ND Miata Virtual Visual Improvment Experiment

In this thread I'm going to mock up some ideas for visual improvements to an ND.

If, like me, you think that one of the ND's major visual problems is that it looks too "squinty" and are wondering how that can be addressed without changing the hood, front quarter panels, and front bumper which are all shaped to accomodate the stock headlights, well I've figured out a way to do it with just aftermarket headlights. The idea is to make the new headlights project outwards more such that the new lens completely fills in the recess that the stock headlights sit in.

Before:

After:

Voila! Instant improvement IMO. Looking at a stock ND and then at this actually makes me feel relieved somehow. Reminds me of an NB. Also looks a bit like a Toyobaru.

Next I'm going to try a front bumper mod, I'm thinking maybe to turn that frown upside-down

Edit: And yes I wish I could make an improvment to the title spelling

I see no improvement. The problem is in how small the headlights are. They tried to make them look like the turn signals on previous generations, but it didn't work with the catlike "eyelid" of the ND.

Here's an NB with similar "small" headlights:

I could however see aftermarket shops doing a front bumper without headlights and instead making some sort of fancy hood with round lights blended in.

PHeller wrote: I could however see aftermarket shops doing a front bumper without headlights and instead making some sort of fancy hood with round lights blended in.

I think that would end up looking like a Porsche 928, and not in a good way. In fact this is something I could mock up later.

Where's the photochop of the ND with the flip up lights? So good.

I agree, this is hawt, but a lot of people think it looks horrible for some reason. Basically turns the ND into the FT1 concept

10/10 would drive

This came up when i was looking for that pic, btw.

OMG YAYYYY!!!!!!!

Or:

I FARTED!!

25 year in may have been a good time to give some throwback to the original with adding pop-ups.

The throwback thing seem to be popular with Pony Cars.

I figure popups are permabanned due to euro pedestrian safety regs

I'm more concerned with getting that damn screen off the dash....

Gearheadotaku wrote: I'm more concerned with getting that damn screen off the dash....

hear hear!!

In reply to Gearheadotaku:

Where's the Photoshop of the hatchback? Was so sexy.

Forgot to get the file from my work PC, D'oh!

Love the custom renditions. Keep them coming.

PHeller wrote:

I WANT THAT

Or this

I'm still working on some ideas but this was the first one I thought of when I saw the ND;

That one with the pop up headlights makes my pants tight.....

Well I started the bumper mod with the file I uploaded earlier, so there's gonna be some quality loss for now, but anyway, I started by "taping over" the front bumper's side vents, and found that I'd already made an improvement:

Hell yeah! This car looks completely inoffensive to me now. I can look at this car 100% cringe-free.

Then I added some vents. Also looks good, not sure if it's better than the vents blanked over, but it looks good and is still as functional as stock:

Here's some work I did on the interior! See if you can spot the differences;

pres589 wrote: I'm still working on some ideas but this was the first one I thought of when I saw the ND;

This is 2015, we can run LED fogs now:

pres589 wrote: Here's some work I did on the interior! See if you can spot the differences;

Big improvement!

I really prefer round lamps to most other shapes. I do like the vertical vents in the front bumper vs the actual. I also think the large round lamps inside the grill help reduce the smiley effect.