[ARCHIVED THREAD] - First Real Test Drive of ND Miata (Page 1 of 2)
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Holy BMW Z4 clone batman! I never really cared for Miatas, they're just too god damned slow in my opinion. I get that their light weight with great weight distribution, but that lack of power really leaves one wanting. I love mine and agree that it could use a little more oomph. 200HP (in my NB) would be about the sweet spot. They're still plenty fast enough to scare the ever loving shit out of your passenger, if you flog it correctly. 
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Holy BMW Z4 clone batman! I never really cared for Miatas, they're just too god damned slow in my opinion. I get that their light weight with great weight distribution, but that lack of power really leaves one wanting. First thing I thought was. Honda S2000 |
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Quoted: Wait, what? 155hp... again?! Didn't Mazda fucking learn yet? The Auto show circuit had us ready for a 175-200hp Mazda that weighed in at a few hundred pounds less. I would have been happier with around 180hp, but the same weight as an NA with 155hp will still be a blast. |
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155 HP is not enough, it really needs about 200 HP. They should offer a turbo version right off the bat, so that you can actually go fast when you turn fast.  F the turbo, they need a supercharged version. Much better power characteristics. I am a little annoyed that Mazda still doesn't have 100hp per liter on the Miata. This is part of what annoys me about all the Skyactive bullshit. Mazda has yet to prove to me that the Skyactive will ever produce power. So far it seems to only be good at getting good mileage at the extreme sacrifice of power. |
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The one I've driven (an '04) was a hoot to drive, but it's really too cramped for a big guy. It was really hard to get in/out of and uncomfortable for lack of space.
ETA- and too slow. Handling was fantastic, but more power would be needed to round out the package. |
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F the turbo, they need a supercharged version. Much better power characteristics. I am a little annoyed that Mazda still doesn't have 100hp per liter on the Miata. This is part of what annoys me about all the Skyactive bullshit. Mazda has yet to prove to me that the Skyactive will ever produce power. So far it seems to only be good at getting good mileage at the extreme sacrifice of power. Quoted:
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155 HP is not enough, it really needs about 200 HP. They should offer a turbo version right off the bat, so that you can actually go fast when you turn fast. F the turbo, they need a supercharged version. Much better power characteristics. I am a little annoyed that Mazda still doesn't have 100hp per liter on the Miata. This is part of what annoys me about all the Skyactive bullshit. Mazda has yet to prove to me that the Skyactive will ever produce power. So far it seems to only be good at getting good mileage at the extreme sacrifice of power. Add me to the slightly disappointed list here. 155hp and 148ft/lbs is pretty lame out of a 2.0 liter engine. Toyota/Subaru figured out how to get 200bhp and 151ft/lbs out of the FA20. Still, if it's lighter, it'll be fine. |
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Back in the 80s , 88ish-89, I helped do a couple of 5.0l swaps into them, before the monster Miata craze got started and you could buy kits. One of my friends bought the first one we did fairly new. All of us were Mustang owners so it was a natural thought. This guy Jamie's dad had an original Cobra and a kit car as well, and we were looking to do a modern version. We had to fabricate everything, and in some cases modify parts to fit. One of his dad's friend's was a road racer in the 60s and 70s, with Cobras and other small cars. We got his help in getting the correct springs and suspension set up.
That car was absolutely bad, and was balanced every bit as well as it was with the factory motor, almost. The second one we did we just followed the blueprint of the first one. Those were the most fun cars to drive I think I've ever been in. |
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Back in the 80s , 88ish-89, I helped do a couple of 5.0l swaps into them, before the monster Miata craze got started and you could buy kits. One of my friends bought the first one we did fairly new. All of us were Mustang owners so it was a natural thought. This guy Jamie's dad had an original Cobra and a kit car as well, and we were looking to do a modern version. We had to fabricate everything, and in some cases modify parts to fit. One of his dad's friend's was a road racer in the 60s and 70s, with Cobras and other small cars. We got his help in getting the correct springs and suspension set up. That car was absolutely bad, and was balanced every bit as well as it was with the factory motor, almost. The second one we did we just followed the blueprint of the first one. Those were the most fun cars to drive I think I've ever been in. That's interesting, so did Marty McFly and the Doc help you do these swaps? Because the oldest Miata in North America is a 1990 model. 
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First thing I thought was. Honda S2000 Quoted:
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Holy BMW Z4 clone batman! I never really cared for Miatas, they're just too god damned slow in my opinion. I get that their light weight with great weight distribution, but that lack of power really leaves one wanting. First thing I thought was. Honda S2000 The S2000 came to the market in 2000 with 240hp, case closed :-) |
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That's interesting, so did Marty McFly and the Doc help you do these swaps? Because the oldest Miata in North America is a 1990 model.
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Back in the 80s , 88ish-89, I helped do a couple of 5.0l swaps into them, before the monster Miata craze got started and you could buy kits. One of my friends bought the first one we did fairly new. All of us were Mustang owners so it was a natural thought. This guy Jamie's dad had an original Cobra and a kit car as well, and we were looking to do a modern version. We had to fabricate everything, and in some cases modify parts to fit. One of his dad's friend's was a road racer in the 60s and 70s, with Cobras and other small cars. We got his help in getting the correct springs and suspension set up. That car was absolutely bad, and was balanced every bit as well as it was with the factory motor, almost. The second one we did we just followed the blueprint of the first one. Those were the most fun cars to drive I think I've ever been in. That's interesting, so did Marty McFly and the Doc help you do these swaps? Because the oldest Miata in North America is a 1990 model.
