The Mazda MX-5 Miata ND (2016–current) is among the hottest automobiles in autocross competitors, particularly SCCA C Road (we’ll cowl STR in a future story), and with good cause. It’s nimble, responsive and, most significantly, fast, straight off the lot.
Nonetheless, you possibly can all the time make one thing higher. We requested Brian Goodwin, of Good-Win Racing, for his suggestions for the Mazda MX-5 Miata ND.
Trim Stage Issues
Pictures Credit score: Courtesy Good-Win Racing
One trim stands head and shoulders above the remainder for the MX-5, and that’s the Membership trim.
“The Membership trim will get the gorgeous essential upgrades of the restricted slip differential and extra rear spring price–100 lb/in vs simply 80 lb/in,” Brian says. “We desperately need that additional rear spring price since we can not improve springs in CS, and we will do only one sway bar improve.”
The Membership stage provides a couple of different perks.
“Some favor the help of the non-compulsory Recaro seats, however they add a couple of kilos over the usual seats,” says Brian. “Some go for the higher really feel of the Brembo calipers, however that too provides weight.”
In the event you’re weight-conscious, Brian advises to go along with the Membership bundle, with commonplace brakes and seats, within the coloration white. Sure, coloration issues.
“White is much less weight than the multi-stage paint selections,” Brian says. “The workforce constructing MX-5 Cup automobiles advised us that multi-stage crimson is 15 kilos greater than white. We nonetheless went with crimson, as a result of we love the colour. We vowed to drink much less beer to make up the distinction. That also has not occurred, but.”
Which Years to Purchase and Why
Pictures Credit score: David S. Wallens
“My choice can be to get a ND2, the second era of the automotive,” says Brian. “It seems the identical as the opposite era, nevertheless it’s completely different on the within.”
These variations begin with the engine. Mazda upped the facility, from 155 horsepower to 181 horsepower.
[GRM Exclusive: 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata ND2 Dyno Test]
“The motor revs a bit greater, and the facility’s extra up on the high finish,” Brian says. “It’s not considerably sooner, nevertheless it’s definitely extra joyful to drive.”
Mazda additionally launched a dual-mass flywheel.
“It’s primarily a shock-absorber between the engine and transmission,” says Brian of the flywheel. “The gears don’t shatter as a lot as we have been doing on the ND1.”
Wheels and Tires
To begin, Brian recommends upgrading to wider, 200tw tires and wheels that help that rubber.
“We stuff a 225/45R17 200tw tire in there,” Brian says. “It’s a stuff job, as a result of the manufacturing unit wheel is simply 17×7, and for C Road you must run manufacturing unit wheel width. You may change the offset, so most of our prospects are operating the 40mm-offset Advanti Racing Storm 17×7 that’s solely 14 kilos. It’ll rub the plastic fender liner at full steering lock, however we’ll solely use that once we’re attempting to make a Okay-turn within the publish workplace car parking zone. We’ll chill out the caster setting to six, the place from the manufacturing unit it’s typically 8, to cut back that rub.”
[200-treadwear tire test | Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RS vs. Falken Azenis RT660]
Shocks
The market provides a bunch of various selections for shocks. Brian prefers one over the others for many autocross lovers.
“The usual for many years has been the adjustable Koni Sport shocks,” says Brian. “There’s definitely high-end stuff for which you can spend hundreds, however the usual Koni Sport shocks work. We depart them full tender up entrance. As a result of they’re a twin-tube shock, we’ll depart them at decrease stress than the inventory monotubes. The automotive will sit a bit bit decrease and also you’ll choose up a bit unfavorable camber, although the size for the Koni Sport shocks is similar because the inventory ones.
“To steadiness the massive entrance sway bar, we’ll depart the rear shocks full stiff.”
Anti-Roll Bars
Again when the Mazda MX-5 debuted, Brian advised us the automotive’s physique lean is “excessive.” That hasn’t modified–nor has the answer. The entrance anti-roll bar treatments this challenge, however now Good-Win Racing provides two setups.
“Since we’re on a price range, we use the Progress Applied sciences entrance sway bar, which was adequate for us to win a neighborhood Solo tour occasion,” Brian says. “A greater bar has come out, the Karcepts bar. It’s much more costly, much more technical bar. It doesn’t have an enormous squishy, bushing, so the response is extra linear and prompt. And, it has finish hyperlinks that assist you to change settings shortly between runs, with a single wrench. The one draw back to the Karcepts bar is that since they’ve stable finish hyperlinks, they’ll finally chatter a bit bit, which some won’t discover fascinating on the highway.”
Bump Stops
Along with adjusting the shocks, Brian tweaks the bump stops.
“Per the foundations, you possibly can’t go longer, however you possibly can go shorter or trim the bump stops,” says Brian. “Most guys trim an inch off the entrance stops, so we’re not into that cease as shortly on the course. Within the again, we’ll run actually stiff stops, with lengths of the inventory cease.”
One of these setup notably helps one sort of part in autocross.
“If you get into a protracted, five-cone slalom, the automotive will kind of jack down,” Brian says. “We received the Konis within the again at full stiff, and so they’re solely rebound-adjustable. So, the automotive will jack itself down and sit on that arduous cease. At that time, the steadiness with the entrance sway bar will allow the automotive to alter instructions fairly fast by a slalom.”
Exhaust
Pictures Credit score: Andy Hollis
Brian provides that swapping out the inventory muffler with their Roadster Sport Race mannequin saves almost 9 kilos over inventory. Our Andy Hollis examined the SuperStreet model of the muffler, which weighs 2 extra kilos than the opposite, on the Triple Menace Miata mission automotive.
“The take a look at mentioned it gained 8 horsepower on the high finish, and in autocross, you spend a variety of time within the high finish of second gear, in order that helps,” says Brian. “He dyno-ed the ND1 motor, so I’d anticipate the ND2 motor to have extra positive factors.”
Odds and Ends
General, the Mazda MX-5 Miata ND doesn’t require many upgrades–and that features not needing an oil cooler for naturally aspirated ND2 fashions, in line with Brian. It additionally offers an ideal platform for not solely autocross, however different endeavors.
“I’ve a variety of prospects who run their autocross C Road bundle as their observe day bundle,” Brian says. “That’s as a result of it’s actually benign on the observe when it’s arrange for autocross–it’s not going to immediately chunk you. So, that’s enjoyable for each makes use of.”
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