NC Miata and Pontiac Solstice vs NB Miata | From t...

Our Combatants

The Tire Rack check monitor supplied us with a roughly 40-second course that featured a slalom, a number of offsets and a tough braking zone.

Our plan was easy: Deliver a 2006 Mazda MX-5 and a 2006 Pontiac Solstice to The Tire Rack’s headquarters for just a few days of hardcore testing. Exercising them on a closed monitor would enable us to discover the bounds—and go nicely past them—in an effort to see how the automobiles would carry out in beginner motorsports.

Whereas the 2 new gamers haven’t been classed but by the SCCA, we’re betting that they’ll should face off in opposition to the latest Miata within the C Inventory class for autocross competitors.

To make issues extra equitable and much more attention-grabbing, we fitted the entire automobiles with sticky race rubber: Hoosier’s new A3S05 tires. Authentic tools tires sometimes simply aren’t meant for monitor use, and placing all of our check automobiles on the identical rubber would make this a good comparability. It might additionally yield higher suggestions as to how the automobiles would react in a contest setting. Race compound tires can spotlight strengths or weaknesses that aren’t readily obvious with the lower-grip tires that come on virtually all street-going automobiles.

We additionally introduced alongside a benchmark for the check, once more calling Chris Harvey’s 1999 Miata into service. This automobile is completely ready for the SCCA’s C Inventory Solo 2 class and posted the highest two occasions throughout the second day of competitors at the latest Tire Rack Solo Nationwide Championships. (A humid first day prevented Chris and his co-driver, Joe Tharpe, from posting a powerful ending place.)

Chris’s Miata has benefited from six years of improvement, and it has been fortified with a Racing Beat 11/8-inch entrance anti-roll bar, revalved Koni shocks and a fairly severe competitors alignment. Chris runs 1.2 levels of unfavourable camber within the entrance and one diploma within the rear. Toe is adjusted to zero within the entrance and 1/8-inch toe-in for the drive wheels.

It might be unfair to pit the brand new rivals in opposition to the incumbent with out some rudimentary tuning, so earlier than we started our testing, the 2 new children on the block have been taken to close by Veldman’s Service Heart of South Bend, Ind., for a contest alignment. This sometimes entails dialing in as a lot unfavourable camber because the manufacturing unit tolerances will enable and adjusting the entrance and rear toe to close zero—or perhaps a little little bit of toe-out—to eliminate the numbness that the factory-specified toe-in will trigger.

The all-new MX-5, just like the Miata earlier than it, has some room for changes in its double-wishbone suspension. Sadly, we couldn’t fairly get a full diploma of unfavourable camber up entrance. (The utmost camber setting yielded 5.80 levels of caster, by the way in which.) The rear suspension was adjusted to 1.5 levels of unfavourable camber, and 0 toe was dialed in for all 4 corners.

The Solstice’s entrance suspension allowed for a formidable 2.0 levels of unfavourable camber with greater than 6.2 levels of caster. We set the rear of the Pontiac at 1.5 levels of unfavourable camber and, as soon as once more, used zero toe in any respect 4 wheels.

All three automobiles have been then rolled into The Tire Rack’s storage, and contemporary autocross-compound Hoosier A3S05 tires have been mounted up. The 1999 Miata was fitted with 225/45R15 tires on its light-weight 15×6-inch SSR wheels. The 225/45R15 Hoosier is a superb measurement tire for the Miata, and it’s one purpose why Chris and his co-driver have been so quick in Topeka.

The 2006 Mazda MX-5 was fitted with 225/45R17 Hoosiers on its manufacturing unit 17×7-inch wheels. (These inventory wheels are good and light-weight at a hair over 17 kilos apiece.) The rear tires have been a really tight match, nonetheless, because the inside fender has a big lip that protrudes virtually an inch into the fender nicely. This received’t be an issue for individuals who are in lessons that enable for fender lip rolling, however this may actually restrict the width of the rear tires for stock-class autocross.

The Pontiac Solstice was blessed with gigantic 18×8-inch alloy wheels. That blessing turned a curse as soon as we needed to heft one onto a scale: They weigh a stout 23.8 kilos every. On the plus facet, a set of 245/35R18 Hoosiers completely suits these engaging wheels and gives a big and grippy footprint.

We ran the identical check course at The Tire Rack that we used for our newest tire assessments. This 40-second course is a mix of sweepers, offsets and diabolical braking zones that may actually spotlight variations in a car’s dynamic efficiency. Every automobile was run and weighed with as little gasoline as potential.

