Hi All. My husband and I are novice autox'rs from Maryland. We bought our 96 Miata autox beast a year ago this weekend. We've spent the year tweaking the car and learning to drive all over again. This was our first full season of autoxing and the Miata really sped up the learning curve. In 2012 (we started in late summer), I was trying to drive a Corvette, and my hubby driving his 6cyl Honda Accord. Both cars were pretty much laughable as autox cars for opposite reasons. The first car with too much power and temperamental handling the second car with NO power and NO handling ability

After getting the Miata, our autox skills instantly improved and by the end of the season we were both making respectable times. Like Goldie Locks said - the it's "just right".

We've learned a lot over the past year, including little things like what happens to your crank nose when the harmonic balancer is not torqued properly (oops - new motor).

We've been doing a bit of lurking on this forum and appreciate the posts.

 

you doing events with CDC?

I'd personally rather have a stock vette over a stock miata to autox.

 

Yep, we run with CDC.

Our car was actually FTD 6x this season and three of the top five in Small Bore and three of the top 10 overall were driving it - not counting the organizers, who crush our times when they drive our car.

The Miata is just way more forgiving of errors. A good driver in a vette can kill us with times, but as novice drivers, we make much better times in the Miata because it's much harder to overdrive it. The Miata is way better to learn in. When I was driving my stock Grand Sport Corvette, all I did was lose control because I didn't have the experience to handle the performance capabilities of the car. I'll stick with my Miata until I master that, then the 'vette and I can discuss running again. Besides, it's WAY cheaper to fix Miata when it breaks. I put a new motor in the car for less money than a set of tires on my Grand Sport.

 

i agree on all those points.

 

The only time I've ever seen a courseworker hit at an auto-X was by a novice driver in a Corvette. So while I've never driven one, I've seen what you are talking about.

Props for lurking for a while before signing up, It'll make the transition a lot easier Welcome to the site!

 

Welcome to here.

 

.................................................. ....................... which grand sport?

 

2011 Inferno Orange Convertible - fully modified interior, engine bay and a bunch of exterior stuff. I keep this one waxed and pretty at all times. One day when I learn to drive, I may go back to running the 'Vette, but the Miata is so much fun on an AutoX course, and my numbers are WAY better in the Miata, I'll stick with that for now.

 

ahummmmmmmmmmmmmmm... sounds delicious. Love the Grand Sport verts. I'm just something of a 'vette fan overall, but particularly the C6 and up.

Piktars plz.

 

You asked for it :-)



Before I added the sideskirts and spliter:







And not to leave out the subject car so she doesn't feel left out (the decal on the front reads "God Save The Cones"):

 

Hahaha...

MUCH MUCH MUCH prefer without the splitter and side skirts, but to each their own. Pretty intense underhood treatment too! Looks like fun. That steering wheel is wild, haven't seen one like that before.

 

It always looks better with the top down, but didn't have any good top-down shots after I did the splitter/side skirts. I fell in love with the orange color - it changes tones in the sun since it's got a gold metal flake in it. I've gotten a bunch of trophies with it since I got it Sept. 2011. I've installed all the mods myself with the exception of the seats and dash - they were just too heavy and bulky to risk doing. I got help from the guys on our local club's shop night for the splitter and side skirts - not a one-person job either.