I've owned all 4 generations of The Answer. The NC is my favorite.

I've owned more than a reasonable number of Miatai in the past 8 years.  And being a fairly avid autocrosser I've driven a few more than that in various trim levels.

First car out was a 1997.  NA8 car with an open diff.  I took it from stock and sane to CSP build, at which point I'd pretty well ruined it for DD purposes and sold it off to a friend thinking I'd buy a cheap '99 for ES and teach my son how to dodge cones in that.  It never had the power to get into trouble but a properly built CSP(ish) car handles better than about anything out there.  Just amazing.

Things came up and I bought a broken (but complete though disassembled) 1993 Monster Miata with a built 5.0/T-5.  Tons of power but it never stopped reminding you it was a huge engine in a car not really designed for it.  Reliablity and drivability issues caused me to trade it for a properly sorted....

'99 Ecotec swapped car.  Much more rigid, much more capable....and really a track car.  The short redline of the ecotec motor combined with the Miata gears meant 2nd topped out at 50 mph and the constant 2-3 shift kills any competitiveness for an AX car (that is already buried in SSM).  So I sold it to a track guy and bought....

A broken motored NC1 (that for Challenge money included decent wheels and tires, a replacement motor, a roll bar, and a few other goodies).  Put it all together and ran it for a minute in CS where I'd win my class but the open diff and rolley polley suspension failed to make me love it.  Sold for a profit to fund....

A fully prepped and beautiful STR NC1.  Exceptional handling, most luxurious interior yet.  Seriously good car with "sufficient" power and sublime handling.  But it was a bit spendier than I felt good about keeping around and I recognized that STR now belongs to the ND.  Sold to a gentleman in OK.

Bought a very inexpensive 1993 NA6 with a really basic turbo setup and some questionable mods.  Pretty quickly blew the motor and have embarked on a ridiculous quest to "build it right".  VVT motor and low mileage gearbox, new turbo system, new MS3 pro ECU, new seats and harnesses, new radiator, new suspension, new 3.6 Super Fuji diff, upgraded brakes, and much much more.  It's become quite a money and time pit and hasn't even been in my possession for almost three months as the shop wiring up the ECU has taken their time, but I'm hoping it is a sporty grand tourer when complete (kept AC and the long legged diff).

Since I'm so far gone on the last car financially I'll probably never be able to sell it, but the others were bought right and sold for a bit of profit each time.  Everyone needs a hobby of some sort, right?

In reply to KyAllroad :

Interesting. Everytime I get beat by the ND (in my NC) it's in CS, and not STR (I'm STR)

In reply to Keith Tanner :

Would that include versatuner?

I've always been a fan of the NC, although I've never driven one. I've ridden in a couple of modified ones on an autocross course. 
 

I don't think they really have a home for classification in SCCA autocross, which is why I own an NB1 sport. It's the tool of choice for E Street, along with the MR2, but that's all I own it for. I would get a lot more use out of an NC, if only I could afford a second Miata. 

I've owned or driven every version extensively and each one has its own merits. Not sure which one I'd pick in the current market to purchase.
 

My real problem is convincing my wife they aren't too small and I'll die immediately driving one. Probably doesn't help my argument that we have 1 kid with another on the way. Is there a comparable 4 seat option convertible? 

I've owned all four generations, my NC and ND1 were stock though. My 1000% subjective ranking would be:

NA > ND > NB > NC

I've noticed most folks that rank the NC highly tend to mention the interior room first, and the driving dynamics second. I am morbidly curious about a supercharged 2.5L NC with steamrollers. Especially given the prices on them recently.

Vajingo said:

In reply to Keith Tanner :

Would that include versatuner?

That includes any reflash. These guys aren't working off documentation, they're working on "it does this if I poke here".

In reply to calteg :

Buddy of mine has a 2.5 swapped NC on sticky 245 tires and middling coilovers.  It's a bit of  an animal on an autocross course and dynamically FAR beyond a stock NC.

In reply to KyAllroad :

Yeah, the NC chassis can handle way more than the stock wheels/suspension can throw at it. Curious to see if that would make me like it any more. I wasn't enamoured with my bone stock 2007

Most fun I've had with an NC was one with good suspension, middling tires and a supercharged 2.0. That way it had the dynamics but wasn't just stapled to the ground. It's not how you win races, but good suspension is more important for dynamics than good tires. You just need enough grip to get the chassis working.

