1L ecoboost Miata would be the shit. The stock turbo can make 155hp, but even a slightly larger one would barely affect spool.

Stupid hippies, I refuse to live in a state that so willingly fucks their residents while letting someone right across the border putt out as much bullshit as they want. If CA were so serious, they'd throw an import ban on anything coming from a non-compliant state. Instead they just throw up feel good laws and prop warnings that do nothing but cause trouble.

It's much better to scrap tons of steel over a few pounds of emissions. I'm sure the Chinese making the steel for the new spec cars are super facetious about their protection of the environment.

Wasn't it just this year CA screwed the majority of their residents around winter gas switching time? The rest of the country rolls it out based on weather and demand, CA insists it's pushed at a certain date, fuck the supply and weather vaporizing the shit faster, this had to be made a law.

Edit: lol, did you guys see how the new Z06's are exploding all over the place?

This actually only became a problem when CARB decided that it would no longer allow catalytic converters to be EO'd on a group basis (eg: this EO number is valid for all passenger cars built after 1995 with engines between X and Y displacement), and instead require individual, application-specific certification for every single make and model for every single replacement converter. That little decision cost the manufacturers a huge amount of time and money, and they passed this along.


It depends.

In the case of the '99-'00 cars, that extra catalytic converter had some real cost attached to it. So in that case, it made a lot of sense to have two different exhaust manifolds.

Of course, Mazda doesn't always make decisions that make sense. Like having (at least) three different versions of most of the wiring harnesses for the 1.6 cars, depending upon which transmission they were built with and whether or not they had cruise control installed. Or choosing to not machine the little place where the ABS sensor rings go on the NB axles for non-ABS cars.





In all seriousness, don't knock it 'till you've tried it.

I've lived in FL, GA, OH, NC, TX, SCA, NCA, NJ and NY, and I've worked on a temporary basis in many more places than that. If my present situation allowed, I'd move back to SoCal in a heartbeat.

I'm gonna steal one of these and swap it in an ND:
This tiny 1.5L engine from Nissan makes 400 horsepower

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1433967507

:party:

Yes it would, but the point I was making is that the amazing ecoboost engines are basically tarted up engines that mazda designed. And now that I think about it, I think they screwed themselves by not just keeping the partnership and getting those engines from ferd.

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1...t_facts/ffvr29

"They" do not allow registration of non-smog compliant vehicles in Caliofornia.

"They" also can't tell other states what to do.

I'd rather live there too.

Just to clarify for those on the outside, the vehicle must pass a California emissions INSPECTION and TEST in order to be registered in CA. It does not need to be a "CA Spec" emissions equipped vehicle to be registered in CA.

...and that's what really burns my nuts. "Fed Spec" cars pass with zero issues all day every day yet we still get screwed and can only purchase "CA Spec" cars new within the state. :vash:

So John and I spent half a day at Mazda measuring stuff. A few tidbits:

I think it's mapped for 87 octane, thus the 13.0:1 pistons. Fuel filler door states "premium fuel recommended" as opposed to "Premium fuel only". It's the 3 engine (engine code PE-VPS) which runs on 87 so figure the same.

Coolant flow is different than the 3. Not sure of that's a good thing or not.

It's going to be a challenge to lighten the car without gutting it. Everything is aluminum, full of lightening holes, or both.

Roll bar will make it tough to keep soft top, sorta like the NC.

Tire room is good.

Wheel room is good.

Huge SP/SM sized autocross tires will need flares.

Stock (base) brakes are big for the weight of the car. I think they'll be great for track use with just pads.

A bit more leg room for taller drivers than NA/NB.

Front sway bar might be a bitch to swap, possibly requiring the removal of some pretty major components.

Rev limit is low, which we plan to do something about ASAP.

Haven't driven on yet but that should be soon.

We'll have and ND Club version at our swap meet this weekend.

You are both partially correct, and partially incorrect.

You cannot bring a NEW car into CA unless it conforms to CA spec, regardless of actual emissions, with a few specific exceptions.

You can bring a USED 49-state car into CA so long as it passes both functional and visual smog inspection. The visual inspection for a 49-state car will not require parts which were originally exclusive to CA-spec cars (so, for instance, a 49-state '99 will pass CA visual inspection without the second catalytic converter), however any aftermarket parts on the car must always have a CARB EO, regardless of whether the car was originally built to CA-spec or not.









This appeals to me greatly.

My only complaint about the '04 I have now is that it feels like I have slightly less legroom (steering wheel always rubs legs) and slightly less headroom (hair always brushes against soft top when up) as compared to both of my previous NAs.

I assume that this is mostly due to the design of the seat, and the fact that the windbreaker / speaker thing behind the seat prevents it from moving as far back.

California is fun to visit, but I would never trade a few thousand dollar mortgage for a few thousand dollar rental unit with 1/4 of the space and 1/1000 of the freedom. Plus, I'd have to deal with those people that spend a grand on a styrofoam plank and a paddle to stand on water away from the beach.

Yeah, I hate going to the beach in January.

You're nuts I love the beach in January, no one is there, the amazing seafood places are nearly empty, but IMO winter catch fish tastes the best. And the sea spray freezing looks sweet.

It was implied in my post but not explicitly stated. You are correct none the less, but this is what I was getting at.

4x100 lug pattern, right? Did they let you stick a 6UL on it or would that be telling? ;)

For those of you who are into such things, Good-Win Racing's Facebook page has ND wheel/tire fitment and disassembly pics :party:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Good-...31664613526734

The MNet crew is also out in force with the commentary :laugh:

Sarcasm, son. Sarcasm.

I take it that 15" are a complete no go? Thanks for the write up!

I need to go complain at the dealer to figure out when I'm getting mine.

Unrelated:

I don't remember there being this much public interest and debate when the NC came out, and I was at both the SDMC event where Mazda brought one of the mule cars out for us to sit in and the public preview event where we all got to drive it on an AutoX course in LA.

I consider this to be a positive sign for the health of the overall market.

Me too. I think, and hope, that the ND will sell well. Mazda certainly put their heart into it.

Tinfoil hat theory:

Mazda underrated the HP and reported the underrated number on purpose to drum up controversy to help sell more new cars.

If that was the plan, it worked beautifully.

Brian Goodwin posted this: "Good-Win Racing 15 inch does not fit ND...brakes too big front AND rear."

If I get an ND I will have to stop smugly looking at other cars with 16lb wheels that cost $800 each..