I have a friend of mine with a modded C5Z - that thing is a monster. Every time I look at upgrading my Miata, and what I have in it, I think "I coulda had a V8."

At the same time, when we swap cars at the track, while I am somewhat faster (who isn't in a C5Z), I am also somewhat more scared. I run out of talent somewhere between the turbo Miata and the modded C5Z, and honestly probably somewhere under the turbo Miata but well under the C5Z. And when he gets out of the Miata, it is all smiles.

Slow car fast. And a turbo Miata isn't a slow car, just slow in comparison to C5Z. I was just looking today at C5Zs, I need another drive to recalibrate just how much more fun my Miata is and how much a C5Z simply scares the bejesus out of me. Even riding as a passenger, the limits of the C5Z scare me.

I'd never turbo a Miata ever again

Reasoning?

it's too fast, too sexy, and too awesome :)

he's a V8 man now. :)


https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1448402684

Because I have terrible luck.

20/20 hindsight, i'd have just swapped in a stock LSx motor, maybe some mild aftermarket and called it a day. I'd probably be getting better gas mileage and the consumables would still be less overall.

Ah shit, OGRacing beat me to it.

Yes, mild aftermarket means blower

i think you missed the Stella overflow catch can for the stock overflow catch can.

But that could be implemented on all motor platforms

The LS1 is pretty much bulletproof at sub 500HP levels. The T56 is 2-3x stronger than the Miata 5 speed.

If you have no emissions or no inspection or any of that junk, LS swap is absolutely amazing. I'd have done it eons ago if I had that luxury

I'm emissions exempt in 2 years! Anyone want to buy my stuff?

This is a fellow-instructor in a C5Z that I chase down with my normally-aspirated Miata in the first part of the vid:


I guess you should ask yourself what you mean by "fast." If it's purely quarter-mile, well . . . Miatas really aren't meant for that. If you really want to start doing track events, I'd keep the Miata, maybe MS it and invest in suspension/wheels-tires/safety/seat time. If this is really just to DD, it's a toss-up. What kind of commute do you have? If it's all-city, the 'Vette might be better. If you have a lot of fun roads available, Miata.

$0.02.

No emissions here. ...

You have my attention. Lol.

I know Miatas aren't meant to drag race, but I'll do it anyway, lol.
I want to hit a few track days and autocross events.

My daily commute is, sadly, mostly highway. I do, however, have a few decent roads to drive relatively close.

So both cars have pop up headlights, so that's a wash there. :rofl:

Ugh.

If I had no emissions like you guys, I wouldn't even think about a corvette.

I'd be doing crazy insane things with a miata, in other words: doing a LS v8 swap or a fully built Borgwarner setup like Psyber already has.

For seriously? :rofl:

So what I gather from that is, you like the LSX power, but the Miata chassis? Or rather, you wanted Moar pOwAh in your Miata one way or the other?

I do love the look of an NB with a hardtop.

My car passed emissions in VA


It seems like the consensus is: Miata is awesome because it's cheap to replace wear items. Corvette is more functional and has a bigger ass and more power. A Miata with a v8 is pretty much best of both worlds, but you still aren't going to IKEA for a new bed.

Bottom line: you all don't even understand how good it is not to have emissions.
Here in CA, it was visual+plug in+sniffer for years, now it's visual+plug in for 01+ vehicles, and when I say visual, I mean: they see anything not oem and they fail you. It's bad, real bad.

So 99% of the people jump through hoops, or skirt the laws, or have to keep their cars completely bolt on and plug-n-play so that switching every 2 years would be easy. And that doesn't even consider the possibility of being pulled over and getting sent to the referee, which means ginormous fine and they inspect every square mm of your car and fail you if they find a single emissions related mod (an intercooler that's not oem would even cause them to fail you).

All this to say: if there was not that restriction here, I wouldn't get something like a vette. That's so boring.

I'd be swapping engines into miatas, or into some other car, or building an insane turbo terror, not buying a stock corvette and just driving it.

Have you ever driven a shelby cobra 427? that's kinda the thrust a LS miata would have. effortless, freight train propulsion in any gear that warps your perception of acceleration and basically spoils all other cars for you. And then you still have the tossable, nimble, excellent miata chassis. It's bananas.

What are the laws on kit cars (i.e. catfish?)

Buy my car, keep it titled and registered in VA. Let me fix some rust and swap out the controls arms first.

You have 350whp.

I don't want to hear any complaints or regrets from you, mister.

A 350whp miata is a beast. Enjoy it for these 2 years at least, don't change anything.

as much as I love the catfish, it's a go-kart, a toy, no doors no roof, etc.
can't really "street car" a car like that