You know what, it was in 93. When I was typing the above I was on the phone with a friend and he was telling me about an 87 Fox body for sale here locally. I started driving mustangs with the 87 GT, but I had ,my 89 when we did the swaps, and had it from 89-95. I know it was after it had been repainted so it was after 92. I had the thought of the 87 body in my head when I typed it. Otherwise, it's correct. |
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Sold in 89. Quoted:
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Because the oldest Miata in North America is a 1990 model.
Yeah but he's right, that first one we did was not brand new, but it had low miles when it was bought used. It wasn't more than a year old though if that. |
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Miatas don't need power. That's not what they're about and even if they did have 350 hp,there would still be complaints that it's not as fast as X,Y,Z.
I ride an Aprilia 1000 that is legitimately a fast machine;I have no hope of buying a car that would get me anything close to the acceleration but don't expect the Miata to do anything of the sort. The rear fenders bother me a bit on the ND but I think an Elise type spoiler might help tie the rear together. I kind of wish it was more conservatively styled but it's OK. I won't be in the market for one myself,mine has a tick over 50k on it and suspect it will last me at least another 20 years. |
The Miata doesn't need more power. One of the nicest things about my NA is that I could drive at 80% or more all day without getting into trouble... try that with a new Stingray or similar car. Sure, they're fast, but you have more time to enjoy yourself driving a Miata hard  |
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Would more HP be nice, all else remaining the same? Yes. That said, people complaining that 155 isn't "enough" in a Miata matching the NA's weight neither understand what the car is about nor are likely to know how to drive worth a damn. 148ft/lbs from a 2.0L engine is not to be overlooked, that means they've gone for some lower rpm push rather than a redlined box of hornets. |
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Quoted: Holy BMW Z4 clone batman! I never really cared for Miatas, they're just too god damned slow in my opinion. I get that their light weight with great weight distribution, but that lack of power really leaves one wanting. Yet the Spec Miata has a HUGE class of track rats that have an exceptional racing series. Horsepower is barely a passable Bandaid for lack of driving skill. It takes a skilled driver to drive a slower car well in traffic. |
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Quoted: Would more HP be nice, all else remaining the same? Yes. That said, people complaining that 155 isn't "enough" in a Miata matching the NA's weight neither understand what the car is about nor are likely to know how to drive worth a damn. Yep. As long as the car puts a massive smile on your face and makes you want to take the long, twisty route to wherever you're going, it's doing what it was designed to do. I'm certainly not a great driver but my NB does that every time I get in. |
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Go-karts will always be cool, no matter how old you get, or how manly you think you are. Quoted:
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Miata=Chick car Go-karts will always be cool, no matter how old you get, or how manly you think you are. Never really understood that meme, I rarely see girls driving Miatas. Mustang convertibles on the other hand.... |
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I was going to start this thread when I got home, but I've been beaten to the punch.
I have a '94 NA in the garage, and I agree with those saying this car doesn't need any more power. Saying the Miata needs more power is kinda like saying it needs a better stereo. While that could be nice in some ways, it doesn't really add to the car. I'd even go as far as to say that it would be a detriment to the experience of driving the Miata. Part of what makes the Miata so fun is running the gears and opening the throttle nice and wide in traffic on public roads. |
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The Miata doesn't need more power. One of the nicest things about my NA is that I could drive at 80% or more all day without getting into trouble... try that with a new Stingray or similar car. Sure, they're fast, but you have more time to enjoy yourself driving a Miata hard I agree. The only time I need power is when some asshat is trying to cut me off in traffic. My CTS-V makes short work of most of those situations, but I can't rev the hell out of the car or I'll get in trouble. I think most on here are asking for a 0-60 in the high 5 second range in terms of power. I'd own a Miata if I could fit in one. |
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The Miata doesn't NEED more power. But the fact that it is fucking 2015 and a 2.0L motor is making 155 is a fucking joke. I think 185 would have been a great match and still be plenty controllable. Yeah, but I'd say there's a good chance that same 2.0L motor can still make 150ish hp in 2025. |
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I was going to start this thread when I got home, but I've been beaten to the punch. I have a '94 NA in the garage, and I agree with those saying this car doesn't need any more power. Saying the Miata needs more power is kinda like saying it needs a better stereo. While that could be nice in some ways, it doesn't really add to the car. I'd even go as far as to say that it would be a detriment to the experience of driving the Miata. Part of what makes the Miata so fun is running the gears and opening the throttle nice and wide in traffic on public roads. This guy gets it, got an NA a few weeks ago and it is an absolute blast. Sure straight line acceleration isn't top shelf, but hitting a corner and never lifting is great fun, damn thing just sticks. Looking forward to taking it to some track days this year. ~$1200 for something you can take to a track, have a blast with, and drive around with a giant smile. That's same price as a set of tires for my jeep and a lot more fun. |
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Road & Track is saying 131 in the 1.5 and 155 in the 2.0. Quoted:
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Isn't the 155hp just the 1.5L? I thought the 2.0L was going to make 185hp. Road & Track is saying 131 in the 1.5 and 155 in the 2.0. Is reading really that hard?
From the article the OP linked to: OUTPUT: 129 hp @ 7,000 rpm; 111 lb-ft @ 4,800 rpm Our car's 1.5-liter Skyactiv direct-injected gasoline engine remains a Europe-only powerplant, but it bodes well for our coming 2-liter MX-5: With 129 hp and a 7,500 rpm readline, the little four feels strong throughout its rev range, particularly over 3,000 rpm -- maximum torque of 111 lb-ft is at 4,800 rpm, but 90 percent of that is available from 2,000-6,000 rpm. U.S.-spec MX-5s will get 155 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque, better suited to long-legged driving on American roads. |