Driving impressions from the 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata ND2 launch event are still embargoed, but there's more than one way to skin a cat. We asked our own Andy Hollis, championship-winning autocrosser and Miata connoisseur, for some technical analysis of the new Miata's spec sheet. We showed him the data from our own ND2 dyno testing, too. Our question? …
How do the 124 abarths do in C street?
If people are running taller tires on ND1s to avoid an upshift, then the ND2 will have an advantage because it will have better acceleration due to not requiring that Band-Aid. If courses are shorter, then shorter tires can be run on the ND2 (if such a size exists).
Assuming that shorter rubber does not result in less grip, of course.
MrChaos said:How do the 124 abarths do in C street?
I honestly have never seen one being autocrossed locally. And I know that at Nationals, they were non-existent
MrChaos said:How do the 124 abarths do in C street?
Worse than an ND. The 1.4L are dogs imo.
goingnowherefast said:MrChaos said:How do the 124 abarths do in C street?
Worse than an ND. The 1.4L are dogs imo.
I haven't driven a Fiat 124, but that engine in the Abarth 500 didn't really impress me much. It was a dog out of boost and the turbocharger wasn't exactly what I call responsive. It made cool sounds, but that was about it. And I recall Keith saying something about the 124s weren't particularly receptive to tuning and they couldn't get them to do what they wanted, so FM stopped developing engine parts.
It’s a different story at higher speeds. Horsepower is what you need to overcome drag–which is the realm of track driving. That’s where where those 26 extra ponies should work their magic. Above 100mph, the outgoing ND1 can barely accelerate in 5th gear. In the ND2, you should be able use 4th above the century mark, and 5th should continue to provide acceleration instead of just maintaining speed.
Well, up there, it's all about aero, assuming the two models have the same profile. Given that, top speed will be proportional to the cube root of the horsepowers:
(181 / 155)^0.33 = 5.3% higher top speed and likely also acceleration. So while it's better, it's not much. For National level drivers it's a big deal, but for trackday people, not so much. Aero improvements would do more and cost a lot less if top speed is the aim.
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