https://www.mazdamotorsports.com/2020/07/22/spec-mx-5-shaker-rig-video/
a neat read. If you have an NC, this gives a nice baseline to go off of.
https://www.mazdamotorsports.com/2020/07/22/spec-mx-5-shaker-rig-video/
a neat read. If you have an NC, this gives a nice baseline to go off of.
Thought there were a few NC owners here... guess not.
Well, since I have this whole thread to myself, I may as well stretch out my legs, takeoff my pants, put my feet up and relax next to the fireplace.
There's a few nc owners, but not nearly as many as na/nb
Hey thanks to the OP. I have an NC but don't have time to dig into this right now. Looking forward to getting into at a later time.
I'll admit to an anti NC bias but I saw one today owned by a GRMer that may have converted me. I really liked the flares they put on it and it also helped when I heard "2.5 swapped and I have a supercharger for it."
Drove an NA for over ten years and loved every mile. Drove my sister's NC frm London to Minneapolis and back and felt that it might as well have been a Camry. MUCH better car, but not as engaging to drive as the NA.
I have heard rumor that the aftermarket suspension options available for the NC might change some of this and myself being over 60 now ,I might feel different about the whole thing.
Wife had an NC back when she was the gf. Loved that little car. Still found it easiest to let the top down and look over the windshield to see whether the light was green or not.
Ok well i for one think what they're doing there is really interesting and im shocked and apalled that they didn't show any actual footage of the high speed 150mm travel action. But it's still pretty cool.
My wife had an NC for a while and when compared to my NB I had a few complaints. The cabin was wider but shorter posing a problem for me at 6'1" and on the driver side there was a vent under the dash that would bake or freeze your right kneecap and could not be deflected or turned off. I also had to clean out the rear drains every 6 months or the floor of the car would flood, Otherwise, it was a Miata.
I'm on my second NC, just didn't have anythj g to say after watching the video. It's cool stuff though.
NOCONES, you need to drive one on a good suspension and alignment, doesn't hurt mine has an intake, header, full exhaust, and tune with raised redline.
I'm the weirdo who thinks the NC is better than the NA/NB. Thanks for posting.
Stampie (FS) said:I'll admit to an anti NC bias but I saw one today owned by a GRMer that may have converted me. I really liked the flares they put on it and it also helped when I heard "2.5 swapped and I have a supercharger for it."
I'd be interested in such a car too (if you pass)!
If I were to buy a Miata, it'd have to be an NC. ND is out of my budget range for a few years yet, and I think the NC is the next best looking, and they seem to get treated nicer and abused less than the earlier cars. In fact, there was a low mileage red manual at the dealer when I bought the 5, and it gave me great pause, but wife would've murdered me.
These MX-5 news stories have been pointless as I cant find any of the trick suspension bits for sale since they announced the Penske shock setup over a year ago.
I will be excited about shock setup as soon as the actually release said shocks to the general public....
I wasnt going to post just to complain but since you took your pants off I figured it would make it a bit less awkward around here.
They're only available from Mazda Motorsports at the moment, I believe. So if you only frequent one vendor, you don't see them.
Some people think the NC2 is fantastic, better than the ND1.
I really, really like the NC with some wide wheels, like RPF1s stuffed under it. Looks amazing.
Ive never driven one, only sat in one. I found the cabin to feel tight compared to my NA. But I’m 6’3”, all torso. My legs are tiny. I look like Gumby.
CyberEric said:Some people think the NC2 is fantastic, better than the ND1.
I really, really like the NC with some wide wheels, like RPF1s stuffed under it. Looks amazing.
Ive never driven one, only sat in one. I found the cabin to feel tight compared to my NA. But I’m 6’3”, all torso. My legs are tiny. I look like Gumby.
Years ago I drove an NA and an NC back to back. They both felt like Miatas. To this day I don't understand how someone can love driving one and not the other.
CyberEric said:Some people think the NC2 is fantastic, better than the ND1.
The differences between the two are extremely subtle. Nothing you're going to feel. It wasn't until the NC3 that Mazda actually put a half-decent factory suspension calibration under the car. Other than some tweaks to engine and transmission internals as well as mucking about with the styling of the front bumper cover, I don't think there are any other differences of note.
MrFancypants said:CyberEric said:Some people think the NC2 is fantastic, better than the ND1.
I really, really like the NC with some wide wheels, like RPF1s stuffed under it. Looks amazing.
Ive never driven one, only sat in one. I found the cabin to feel tight compared to my NA. But I’m 6’3”, all torso. My legs are tiny. I look like Gumby.
Years ago I drove an NA and an NC back to back. They both felt like Miatas. To this day I don't understand how someone can love driving one and not the other.
Spend some real time in both, they feel different. More like each other than like a Mustang, sure, but there's a definite distinction between the two and the longer you spend in them the more they separate themselves. There are lots of good reasons to prefer one over the other.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
I might be wrong, but I think you may have misunderstood my post. 
I didn't know there was an NC3. What I was saying is that I've heard people (Jason Cammisa of R&T and someone else, so take it for whatever that's worth) say that the NC2 (with the motor that revved past the redline) was actually better than the first gen of the ND. Not my opinion, just something I heard.
I found it surprising given how much the NC has been disliked by many, and how well-liked the ND seems to have been.
Not a big deal, just wanted to make sure I was understood. But maybe I was, and it was me who was doing the misunderstanding. 
Makes me think the NC, at least the final version, is not the stinker a lot of people make it out to be. I don't really know, I've only sat in one.
I just read the article, which I wish I had done before posting, as my original post feels tangential. Great read. I notice my brain starts to hurt with all this technical discussion.
In reply to CyberEric :
The NC is definitely a more "grown up" car than the NA/NB. It's smoother and faster but the extra weight is definitely there when you start doing a lot of rapid direction changes (re: autocross). The ND is lighter and smaller with good midrange torque that gives good results for us cone dodgers.
I've had three NAs, an NB, and two NCs. They're all cool cars (hands down, the best was the one Z31 now owns) so there is definitely a lot to be said for improving on what Mazda started.
There are those who prefer the NC to the ND. Usually it's due to space and refinement, the NC is more overtly a GT car. However, if you compare the final Club suspension calibration from the NC3 to the original Club suspension on the ND (which was only used on the soft top and only for two years) I can see how you could prefer it. The non-Club suspension was superior in that application.
NC1: 2006-07
NC2: 2008-12
NC3: 2013-15
Note that these are purely enthusiast designations that line up with the minor restyling jobs. The actual differences are much smaller than we see with the facelifted NBs or the 2019 ND.
Miatas have always had tachs that will outrun the actual engine speed near redline.
One big difference between the NC and the earlier cars - the NA/NB feel like they're going faster than they really are. This is part of what makes them so much freakin' fun. The NC is faster than it feels. If you want to win a track day, it's a good tool for that. If you just want to put a stupid grin on your face, it suffers a bit compared to its ancestors because it's a little too competent.
dyintorace (Forum Supporter) said:Stampie (FS) said:I'll admit to an anti NC bias but I saw one today owned by a GRMer that may have converted me. I really liked the flares they put on it and it also helped when I heard "2.5 swapped and I have a supercharger for it."
I'd be interested in such a car too (if you pass)!
It wasn't for sale but I hope I get a call if it ever does come up for sale.
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