300WHP Turbocharged 1.6 Miata! The Perfect Miata.

We all understand the Miata, or at least we think we do.

Phil.
LS Swaps..
For Hairdressers…

But when you come an example that showcases what you never expected, you get perplexed.

Personal History:

You see, I’ve owned a Miata for about 2 years now; it is a beautiful 1995 M-Edition that gets me from point A to point B while always providing me with a smile. I always have loved my car, but after 2 years of daily driving a stock NA Miata you get a little.. worn. The car truly does need more. I’ve always expressed and defended how the tiny tires provide the fun factor, but that was just a mire excuse for not being able to afford tuning it myself. But don’t get me wrong, I still love my little purple (merlot) Mazda. So when the opportunity came to be able to drive a turbocharged 1.6 that is pushing 300 horsepower at the wheels (dyno tested), I immediately jumped on board.

The Build:

The motor is still technically the original 1.6 that came with the ‘91. The owner Quinn, however, has rebuilt and replaced most of what’s under the hood. He told me a story about when he originally turbo’d the car the head gasket blew, so he started to dig through the car. What he found was very shotty. The previous owner did a very sketchy resurfacing of the head, and there were 2 different kinds of pistons inside the cylinders, accompanied by dwindling piston rings. He had a limited options.

He chose to keep the original motor because he saw the potential in the springy 1.6. He wanted to be able to achieve the power figures he wanted without being a flashy LS Miata guy. Next he took it to Advanced Engine Dynamics and together the Miata was fitted with forged pistons, rods, and fancy other bits. Currently the Miata still has the original 5 speed gearbox (that Quinn intends to swap out for a 6 speed), a limited slip differential from a 1.8, a front subframe from an NB Miata, and the typical coilover and wheel upgrades.

The Drive:

Driving this car was not an inch short of incredible in every way. Just like any other Miata, Quinn’s gave you confidence. It is so easy to find the edge and drive on it for long periods of time; the car is extremely intuitive. What made this example so incredible was the fact that the limit that you want to drive on is so high. To give you perspective think of a canyon road that has a tight curve with a recommended speed of 20 miles per hour, for safety. My stock 1995 Miata can thrillingly take the corner at about 40 miles per hour while riding the edge of grip. Quinn’s Miata didn’t even hesitate when I threw it into the same corner at 55+. Meanwhile, powering out of the corner felt exactly how a Miata should feel. Having the extra power on tap made you push the car to the outside of the corner on exit, you as a driver had more freedom to place the car to where you wanted.

Now something I really appreciated, as mentioned in the video above (highly recommend you check that out and subscribe to the channel), is the fact that this is still very clearly a Miata. Recently I had the chance to drive a pristine NA Miata that was set up for the track. Not that there was anything wrong with this track Miata, it was amazing, but it was very obvious that I was driving a track toy. Meaning you could have placed me blindly in the track Miata and I wouldn’t have known what I was sitting in. Quinn instead made sure to keep the Miata spirit and feel. I couldn’t believe how well he captured the feeling of simply creating a very fast Miata.

The Conclusion:

Recently we saw a video of a new Fiat 124 track monster that was boasting about 300 horsepower and a price tag of about $150,000. Seeing those figures together is intimidating and demotivates you in making that yourself, however, you can. And for much less. It’s not that this Miata is the perfect Miata because of it’s power and feel, but because of what it represents.

A new breath has come over me for the Miata. I now understand the joy and harmony in taking your Miata and making it more. The beauty of the Miata is in the owners interpretation of the car. Since there are so many different ways to modify the car it is very apparent that if you have one you should do something to it. Make it yours. For those without a Miata, whenever you see this little Mazda poking about, take a sharper look at it and the car will tell you more about the owner than you expect.

Thank you for reading and commenting on the video.