most hard to find cylinder heads. Get yourself a vvt 01+ car, megasquirt, racing beat header, EURO intake manifold, and a light flywheel. With proper tuning it'll do around 140hp at the wheels. Believe it or not, the 01+ vvt engines are cheaper to get ahold of than the 99/00 engines and they are superior if you don't fear variable valve timing on the intake. If I toss another engine, I'll probably swap to a vvt setup, unless I man up and try a crazy swap finally.

Oh and with the 01+ you can get a factory six speed.

949racing has done a LOT of work getting power of these engines without boost and publishes all their results and combos for power making on m.net as well as their blog.
 
I really can't fathom a 1.8, or even a stroker motor making more than 200whp n/a. A 13b can make as high as 330whp (even more depending on the mad scientist doing the porting) n/a and the sound....well...


Maybe an FC is the way to go. Ready set-up to take a 13b. I just love the design of the NB Miata. It's got curves in all the right places, but they are pulled taught and appear muscular and purposeful at the same time. One of the better looking Mazdas ever made.
 
Too bad it has to lug around 3,000lbs+ :(

For the record, I think even the NB is too heavy. I want a car that is 2200lbs with 300whp. I believe an FC and an NB can be gutted down to that weight, if done creatively. :)
 
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According to Wikipedia, FCs and RX-8s aren't that far apart in weight, both top out at just over 3000 lbs. Thought the FC goes down to 2600 lbs for the most basic models, the lightest RX-8s are 2800. I'll take that 0-200 lbs as a rear seat tax :)
 
Eunos_Cosmo said:
I really can't fathom a 1.8, or even a stroker motor making more than 200whp n/a.
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Yeah that'll never happen unfortunately.


Eunos_Cosmo said:
For the record, I think even the NB is too heavy. I want a car that is 2200lbs with 300whp. I believe an FC and an NB can be gutted down to that weight, if done creatively. :)
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My 99 weighs 2300lbs stock so pretty close to what you're looking for. If you want 300whp out of an NB then you either need a big turbo or a V8. There's really no other way of achieving those power figures without going fully custom with a stroked S2k motor or something. That said, either of those two options will add weight and get you further from your 2200lbs target. I vote supercharger, 200-240whp, and some weight reduction.
 
The MR2 Spyder is already a smidge under 2200 pounds, and there are turbo kits and Toyota V6 swaps out there that could get you close to 300 HP. Still need some weight reduction to stay at that target though.
 
I'm thinking the slightly over-weight FC is the answer. Stock body S4 cars can look so damn sexy.

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But I'm getting off topic. :p
 
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