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Mazdaspeed NB vs NC Miata

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#24 ·
They are both fun cars...The MSM has some shortcomings, like power delivery and gearing. You can also think of it as a 15 year evolution of a 1990 chassis. Not necessarily a bad thing, but to me, it drove like a very nice version of my old 1994 NA. Flyin' Miata has some very nice upgrades for the MSM.

The NC is a modern and capable chassis. The factory suspension is crappy for most enthusiasts. Side by side, they move out at about the same pace (NC is slightly quicker). I usually beat the MSMs at autocross, on my street tires.
Also, for many, the seat/pedal placement is awkward on the NC. There are some fixes, but stuff like this shouldn’t happen on a modern car.

If you love Miatas, neither car is a bad choice. Drive both and pick the one you like.
 
#25 ·
Not trying to threadjack, but rather than starting a thread for a basic question I'll just ask here...


Which model, NA, NB, NC, has the most room for the driver?

I was in a Mazda dealership and sat in both an NB and NC. I'm 6'1 about 210 lbs...neither had a lot of room, and my all-torso frame cause my eye line to be right at the top of the windshield.

A guy down the street is probably about 6'3 and has an NA that he putts around town in. Does the NA have more room than the two models that followed it?
 
#26 ·
pwm said:
Not trying to threadjack, but rather than starting a thread for a basic question I'll just ask here...


Which model, NA, NB, NC, has the most room for the driver?

I was in a Mazda dealership and sat in both an NB and NC. I'm 6'1 about 210 lbs...neither had a lot of room, and my all-torso frame cause my eye line to be right at the top of the windshield.

A guy down the street is probably about 6'3 and has an NA that he putts around town in. Does the NA have more room than the two models that followed it?
Click to expand...
I know the NA has more room than the NB. Not sure how the NC compares.
 
#27 ·
pwm said:
Not trying to threadjack, but rather than starting a thread for a basic question I'll just ask here...


Which model, NA, NB, NC, has the most room for the driver?

I was in a Mazda dealership and sat in both an NB and NC. I'm 6'1 about 210 lbs...neither had a lot of room, and my all-torso frame cause my eye line to be right at the top of the windshield.

A guy down the street is probably about 6'3 and has an NA that he putts around town in. Does the NA have more room than the two models that followed it?
Click to expand...
NA has more space than the NB, and your neighbor likely did a "foamectomy", ie chopped some foam out of the seats for extra head room.
 
#28 ·
Maybe I'll ask to sit in it. He's got a nice little stable and we often talk cars.

He's got:
2006 Gen Civic for commuting
Last gen TL for commuting
1989 911
1991 Miata

His sons/SIL always stop by with new A4s/S4s. There are always neat cars visiting. Seems like a big car family.

Next time I see him I'll ask him about the foamectomy. Its not like there are side airbags or anything in these...do replacement buckets accomplish the same thing?
 
#29 ·
pwm said:
Maybe I'll ask to sit in it. He's got a nice little stable and we often talk cars.

He's got:
2006 Gen Civic for commuting
Last gen TL for commuting
1989 911
1991 Miata

His sons/SIL always stop by with new A4s/S4s. There are always neat cars visiting. Seems like a big car family.

Next time I see him I'll ask him about the foamectomy. Its not like there are side airbags or anything in these...do replacement buckets accomplish the same thing?
Click to expand...
Some buckets will lower the seating position as well, but at the cost of seats+brackets+etc, as well as more trouble getting in and out of the car due to the high side bolsters. The foam removal is essentially free ignoring the time spent doing it.

I'd love to get some sparco buckets for mine, but for now chopping up the seats for $0 is a better option for me. I actually fit quite well, but my helmet pokes out above my rollbar by about an inch or so. There are various other tricks to lower the seats even more if you search around on miata.net.
 
#30 ·
Here's how you fit a fat guy in a NB http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthre...ead.php?5343601-Fat-guy-in-a-little-jacket-or-6-foot-1-–-300-lbs.-in-a-NB-Miata

I vote NC, but try to get the newest one you can.

The chassis on the NB feels like a 1989 car; the chassis on the NC feels modern. I also like the NC interior and the looks have kind of grown on me. Compared to the MSM, it looks like a tylenol with Altezzas, but it feels more like a baby RX8 than a rickety old sports car.

The MSMs also came with big horsecarriage wheels that look too big on the car. You could build a better turbo 1999/2000 NB buy getting a better price on the base car, say $4000 and adding $4000 in engine and suspension work instead of paying $8000 for the MSM. That's the route I would go. You could come to find that you can live with a regular NB's power and spend all the money on suspension, which is actually what I'm finding I would rather do than have a MSM after a few years of owning just a base NB.

Sorry long post.
 
#32 ·
So here is a question to enthusiasts. What if you were looking at either of these for a summer DD and weekend cruiser/short trip taker and had no plans to track, modify, etc. Just wanted something peppy without the cost of an S2K?
 
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#33 ·
clutchrider said:
So here is a question to enthusiasts. What if you were looking at either of these for a summer DD and weekend cruiser/short trip taker and had no plans to track, modify, etc. Just wanted something peppy without the cost of an S2K?
Click to expand...
The answer is still NC.

