I got all excited just hearing the first 20 seconds of the video.
I got all excited just hearing the first 20 seconds of the video.
It's amazing cool and all but i don't see myself spending that much on a Miata. Even if it has that kind of performance. Too many other choices when you have 80k burning a hole in your pocket.
That's the knee-jerk reaction from a lot of people.
But it's not a Miata. It looks like one, and we kept the best of the Miata's attributes. But it's a different car that's been fully re-engineered. Even the looks are sexy cool, unlike the cute Miatas of yesteryear. If this thing had a Ferrari badge on it everyone would go nuts. Same if it were marketed as a Cobra or a Sunbeam.
Also, what other choices do you have for a 500 hp, 2600 lb two-seater roadster with modern interior appointments and a warranty? You can pick one or two attributes - say, horsepower and 0-60 - and come up with alternatives. But you can't tick all the boxes, and the guys who buy them make that same decision.
If you want to hear what Matt Farah - who has driven this car plus most of the alternatives - has to say after some time to reflect, check out the latest Smoking Tire podcast starting at about 1:17.
A friend started putting Ford V8s in Miatas shortly after they came out, back in the early 1990s and quickly found that using the tires of the day and without flares, the cars weren't as fast as they thought they'd be due to lack of traction. Modern tires help, but wondered if you also tubbed the chassis for more width.
Impressive result in any case.
The Solstice guys also do this - lots of LS3 and a few LS7 cars around.
The Hot Rod magazine car was an early one of these.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw6zzz2219Y
Been meaning to post for a few days now. That is one sexy sounding car. I'm not likely to ever be able to afford one, but if I could it'd be on my short list.
wspohn wrote: A friend started putting Ford V8s in Miatas shortly after they came out, back in the early 1990s and quickly found that using the tires of the day and without flares, the cars weren't as fast as they thought they'd be due to lack of traction. Modern tires help, but wondered if you also tubbed the chassis for more width. Impressive result in any case. The Solstice guys also do this - lots of LS3 and a few LS7 cars around. The Hot Rod magazine car was an early one of these. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw6zzz2219Y
There's a quarter century of difference between the 1990 cars and the 2016s. Our ND has better suspension geometry, better shocks, a better diff, better tires and yes, room for more tire than an early 90's Monster does.
We did not tub the chassis, but you can fit a 245 on a 17x9 under the ND body if you do it juuuust right. Back in 1990, I don't think the 225/45-15 was available and 15x9 wheels were a custom order - which is the standard fitment on a 1990 V8 Miata these days.
On magazine tests, we've found the ND to be about 0.2s faster 0-60 than very similar NBs.
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