I have all the R parts on mine! Except for the crappy suspension...

 

I do not know much about miatas but I went on a ride on a Mazda Speed in Autox with a good driver and it was a good thrilling ride...maybe I am a @%@$ssy.

 

Ah. I knew there was some option for an R-package that this car had. I thought it was the steering, but it was that this car was a no-A/C car.

Every time I get out of that Miata I have the biggest smile on my face.

 

You can also depower a power steering rack. There all sorts of tech articles on it. The power rack actually has a quicker steering ratio. Most Spec cars are depowered instead of manual. I've driven both and preferred the slightly quicker ratio of the depowered model. Unless you want to stay in stock class, the R-package isn't really all that, since there are inexpensive suspension options that can make an NA almost invincible with a good driver.

 

All the "advantages" that seem to make the Wankle "better" than a reciprocating engine can be flushed with one fact. Its design is inherently inefficient from a combustion standpoint. It cannot be made to completely burn a fuel charge due to the short residence time in the combustion chamber. Name another engine that has to resort to a secondary (post power cycle) combustion process just to burn the fuel that didn't get burned in the engine ( I think Mazda calls it a "thermal reactor")... just to meet pollution requirements. Smooth yes. But that's useless in this day and age when every possible BTU should be spent turning the crank, not being burned off and spewed out as waste gas.

 

I bought my daughter a 99 Miata 5 years ago for her first car. The first thing we added was a roll bar. I often took it out and drove it pretty hard. It was a very easy car to throw around and very forgiving, even when driven to the limits. Very easy to learn proper heel/toe down shifts. Like Mini’s they are truly a driving enthusiast’s car. If you like traditional open air sports cars you can’t help but like the Miata. Granted it is no power monster but the car has always been about handling. Most critics of Miata AND Mini’s have never driven one properly.
My daughter sold the Miata a few years ago and got a new BMW 325i but she still has a soft spot for the Miata and I taught her allot about driving in that car.

 

+1
I've got a '91 with an M45, suspension, etc., and a '92A yellow that's stock.
The MINI may go a bit faster, but I really enjoy the feel of the Miata - both RWD, and the low seating and 'smallness'. A great compliment for the MINI if you want a convertible.

 

thermal reactors have long been replaced by catalytic converters in the early 80s. you might be thinking of the pre-cat. many other import cars have pre-cats in addition to the main cat, ie the wrx. and even so many people remove them. i replaced the pre-cat on my 3rd-gen RX-7 w/ a flow-thru downpipe and it passed california smog tests time after time

i'm not trying to argue with you. like i said, to each his/her own. there's obviously a fanbase for these cars, i myself included. and the technology has advanced along with everything else, ie multi-port induction and rotary's analog of variable timing, and with the next gen motor they're switching to direct injection. that's the last thing i'm gonna say about it

 

My Mini is slower then my Miata....

I need more mods.....

 

I'll chime in. I've got a 97 NA Miata (last year of the 1st gen). Had it 3.5 years. I drive it every single day. It is my only car.

There is probably no car more fun. Sure there are Boxsters, Corvettes, Ferraris, etc, but it is amazing how much fun the Miata can be even on your everyday drive. It is spunky, light on its feet, the top goes down, it eats corners, and it doesn't break. Other cars you feel like you are driving too slow. The Miata feels fun at 40mph. The RWD and 50/50 distribution give it a great balance. The back end comes out forgivingly. No torque steer, and you can almost steer the car with your mind.

With that said, I'm considering selling it for a MINI. I bought the Miata when I lived in CA and drove 15 miles a day for work and never went above 50mph. I had visions of autocrossing it. Modding it a bit with a great suspension setup. Maybe someday even supercharging it. I never did any of that. Funny how other things consume your free time instead....plus I can never convince myself to flush money away into silly car mods.... I now live in Chicago, drive 60-70 miles a day, all on the freeway. The Miata is punishing most of the time. The beautiful days (like we've had the last few days) when I can put the top down and cruise down the city streets or the backroads, I'm reminded why I bought the car. When I drive it on the Dan Ryan to work, get dusty with the top down, drive it in the snow (I had the top up for 5 straight months), I'm 6 feet tall and about 200lbs, so I'm at the absolute size limit for a Miata and thus anything more than 45minutes is pretty uncomfortable, and I want to sell it. Amazingly the space has never been a problem. If i needed something bigger, I could borrow a car. And the 2 seats were great for just the girl and me. Sorry, nobody else can come

I think part of the other problem with the way I feel about the Miata is that it needs work. I've been putting it off, and its starting to catch up. The clutch is nearly shot. Enough stop and go and it gets too hot and starts to slip. Bugs me cause it has more problems with 95,000 miles than my old Mazda 626 with 185,000. So I need a new clutch. That's about $700 (cant do any work myself, I need the car everyday and working on cars is prohibited at my apartment). The shocks have 55,000 miles on them, and they're completely shot. The car is kinda twitchy and squirrely on me. I notice Honda Accords that go around corners I have to slow down for. If I hit a dip, the car bottoms out. I figure probably $400 for new shocks if I wanna do it right and get something proper for a Miata. I also have not done the timing belt. That's another $700. If it breaks it doesn't have an interference engine, so the car just dies, does no damage. Oh, and the stereo sometimes craps out.

Then add to it there are about 4-5 really good size rattles. The top probably has maybe 1-2 years left before needing replacement. Its got body dings and scrapes, mostly from its previous life in San Francisco.

I've come to the conclusion that I LOVE the Miata when the weather is nice, and I just get to cruise with it. Chicago summertime evenings with the top down, a drive down lakeshore or through the loop, there is nothing better out there. Get in on a Saturday morning on a sunny day and it honest to god makes nearly all your cares just go away. The handling, the sun and wind. Just you and the car (and maybe your gal). It doesn't get better. I almost hate the Miata when I have to commute 60 miles a day in it. I'm sure I'd love it a lot more if I got the clutch and shocks done, but it doesn't solve the noise, size, rattles issue. It really makes an ideal 2nd car. If I had enough room, I might keep it just for that. But I don't. Only 1 car. Plus a lot of Chicago area roads are just junk. Potholes rattle your teeth in my Miata. Even on expansion joints and just sub-par roads, it jiggles and gets unsettled. Never does it soak up road imperfections.

The MINI is the closest I've found to a slightly bigger Miata. I don't like the torque steer in the MINI, the shifter isn't as nice, and you can definitely notice the difference in weight balance with the MINI being much more nose heavy. Just a different way to drive. However, the MINI is nearly the handler of the Miata, but it is much better it seems on the freeway, or in bad weather, and space wise. Unfortunately it is a lot more expensive. Considering a new Miata, but they cost a lot, aren't a whole lot different, and despite growing a bit are still very cramped for me. Though they drive very very very well. And the PRHT is cool as hell.

I'm actually thinking about looking at a used Z4 BMW. Rear drive, convertible, etc, though they have more leg and headroom than a Miata. Not sure I really want a used BMW though....maintenance wise. That's about my only other option.

And don't knock the RX-8. In the twisties, it is a superb automobile. Better than the Miata IMHO. Stiffer chassis with better handling. It is amazing how good of a driver it makes you feel. For me, its the size (I don't fit well for some reason, height wise), and the MPG. I can't get 20mpg with $4+ premium using 3 gallons a day. Ouch. But it is a superb sports car.

So there ya go.