The MSM was the swan song of the NB, which was more than a bit long in the tooth at this point. The extra bracing and larger wheels, body kit, turbo, etc. had increased the weight by about 300 lbs. over the 99/00 NBs.

The NC marked the arrival of the new platform, probably to at least 2013. Aluminum engine, just a tiny bit of weight gain from the last of the NB models.

The early NC models didn't have the best suspension tuning, but it is essentially a 15 year newer car even though they are back to back model years.
 
#34 · (Edited)
clutchrider said:
So here is a question to enthusiasts. What if you were looking at either of these for a summer DD and weekend cruiser/short trip taker and had no plans to track, modify, etc. Just wanted something peppy without the cost of an S2K?
Click to expand...
I've had two of both. I'd recommend the Miata. You're looking at $5k vs $10k (assuming you're talking about NA/B miata, because the NC is about the same cost as an S2000). You have to drive the S2000 like you stole it to have fun. The miata has lower limits and a more fun powerband for short trips.

If you're concerned about the looks, quality, out of the box prowess, the S2000 is much more appealing, but also significantly more expensive. $5k would buy a lot of stocks/tracktime/hookes/etc.
 
#35 ·
NC + suspension upgrade + lightweight wheels/better tires +

a proper tune?

(I've heard Mazda's stock programming is rather conservative on most cars.. even more so than other brands)

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=410002

We have quite a few hours testing the NC on our inhouse dynos here in Texas. If you need a reflash, give us a call and we can tell you what the proceedure is to get than grin widened..

....

Well, we aim to change that impression!!

Most of the folks that have this done love it, Infact I can't think of anyone who didn't tell me the grin factor was huge.

You can expect a gain of 6-14% on your car. But when you drive it, it will feel like a ton more, due to the changes we make to get the drivability nicer

BTW, if ya do ever decide to make exhaust or intake changes, log it and let us know, the touch up is free!
Click to expand...
Anybody familiar with DPTune.com or Dynotronics?
 
#36 ·
BRealistic said:
NC + suspension upgrade + lightweight wheels/better tires +

a proper tune?

(I've heard Mazda's stock programming is rather conservative on most cars.. even more so than other brands)

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=410002



Anybody familiar with DPTune.com or Dynotronics?
Click to expand...
from what i have read when i was thinking about doing this, it wakes the car up big time. the tune not only gives you a bump in power, but there's a better throttle response and the powerband feels smoother.

and yes, an NC with even a little bit of suspension work and better tires make the car a completely different animal. spring+shock combo coupled with a wider wheel and a stickier tire was all i needed to keep me satisfied with my car.
 
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#37 ·
pwm said:
Not trying to threadjack, but rather than starting a thread for a basic question I'll just ask here...


Which model, NA, NB, NC, has the most room for the driver?

I was in a Mazda dealership and sat in both an NB and NC. I'm 6'1 about 210 lbs...neither had a lot of room, and my all-torso frame cause my eye line to be right at the top of the windshield.

A guy down the street is probably about 6'3 and has an NA that he putts around town in. Does the NA have more room than the two models that followed it?
Click to expand...
NA has more room than the NB just because the NB has more crash safety stuff crammed into the door-sills and such, and it's the same exact chassis. The NC has the most room, but then again it's a bigger chassis.

clutchrider said:
So here is a question to enthusiasts. What if you were looking at either of these for a summer DD and weekend cruiser/short trip taker and had no plans to track, modify, etc. Just wanted something peppy without the cost of an S2K?
Click to expand...
So you just want a roadster with creature comforts above everything else?

Anyway, NC is the most comfortable, however you should specify what you mean by pricing. A decent NC, a MSM, and a AP1 S2k are near the same price. If you are a small person, or feel comfortable in a NB you should try out the NB. It has a lot of creature comforts that the NC has, and can be found at a reasonable price. Personally IDK where you live, but I wouldn't pay more than 8K for a non special edition NB. Occasionally you will see a NC at that price but it's kinda rare. Expect 12 or so for an early NC example with moderate mileage.
 
#38 ·
mariok2006 said:
I've had two of both. I'd recommend the Miata. You're looking at $5k vs $10k (assuming you're talking about NA/B miata, because the NC is about the same cost as an S2000). You have to drive the S2000 like you stole it to have fun. The miata has lower limits and a more fun powerband for short trips.

If you're concerned about the looks, quality, out of the box prowess, the S2000 is much more appealing, but also significantly more expensive. $5k would buy a lot of stocks/tracktime/hookes/etc.
Click to expand...
.....$5k is a hard buy for a NB man. A lot of the NBs at that price are pretty shot IMO.
 
#39 ·
Coworker has NB MS and prefer the NC2. Bigger, new look, enough power.

As he said they [Mazda] just threw a turbo that was laying around on it and didn't bother with tuning. He tuned it and made a world of difference that and a full TIG'd exhaust.
 
#40 ·
I vote LS1 NA but I have a bias...


But seriously, Drive them back to back.
It's going to really come down to your personal driving impressions.
The NC felt bigger/planted/smooth
The NB felt faster/turbo!/poised
 
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