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I love both cars, but not sure I'd want that Miata. The whine on the timing belt usually indicates they are too tight. A good belt change should be relatively silent. I had my '89 belt whine cured by a belt tightening with a proper Porsche tool. The difference was amazing.
S2's are awesome cars, but for track work, I'd still want a Miata given the choice. For crusing around town, the answer would probably swing towards the S2.
I would rather track a Miata than a 944. I started going to track days in a Boxster (couldn't afford to ball that car), and bought a 951 (944 turbo). I love the car, but started WtW, and bought a Miata. Both cars are great for your intended purpose, but the Miata is more fun to drive, and easier on the checkbook. Besides, you can take a Miata "all the way" to SM, whereas an S2 cannot race in a spec class (which may or may not have appeal to you).
I bought a Miata about a year ago while I still owned a 944. The Miata was supposed to complement the 944 but it ended up being a replacement. A Miata can be just driven and enjoyed. For a 944, you have to be that sympathetic caring owner or it will end up being a pile of crap. If you like to tinker with your cars constantly and you don't mind little things and sometimes big things breaking on a regular basis, a 944 is a fine choice. I don't really have time for that right now, so I much prefer a Miata.
I might get another Porsche once my kids get older and don't want to hang out with me anymore.
944S2's are nice. Come with all the turbo stuff like the larger brakes, etc. Have way better throttle response and low end power vs the turbo too.
The belts can whine a little when new, especially if the tension isn't set perfectly. The belts need to be re-tensioned 1500 miles after install.
The 944 sounds like it was well taken after. If it drives well and you like it, buy it.
Make SURE the AC works, as the compressor costs $600 and replacing it sucks.
Oops. To my shame I must admit that I didn't check the functioning of the a/c in the 944. Checked everything else and the seller is very upfront as to what works and what doesn't (basically I didn't find anything wrong that he hadn't mentioned beforehand) so I'm hoping he wasn't telling porkies re the a/c. And yes, it does drive well - I've driven enough supposedly good ones to know the difference.
Well, the whole dilemma is (as some people mentioned) - head says Miata, heart says 944S2. The thing about the Miata is that the current owner does appear to have invested some work in it and you can see the improvements so I don't think it would be a massively bad buy, but I'll probably be looking at a weekend's work to get most of the faults addressed. Plus it's cheap for a Miata around here and one of the few that has a hardtop.
I'm beginning to think I should wait until my 911 and my house in the UK are both sold, hopefully there'll be a little cash leftover to buy a 944 or another 911 without having to go to the bank hat in hand. It certainly doesn't look like there'd be anything like a deposit for another house left.
I'll have another word with the owner of the Miata - he says the HLAs are quiet directly after an oil change but took a long time yesterday to quieten down. I'll suggest that I'm willing to throw $50 to him for an oil change and if that shuts up the lifters and we can figure out where the diff leak is coming from, we might have a deal. If this doesn't work out I think it's S2 time.
Head vs. heart vs. wait is tough. I've never been good at waiting, and it seems you aren't either. If you go with the head the heart will be left wanting, if you go with the heart the head may be left banging into walls. The heart should win IMO.
I'm getting a little better at waiting the older I get 
. I think overall the 944 might be the better car for what I have in mind, but the Miata might be the better car to learn track craft in. Both of them would be good for hooning around the local roads, although given the state of the roads in California, the softer suspension on the 944 might be a good idea.
Forget what may or may not be allowed for track days. Do you really want to go on track with a Miata and no roll bar?!?!? I'd go hard top and roll bar, but even that is giving me pause for thought. There is just so much more metal around you in a 944 compared to a Miata. A real roll cage is fine in a Miata, but that precludes any pretence of DD. Any roll bar that fit's under a stock hard or soft top is not going to pass the 2" broom test without a race seat bolted to the floor, which also means harnesses and again seriously eats into the DD ability of the car.
Well, the Miata does have a proper roll bar, it's just one that isn't SCCA legal for PDX. I think several others are.. Haven't done the 2" broom test, clearance might be an issue there either way, despiste the foamectomy that has been performed on the car.
OP has just got back to me, he'll change the oil and we'll see if that quietens down the HLAs, then we'll take it from there. He'll also try to have another look at the diff while he's under the car to see if he can figure out where it's leaking...
Well, that Miata's just fallen through, after going back an forth the seller just told me he wants to keep it after all.
Guess I better check if the 944 is still available.
