NC now a better option than NA/NB?
 

Some here know that our little company has historically ignored the NC. Too soft, slow, dull and expensive compared to a well sorted NA/NB. The last few years ave seen that shift. Much like the work we did with the NA/NB platform over the last dozen years, Goodwin Racing has been a the forefront of development on cost effective solutions for fast, reliable and fun NC builds. Their Budget NC build is much like our original "Rental" NB HPDE build from 2008. Over the last few months of finalzing our NC Xida protos for production, I have begrudgingly accepted the inherent goodness and potential of the NC.

The big difference for me was always that a bone stock 90 A package NA6 was a fantastic car right off the showroom floor. Faster and better if you spent time and money but damn good right off the bat. The NC1 OTOH, was pretty miserable until you fixed a bunch of things. Those "things that need to be fixed" are now dialed, the knowledge base solid. The key being the low cost of a NC1 donor cars ($4000~8000) and the relative ease of dropping a $900 2.5 MZR into it. Add in Goodwins new 17x10 wheels and upcoming Xidas and you have the foundation for a really fast and reliable $12k build. We're talking a 12:1 lbs /hp build with roll bar and race hard top skin with 255/40/17's. Such a car will vaporize a $12k NB build on track or autocross.

Personally having a hard time resisting building one just for the fun factor. But we don't need another HPDE or race car in the shop and don't sell NC parts so no logical reason to invest our modest resources into it. That said, I'd love to see the platform take its place along side the NA/NB on that pinnacle of cost/speed/fun factor the NA/NB has held for so many years. FRS/BRZ are right there in cost/fun factor but a bit more fragile than the NC and also lower lbs/hp for the dollar. S2000 never came down in price and have become quite expensive now. C5, too fragile. S550 Mustang, too heavy and high consumables cost. Any BMW; expensive donor, expensive parts, not reliable without spending $$$. To me, the NC now deserves to be included in the standard facebook response "Miata Is Always The Answer".

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c9c800dc1.jpeg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...ccf3bfad8.jpeg

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...562fbb22b3.jpg

NC + 2.5 swap is going to gain so much traction in the near future thanks to tanking prices for the chassis. It's on my long term to do list for sure...

This has been "Stream of Consciousness with E."

We now return to your regularly-scheduled programming.



<3 (You can't be mad because i gave you a likecat.)

Sounds cool bro.

When wanting to build an NC gets you neg cats... okay lol.

Its touchy subject. It's like the thicc girl in school. Everyone really wanted her because she was just as fun, but no one wanted to actually date her.

Didnt you have a mustang you enjoyed at one point in time.....

Until it was stolen, yes. Fast but high consumables costs and needs big heat exchangers on every fluid in the car.
So in a dollar to speed ratio it loses out to cars like the 86 and the NC.

Did you really need to quote my entire post, jeez.

At least I deleted your boating pictures :rofl:

One thing I like about the NC is that it is based on the RX-8 -- has some beef in the right places.

You've got me thinking, darn it . . . .

SOP is to swap RX8 hubs in. NC hubs not up to the 1.5g lyfe.

They're really not that heavy, easily fit more tire, and fit taller drivers better than an NA/NB. I've been looking for a right-priced one locally for a 2.5 swap for a while.

My buddy just got an NC last year and has been doing track days with me. His is a NC2 club and was pretty damn good (except for the alignment) right off the showroom floor. Lots of room for improvement as well.

AKA the moped: fun to ride until your friends see you.

I like leaving my compu-scale prints under the wiper blades of every NC i find in the wild.

Aren't we talking about Miatas here? How was the NA or NB any different? Everyone has always pointed and snickered at owners of all generations of Miata. The NC is no different, and we as the enlightened have always dismissed such ignorance.

NCs have always been faster than NA/NB, but it's just recently that the dollar:fun and/or dollar:lap time ratio has hit the sweet spot. Back in early Miata Challenge time trial days the NCs had to take penalty points because a similarly modded NC would wipe the floor with an NA/NB otherwise.

That certainly beats being able to swap NA/NB hubs in 15 seconds with a blindfold on -- because I do it so often . . . . ;)

Its almost as if Mazda improved their design on every generation!

*GASP*

Well thank god you posted this at a time where I have a sub $2k blown up nc miata I wouldn't mind selling. ;)