I know you've modded this one, but isn't a stock Mazdaspeed Miata at 170hp?
ovr50,
Indeed I made a mistake in my original post, which I have correct - Stock is 180HP (not 170, that's the new MX-5's stock HP). However, as I am sure 84im can attest, the Miata crowd is very ... obsessive about their cars. In that vain, it has been found that the stock Miata drivertain absorbs 25HP between engine dyno's and wheel dynos. Stock Mazdaspeed Miata's are dynoing 165WHP stock. Following the 25HP loss, it shows ~190HP stock, which explains why the old Mazdaspeed MX5 is significantly quicker then the new 170HP MX5!
"Significantly quicker"?? Not everyone agrees (from Car and Driver, Oct 05):
"First, this new model is the fastest ever Miata—we know, we know, Mazda wants to forget about that name. It scoots to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds, continues through the quarter in 15 seconds flat at 91 mph, and doesn't stop accelerating until it hits 131 mph. With the exception of the 91-mph trap speed, which was equaled by the turbocharged last-generation Mazdaspeed model, each of those figures sets a record for showroom MX-5s."
The last 178 hp MSM they tested ran to 60 in 6.7 and did the quarter in 15.2. (april 04).
Having 90% of the torque available from 2500 rpms up through the majority of the powerband certainly helps.
Road & Track (Oct 05) told a slightly different story: their test MX5 could only muster a 7 second romp to 60, but still wasn't deemed "significantly" slower than the MSM:
"At 7.0 seconds to 60, this Miata is only 0.2 sec. slower than the last generation turbo Mazdaspeed MX-5, but less important than 10ths of a second is that the power feels right."
There's no doubt the MSM is a sharper handler than the new MX5 in stock form, but considering there's still a new Mazdaspeed version of the NC yet to come, the MX5 in its 'base form' is pretty formidible. From the same R&T article:
"The MX-5 circled the skidpad at 0.86g and snaked the slalom at 67.7 mph, again just fractions off the last-generation Mazdaspeed MX-5. Its impressive braking distances — 112 ft from 60 mph, 200 from 80 — put the Miata in league with BMW's M3 SMG and Porsche's Boxster."
Considering an MSM cost over $34k last year and a GS-model MX5 can be had for under $31k with greater comfort and safety and very comparable performance out of the gate, the new car really seems like a great value.
Of course, with a stock turbo, the modding is easy and productive with little investment for the MSM.
Don't get me wrong, I love the Mazdaspeed Miata... but let's try to keep the claims realistic here.