The driving duties have been carried out by GRM’s Per Schroeder and two drivers from The Tire Rack, Chris Harvey and Woody Rogers. Woody and Chris admit to having greater than a thousand laps below their belts on this monitor, in order that they wanted little time to acclimate themselves to it for our testing.

Every of our drivers took 5 laps per automobile. Woody ran first, adopted by Chris after which Per. Tire pressures have been checked after every run, and tire temperatures have been monitored for overheating. The tires have been cooled to stop overheating and lack of grip. After the mud had settled, occasions and pylon counts have been tallied and the means have been calculated.

2006 Mazda MX-5 Grand Touring

We’ll be blunt: The 2006 Mazda MX-5 goes to make some huge cash for aftermarket suspension tuners. Our check automobile had the elective sport Suspension Package deal, however the automobile was nonetheless manner too mushy with what seemed to be little or no rebound damping from its Bilstein shock absorbers.

That suspension—and the suspension alone—let this automobile down lap after lap. The MX-5 had the slowest common lap occasions of the three automobiles at 40.215 seconds. Its single fast lap, a 39.177-second run, was attributed to “dumb luck” on Woody’s half, as he stated himself. Each different time recorded by the automobile was at the very least half a second slower.

The shortage of physique management kills the driving enjoyable of this automobile as soon as it exceeds nine-tenths of the restrict. Chris put it succinctly: “Smooth springs, mushy anti-roll bars and mushy shocks. Ugh.” Chris additionally talked about that the steering has a man-made really feel when transferring by means of quick transitions, virtually as if the gear is making the response tougher when the motive force wants to maneuver the wheel shortly.

Woody seen an unsure really feel when driving into and thru the offsets throughout the highest of the course. “It wasn’t straightforward to estimate how briskly the automobile can undergo the component,” he stated. “It was straightforward to under- or overdrive this part.”

The Mazda had the least quantity of grip from its entrance tires—keep in mind how little unfavourable camber we may obtain?—and in consequence the drivers have been at all times ready for the entrance tires to “hook up” earlier than they may use the additional energy. Chris theorized that the MX-5’s restricted unfavourable camber, tall trip peak and lack of roll management all contributed to the issue. “Expensive Santa, all I need for Christmas is for the suspension engineers at Mazda to rethink their spring charges and lengths,” Per joked.

Not that the rear of the automobile favored to remain put, both. All of our drivers famous that the Mazda would transition to oversteer when the steering wheel was muscled. Easy fingers and persistence have been required to seek out the short lap occasions. Sadly, given how the steering really feel modified throughout the sooner slalom parts, this turned a tall order. Backing off the fuel within the curves additionally led to lift-throttle oversteer on the restrict, with all of this occurring too shortly to be helpful as a automobile placement instrument.

The “new Miata,” as we stored calling it, does have just a few sturdy factors. Chris famous that the two.0-liter engine was prepared and easy; its versatile energy pulls it to the rev-limiter. Sadly, that rev-limiter got here on manner too quickly, simply as we have been beginning to benefit from the engine’s 170 horsepower. The gearing of the six-speed transmission is just a little low for autocross use, and we discovered the engine ding-ding-ding-dinging on the finish of even quick straights.

That quick gearing and powerful engine did mix to do nicely in a single check, because the MX-5 turned the quickest time in our 20-to-50 mph check. The automobile’s power in second gear was spectacular.

The brakes are additionally very sturdy, with nice pedal really feel. “Monster brakes really feel such as you’ve thrown out the anchor,” Woody stated. In contrast to the early Miata, the MX-5’s anti-lock brakes made it straightforward to get the automobile slowed down within the braking zones with little fuss. Sadly, as Woody famous, the automobile additionally pitches ahead alarmingly below laborious braking. Once more, the mushy suspension retains the MX-5 from success.

Given all of its weak factors, the MX-5 may reply nicely to some clever tuning. An aftermarket entrance anti-roll bar for the Mazda RX-8 will bolt onto the MX-5 with out modification—the truth is, Racing Beat already has a 1.25-inch bar that’s hole for mild weight. Stronger shock absorbers with extra bump and much more rebound would even be useful. We’re not satisfied that these can be sufficient to tame the MX-5’s unhealthy habits, however they’d actually assist.