Keith Tanner said:

Not everyone agrees with these dynamic decisions but the current ND2 Club suspension is probably the best one Mazda's ever put under a car in terms of composure on a rowdy road.

How does the ND2 Club suspension compare to the "stock" in the GT trim?  I'm hoping to grab a 2021 RF this year, and I love my luxury items in a street car (auto climate, etc, etc.).  Will I be punished too much for choosing amenities?    It'll probably be a few years until it has an FM setup under it.  Maybe sways immediately.. But no other mods! For at least a week...

The GT suspension isn't bad. The best package is the GT-S, which gives you the Club suspension and LSD but the nice interior.

If I had to choose between an GT and a Club, I'd get the GT, no question. It's easy to add the underpinnings later.

The comment I've often heard is the NC is the best "car" of Miata options, but not necessarily the best Miata.  

Looks-wise, the NB is my favorite.  I still hope to have one some day if/when I have more room. 

The ND RF is the biggest disappointment.  I really wanted it to be an ND version of the PRHT.  A targa is not a convertible. I get that it serves its intended purpose well and with the roof in place it does look really good, but the simple fact is it is not what I was hoping for.  I would have been willing to trade the top up appearance for a totally retractable roof like the PRHT. 

Cargo room in any Miata seems to be at a premium. My Spitfire has more room in the trunk. At least for multi-day overnight trips.

Keith Tanner said:

The GT suspension isn't bad. The best package is the GT-S, which gives you the Club suspension and LSD but the nice interior.

If I had to choose between an GT and a Club, I'd get the GT, no question. It's easy to add the underpinnings later.

Thanks!

In this 4 generation comparison it looks like both Paul and Todd picked the NC as well: 

https://youtu.be/r6HFEaZi5mI

They typically don't agree with each other. It should be noted that they're both pretty tall guys (around 6'2"-6'3"). Both of them are guys that like small sports cars- Paul owns a Cayman and Todd used to own an FR-S, which I believe he sold to buy a Lotus Elise. 

I like the NC the best, too.  Geometrically, though, I can barely drive one.  The dashboard is too bulky, making it difficult to reach the pedals.

Interior room wise, I'd rate them NA - NC - NB - ND from best to worst.  (I have only sat in an ND RF.  Didn't even attempt to drive it)

For more quality NC related Media. Not necessary a comparison, but definitely a nice love letter to each generation of the miata and worth a watch.

NC Episode of Savagegeese's Miata documentary  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bslB_4JIKs0

Timestamped link for Dave Coleman's discussion on development 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bslB_4JIKs0&t=562s

In reply to maschinenbau :

Old thread but the flared hood on the ND is super ugly and the first thing I noticed coming from 2 NAs and 2 NCs. 

The U shaped hood not only looks cheesy from the driver perspective, but blocks visibility of the road on the left and the right. The U should be upside down like the on NA, NB, NC. And don't get me started on the tiny tailights. Mazda deserves to be trolled for this crappy design as does anyone who likes it!

The RF is a retractable hardtop that only half retracts! Yuck!

This car took the beauty of the NA and shot a hole through it, remembering nothing about the lines and structure of a car that make it a Miata. 

The Fiat is better looking than the ND.

Ive owned a NA 1.6 an NB1 and a ND1. Ive driven the NC quite a lot. If I was buying one today, I would buy an NC.

Well, the good news for NC fans is that there's a properly engineered turbo kit coming this summer :)

Personally, my next Miata will be a black ND RF because the ND pushes my buttons more than the NC does from a styling, dynamics and ergonomics standpoint. It will likely get a heart transplant eventually.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

Our NB already has all the right handling mods, and I have all the parts to turbo it, but I'm really tempted to sell it all and buy another NC Club PRHT and an FM turbo kit for it.... 

I know, rationally, that an ND is an objectively better car in some ways, but NC3 PRHT is still peak Miata for me, at least for a street driver.

If the NC3 had been introduced in 2006, I think the NC would have a different reputation. And there's no reason it couldn't have been, there's no tech in that car that didn't exist in 2006. The suspension tuning took a big step up and the nose job gave the car a much more purposeful look than the original. I suspect Dave Coleman may have had some influence on the chassis, I need to ask him.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

Not as good as going straight to the source, but this video features a lot of Dave Coleman talking about the development of the NC.

Old thread but since I have a new one I'm piling on with a couple pics  I don't think they're bad looking cars.  They've aged pretty well.  I'd say it's a wash between the NA and I like them better than the NB.  YMMV.

and I miss the '07 MS-R enough that Ijust  bought a NC2.