Turbo Rotary Mazda Miata Attacks SEMA

BUILD ONE!

I rented my friend's modified '06 Mazdaspeed Miata this past summer. That was one helluva rental. Having driven the RX-8, I'd say stick with the Miata's inline 4 and boost the hell out of it. It's awesome.

That wing might be functional. Although its dorky and a moth-to-a-flame cop attractant, I'd keep it.

Speaking of jonesing...all of those Datsun 240Z pictures from last month have got me craving one more than caffeine. Pardon me while I go perusing ebay and craigslist.

I love the idea of a rotary, as their smooth, revvy nature is appealing. But the reality of low torque and high fuel usage like a larger engine is less appealing.

I never did care for "rowtreez" as they're unreliable, don't sound all that great and inefficient. Different yes, but just not my cup of tea. Give me a F20C out of an AP1 S2000 and about 10psi and I'm done.

Go for it, Inside Line! After all, this is supposed to be an auto enthusiast's website, and that includes cars from all eras, both stock and modified. While you're at it, build and review some other older cars too like a Datsun 280z, Foxbody Mustang, VW Rabbit, etc.

I say get a miata and do a LS swap :]

Monstermiata.com will further increase your miata jones...I'm feeling this for sure, and I agree with aznraptor, go for the LS powered Miata. Then get a hardtop and go smoke some supercars. DO IT!

Do eeeeet!

Come to think of it, carbon fiber bits save a surprising amount of weight on a Miata--the stock decklid and doors are steel and are actually quite heavy, the factory hardtop is heavy fiberglass... hmmm...

Too bad Mazda doesn't do this one for themselves. Call it the RX-5? Call it whatever you want, I like it.

DO IT! Oh hey... I'm running those same Falkens on my Miata!!!

YES! A first-gen Miata long term car would be awesome. I'd be curious about how well a specimen has aged.

I learned to drive stick on a family friend's 95 Miata, their 'third' car and one they rarely drove. Needless to say, I ended up putting more miles on it during my high school career than they did... and I took the flack to match for driving such a 'chick car' regularly. What the jocks and trend-sters of my little town didn't know was that I was learning the basics of auto dynamics by tossing that little red pill into corners and weaving through desolate mountain towns. It didn't matter that (at that point) it probably only had about 90bhp, I learned to really drive and appreciate handling over power piloting one of the most well balanced machines of the last 2 decades. Since then I've driven 400hp supercars, spocom icons and stripped out racers and very few of them have come close to matching the transmission feel, fling-ability and smile-factor of that little Mazda.

From one 1st-gen enthusiast to another I say, DO IT. I've got a hunch that any bro-schmo that's sipping on the hater-ade would become an instant convert after getting a chance to ride in a 9,000rpm, properly 'stanced' Miata.

Zoom-zoom...

I learned to drive stick on a family friend's 95 Miata, their 'third' car and one they rarely drove. Needless to say, I ended up putting more miles on it during my high school career than they did... and I took the flack to match for driving such a 'chick car' regularly. What the jocks and trend-sters of my little town didn't know was that I was learning the basics of auto dynamics by tossing that little red pill into corners and weaving through desolate mountain towns. It didn't matter that (at that point) it probably only had about 90bhp, I learned to really drive and appreciate handling over power piloting one of the most well balanced machines of the last 2 decades. Since then I've driven 400hp supercars, spocom icons and stripped out racers and very few of them have come close to matching the transmission feel, fling-ability and smile-factor of that little Mazda.

From one 1st-gen enthusiast to another I say, DO IT. I've got a hunch that any bro-schmo that's sipping on the hater-ade would become an instant convert after getting a chance to ride in a 9,000rpm, properly 'stanced' Miata.

Zoom-zoom...