Hypothetically speaking, what would be your choice, and why, as a track day toy: a 1996 Miata or a 2004 WRX?
Assume the following:
You don't care about lap times, class rules or winning trophies.
Engines will remain stock.
Suspensions and brakes will be modified, along with wheels and tires.
Safety equipment (seat, harness and roll bar) will be added.
Disregard the purchase price.
Which would you choose, with track day fun as your goal?
Miata. WRXs don't have a very good reputation in this hot climate for gearbox reliability on track in a HPDE environment.
Having owned both I would say the Miata. I haven't tracked my WRX (or the Miata for that matter but I did autox it) but I enjoyed driving the Miata more.
Miata - More fun to drive on the track, easier to work on, light on consumables.
The WRX is obviously faster, but the operating costs of a track Miata will be lots less.
Miata is much more fun to drive.
no comment on which is more fun to drive (depends on how you like to drive and what the track conditions are), but thinking logistics.....in the wrx you can take your track tires, cooler, jack, etc etc with you and not need a trailer or 2nd vehicle/tire rail.
That said, if you're disregarding purchase price, get an 06+ wrx.....
Miata, and a tire trailer. Consumables will be so much lower in cost.
Id say the WRX. as said above, you dont need a trailer. it actually has power. and the AWD will save you a little bit if the car oversteers/go off. I've never seen any WRX have a gearbox problem at any PDX I've been to.
Steven
StevenFV19 wrote: Id say the WRX. as said above, you dont need a trailer. it actually has power. and the AWD will save you a little bit if the car oversteers/go off. I've never seen any WRX have a gearbox problem at any PDX I've been to. Steven
+1 to that. The "glass gearbox" is overhyped IMO. It seems to get alot of play because there are alot of dumbasses who do 5k drops at the drag strip and bust the trannies thanks to no wheel slippage. And then they post 50 times on forums whining about it.
Not saying its the most bulletproof tranny in the world or anything, but I know guys running 400+whp for 100k miles on the stock transmission with no problems. It's all about how you drive it.
Attended a track school on the big track at Mosport yesterday. Rode shotgun for a few laps with my instructor, an ex-formula Ford racer... in his Miata. He smoked a Cayman S, various vettes... and a couple of WRXs.
Lesley wrote: Attended a track school on the big track at Mosport yesterday. Rode shotgun for a few laps with my instructor, an ex-formula Ford racer... in his Miata. He smoked a Cayman S, various vettes... and a couple of WRXs.
youtube is littered with track vids of (insert low-powered car with good driver and good tires here) smoking (insert high-powered/expensive sportscar). It's all about how big your setup and driving skills and your balls are... ;)
His must have been phenomenally large... I've been around that track with some really good drivers, including Dindo Capello... but I actually held my breath when he motored down turn 4 flat out. 
Lesley wrote: His must have been phenomenally large... I've been around that track with some really good drivers, including Dindo Capello... but I actually held my breath when he motored down turn 4 flat out.
lol, guess that's why he's an instructor 
On a side note, this sounds like a good basis for a GRM track shootout, now that GRM has swallowed up the Miata mags and Subiesport...
Let's say 6 cars: - late 90s Miata vs. late 90s Impreza 2.5RS - early 00's Miata vs. 04ish wrx - current Miata vs. current WRX.
All cars run stock or near stock, and all cars run on the same tires with max tire/wheel size upgrade that can fit without modification.
Since GRM is full of people who can drive these cars to their extremes and know them well, it should be no problem making a comparison that is more about the cars than the drivers.
DOOO EEEEET!
Having owned and tracked both, Miata. Or, I guess I should say, E30.
That said, the WRX was a better and more fun all around car. Mine was an 02, and everything you did to it brought huge gains. My car had over 100 drag passes and a handful of track days when, at 80k hard miles, the clutch finally started to slip. That's pretty good. Never had a trans problem.
Also depends on the track you will visit the most - a track with lots of tight turns is more fun with a handling car (like a Miata). Long straights are very boring in a Miata or any other momentum car.
This is a question that I struggle with regularly.
I think my Miata is more capable and faster than I am. You can avoid this problem by staying away from turbochargers, but for autocross and street duty I'd never go back.
The WRX is stupid easy to drive fast and lower stress for me, but not as rewarding as getting things right driving the Miata. Also, when the weather is less than perfect, the WRX wins easily.
Flip a coin?
irish44j wrote: no comment on which is more fun to drive (depends on how you like to drive and what the track conditions are), but thinking logistics.....in the wrx you can take your track tires, cooler, jack, etc etc with you and not need a trailer or 2nd vehicle/tire rail. That said, if you're disregarding purchase price, get an 06+ wrx.....
The reason I was disregarding price is that I already own both vehicles, plus a trailer and tow vehicle. My days of rushing to swap tires before the drivers' meeting are through. But I'm thinking that it may be time to thin the fleet a bit.
I've owned a track day Miata in the past, but I've never been on track in a WRX. I do know that I've been stuck behind a long line of STi's through the S-turns at Loudon in my old Miata, but after the bowl I'd never see them again.
I own a wrx and suggest miata for a couple of reasons(provided you fit in a miata under the roll bar). Miata will have lower consumable costs than a wrx. Tires are smaller and therefore cheaper, brake pads will last longer. As far as gearboxes go in the wrx, I don't see that as a problem, however brakes on a wrx seem to be on the small side for the application, same with wheel bearings. So at a braking intensive track you'll have to address the stock brake setup on the wrx. Overall I think they are both quite reliable track cars. Both are fun in thier own way. I just happen to think you'll spend less money on consumables for the miata, and that leaves more money for entry fees. The wrx is more practical in every day life.
As to the transmission on the wrx. My 02 wrx wagon has ~130,000 well abused miles on it. Autocross, track etc. No transmission issues. Probably due for a clutch soon, but that is about it. I think the glass transmission reputation comes from folks launching at autox starts and drag race starts with big 4k rpm dumps, with r compounds or with upped boost/power levels.
The WRX is my daily driver, but it's nearing time for replacement in that capacity, as it's getting more difficult to fit the kid back there. It's never given me any problems, other than a leaky water pump a few years ago. I was thinking that maybe it's time for it to make the transition into a track car. It's already got a fat rear sway bar and I have two sets of wheels for it, so I could upgrade the brakes, suspension and add some tires and get out there with it. Of course, doing that would probably eat up all the cash I could get from selling the Miata.
And then there's no going back...
Woody wrote: My days of rushing to swap tires before the drivers' meeting are through. But I'm thinking that it may be time to thin the fleet a bit.
This statement tells me you would be happier with the Miata. Lower maintenance (in both cost and effort) when compared to the WRX.
On the bright side, you're choosing between two of the best GRM-er cars of all time. Great dilemma!
I've seen alot more subarus go home on a flatbed than Miatas. Catastrophic engine failure from insufficient oil pressure in high g corners seems to be the trend. Just my experience as an innocent bystander at track events.
So you are in NH I take it. WRX might be the answer, especially if you have any sort of interest in rallycross, hillclimbs or anything else in addition to hpde's. In general I think the wrx is at home with lots of different disciplines, more so than the miata.
If the wrx will become a dedicated car, you can do a lot of good by removing as much weight as you can.
No, I'm from Connecticut, so the car will see much more of Lime Rock than Loudon.
I don't know of any rallycrosses within a couple of hours from here.
Though the WRX does have skidplates on it....
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