Going past the scope of stock-class preparation, the MX-5 may actually stand to be lowered at the very least an inch, which might in flip yield further camber that will additional enhance issues. The inventory spring charges are willowy-soft, so a set of coil-overs would make for a way more secure and rewarding platform.

The MX-5 that we examined had the Grand Touring package deal, which incorporates leather-based seats and a fabric high. Together with the automobile’s elective Suspension Package deal—which provides the sport-tuned suspension and limited-slip differential—our MX-5 stickered for $25,495 after supply. A straight Sport package deal MX-5, which might nonetheless embody the entire efficiency bits however would lose the leather-based and fabric high, can be about $1500 much less.

2006 Pontiac Solstice

From the primary flip of the Solstice’s steering wheel, we have been fairly sure that the outcomes of this check have been going to be shocking. The Pontiac Solstice has the suspension to again up its sports activities automobile seems. Sorry to say to the automobile’s detractors—who’re, admittedly, pretty quite a few given the automobile’s polarizing styling and home heritage—however that is extra of a contender than a pretender.

The Solstice cornered with little physique roll, and the shocks felt largely as much as the duty of efficiency driving. Solely the Ecotec engine disillusioned, because it felt just a little thrashy and anemic; however that was solely compared to the MX-5’s jewel of a mill. Regardless of the Solstice’s elements bin engineering, it’s a staggering achievement from the identical people who introduced us the Aztec.

Whereas we’re typically heard saying that low weight is the Holy Grail of efficiency, the relatively portly Solstice feels very mild on its toes. It transitions, corners and brakes nicely, regardless of weighing some 350 kilos greater than the MX-5 and almost 600 greater than the Miata.

The Solstice can also be the simplest automobile of the bunch to drive shortly. Inside only one or two laps, our drivers have been almost equaling the occasions of the 1999 Miata. Extremely, Woody’s second lap within the automobile was the time to beat at 38.898 seconds, simply 0.097 behind Chris’s quick time in his personal well-developed 1999 Miata. The typical time for the Solstice was equally spectacular, at simply two-tenths of a second behind the Miata.

Chris discovered that the Solstice had glorious physique management. “Flat cornering and managed pitch and dive make the automobile very straightforward to come back to phrases with,” he stated. That is helped by the Solstice’s functionality for giant quantities of entrance camber adjustment, and the 8-inch-wide wheels present glorious turn-in and nook entry grip. We may have dialed in much more unfavourable camber if we wished, as 3 levels have been accessible. That’s a formidable quantity of adjustment.

“This automobile is straightforward to position, nook after nook, lap after lap,” Woody stated. “I may shortly settle right into a rhythm and maximize the automobile’s efficiency. It was locked in on the skidpad portion of the course.”

The Pontiac’s balanced chassis and nice brakes problem the motive force to be extra aggressive. Our automobile had the ABS brakes, which is a $400 possibility and nicely value the additional price.

Oddly sufficient, we discovered that one facet of the automobile that’s a unfavourable in day by day driving was really useful on monitor. Chris famous that the tight quarters within the cockpit allowed him to simply brace himself together with his knees.

The Solstice wasn’t with out its weak factors on monitor, nonetheless. All the drivers commented that restricted visibility hindered automobile placement. It took just a few runs for the drivers to seek out the sides of the automobile and thus just a few cones met their maker. The automobile’s weight and width do restrict its capability to slalom shortly, however not overly so.

The Ecotec engine wasn’t the Solstice’s excessive level. It was discovered to be fairly noisy at greater engine speeds, and its thrashiness was even famous throughout our sizzling laps. The automobile’s 2778 kilos sapped the 177-horsepower engine of a lot of its power. The Ecotec did win the torque award, placing out 166 lb.-ft. of torque from its 2.4 liters.

Our check automobile lacked a limited-slip differential (it was most likely the one free Solstice within the press fleet on the time), which prevented a few of that engine energy from attending to the pavement. “I acquired inside wheelspin accelerating into the slalom, and after the final offset to the 180,” Woody famous. We couldn’t inform for sure if it was tremendously affecting our lap occasions, however the absence of a limited-slip was noticeable. Since that is solely a $195 possibility, it’s an apparent improve for the efficiency driver.

A Solstice geared up with ABS and a limited-slip ought to sticker at simply $21,165 with vacation spot cost. Even our pretty loaded check automobile—leather-based, cruise, driver information heart, air-con, energy locks, polished wheels, XM Satellite tv for pc Radio and far more—carried an affordable MSRP of solely $24,505 after vacation spot.

That incredible worth is considerably muddied by dealerships charging markups on account of excessive demand for the automobile. We’ve heard reviews of Solstices promoting for north of $30,000. Hopefully the fever will subside sufficient that fanatics can discover them earlier than they’re all snatched up by poseurs who simply need the “it” automobile.

As for tuning potential, one main hurdle for the Solstice is a scarcity of aftermarket tuners focusing on small GM automobiles, not to mention a totally new mannequin. Enhancements will most likely be seen first from shock firms like Koni. Whereas the O.E. Bilsteins are a noble effort, they lack the rebound management {that a} hardcore autocrosser wants. The aftermarket wheel firms can most likely additionally assist the automobile’s efficiency with some light-weight choices.

We’d recommend a stiffer entrance anti-roll bar as subsequent step after the lighter wheels. The Solstice seems prefer it may additionally drop some weight with an aftermarket exhaust, ideally one that will give the Ecotec a extra nice word.

1999 Mazda Miata

The 1999 Miata is our benchmark for a purpose: It’s one of many quickest methods to get round an autocross course with out taking out a second mortgage. Our drivers posted their quickest occasions within the Miata, with Chris’s finest being a 38.801-second run. The Miata additionally had the quickest total common at 39.364.

The light-weight and small Miata was merely a pleasure to throw into slaloms and chuck into sweepers. This can be a automobile that, given sufficient driver confidence, can pull off occasions that will disgrace a Porsche or Corvette.

Tipping the scales at simply 2197 kilos, the Miata feels even lighter by means of slaloms. The trick is to throw the automobile simply the correct amount, with out overdoing it. Familiarity with the Miata is paramount for fast laps.

After just a few laps, Woody acquired the cling of the automobile. “It requires some work to make it go quick,” he stated. “I’ve actually acquired to pay attention. Extra familiarity would deliver extra confidence and extra velocity. You don’t wish to anger the automobile right into a spin.”

Regardless of the Miata’s small footprint and comparatively restricted quantity of unfavourable camber, it generates lots of grip. Credit score the sunshine curb weight and low heart of gravity for this. Grip is secondary to only how nimble and tossable the Miata is. Woody talked about that the automobile felt like a go-kart compared to our different check candidates.

The place the MX-5 has a powerful engine on its resumé, the Miata’s engine is one in every of its weak factors. Chris talked about that his automobile, regardless of a good horsepower-to-weight ratio, actually wants an extra 20 lb.-ft. of torque. Even with its low curb weight and 140 horsepower, the Miata felt just like the weakest of the bunch when accelerating out of the 180-degree flip onto the skidpad. Backing this up, the Miata was the slowest automobile in our second-gear acceleration check from 20 to 50 mph.

The automobile’s brakes also can make high-speed driving troublesome. The shortage of ABS and quantity of unfavourable camber brought about the entrance tires to lock up very simply, particularly when the within was unloaded on nook entry. A number of runs have been overcooked by drivers who have been merely not capable of decelerate the Miata sufficient. On the finish of the day, our right-front tire had a number of flat spots from untimely lockup.

The Miata could have posted the quickest occasions, however don’t neglect that our check car has additionally obtained some six years of improvement. As soon as the opposite automobiles, particularly the Solstice, have been tweaked a bit, the hole ought to shrink—or perhaps even reverse instructions.

Our Alternative?

So, after driving all three automobiles, which one would we purchase if it have been our cash on the desk? With out copping out, we’d should say, “nicely, it relies upon.”

If the purpose was an SCCA C Inventory nationwide championship in 2006, we’d order a Solstice and pray that our native dealership didn’t attempt to rape us with further markup. We are able to see the Solstice, with just a bit tuning, changing into the dominant automobile for inventory class autocross. It’s simply such a prepared associate for on-track shenanigans.

If the purpose was to have a enjoyable undertaking automobile for monitor days and autocrosses with an eye fixed towards modifications and enhancements, the hands-down selection is the MX-5. It’s merely the best automobile of the lot.

Within the “duh, no comparability” column, our suggestion for budget-minded racers is, in fact, the Miata. You may decide up a first- or second-generation Miata fairly cheaply and have a blast in a lot of totally different lessons and venues. It’s merely probably the most enjoyable automobile to drive, whether or not you’re going to the shop or taking sizzling laps.