Does the MX-5 feel underpowered?

[T0MMY]

Mike22233 said:

Really, I find it gutless on overtakes, especially if you've driven something quick like supercharged exige/evo.

Just got to get used to it I reckon. Jumping from an Evo into an MX5 will obviously make it feel gutless. After a while you get used to having less power then it starts to feel quite nippy, at least that was my experience going from a JDM WRX to a mk1 MX5.

[Mike22233]

T0MMY said:

Just got to get used to it I reckon. Jumping from an Evo into an MX5 will obviously make it feel gutless. After a while you get used to having less power then it starts to feel quite nippy, at least that was my experience going from a JDM WRX to a mk1 MX5.

I still have mine but there is no other word for the acceleration other than slow.

[T0MMY]

Mike22233 said:

I still have mine but there is no other word for the acceleration other than slow.

Slow is a bit strong, I'm never quite sure what sort of cars people seem to compare MX5s to. Nobody bangs on about how incredibly slow contemporary hot hatches were, many of which were similar or slower in pace.

They're certainly not fast but what sort of power:weight ratio would you need before you wouldn't call a car slow?

[Pit Pony]

MX-5 Lazza said:

With an SC it doesn't become an unmanageable monster at any power level. Mine has over 240bhp but I still have loads of traction & grip. Being an SC the power is available all the time so that means it's easy to feather the throttle mid corner, just like driving a stock engine but with more power.

Is there any DIY guide to doing this yourself. I'd like to understand exactly what is required, and I've read loads of stuff, but it seems a bit disjointed in the explanations.

[Mike22233]

T0MMY said:

Slow is a bit strong, I'm never quite sure what sort of cars people seem to compare MX5s to. Nobody bangs on about how incredibly slow contemporary hot hatches were, many of which were similar or slower in pace.

They're certainly not fast but what sort of power:weight ratio would you need before you wouldn't call a car slow?

No, it's not
Don't get me wrong, they make good progress once moving

[clarki]

When I go out for a run with my mates 2 have clio 182s and another a clio 200, not much of a difference tbh, they have a very, very slight edge but I keep up ok. Another has a Fiesta ST with the mountune kit - that's quite nippy to be fair and it has got a clear straight line advantage, which disappears when you get into the corners.

I keep umming and ahhing about a little extra bhp - but I kinda love my car the way it is and seem scared to mess it up. Maybe have to try a tuned one. N/A route though if I did which is a bit limiting.

[T0MMY]

Mike22233 said:

No, it's not
Don't get me wrong, they make good progress once moving

I guess everything is slow unless it's fast then

[clarki]

Mike22233 said:

No, it's not
Don't get me wrong, they make good progress once moving

Really?? Firing off the line is where you can really get a jump on other, particularly FWD, cars...

[T0MMY]

clarki said:

When I go out for a run with my mates 2 have clio 182s and another a clio 200, not much of a difference tbh, they have a very, very slight edge but I keep up ok. Another has a Fiesta ST with the mountune kit - that's quite nippy to be fair and it has got a clear straight line advantage, which disappears when you get into the corners.

I keep umming and ahhing about a little extra bhp - but I kinda love my car the way it is and seem scared to mess it up. Maybe have to try a tuned one. N/A route though if I did which is a bit limiting.

That's kind of my experience on trackdays, had no problem keeping up with the Clio 182s but then you don't know how well they're being driven, I've seen supercars pottering around like Micras on track. Always found my bog standard MK1 resolutely mid-pack on track to be honest, but then I don't generally do very expensive Silverstone trackdays populated with serious exotica.

I went the turbo route on my MX5 in the end but not sure it made the car more fun, other than the "sleeper" aspect being amusing at times.

Edited by T0MMY on Thursday 26th March 08:56

[clarki]

Exactly, and if your talking trackdays then i've passed many an evo/exige/911/M3/etc in the R300, so do you now call them slow?? I dont think so, not to the average PHer anyway.

It's all relative, but in answer to the title question - No (but its human nature to always want more!!).

[rb5er]

Yes

Edited by rb5er on Thursday 26th March 18:39

[Mike22233]

clarki said:

Exactly, and if your talking trackdays then i've passed many an evo/exige/911/M3/etc in the R300, so do you now call them slow?? I dont think so, not to the average PHer anyway.

It's all relative, but in answer to the title question - No (but its human nature to always want more!!).

Clearly poorly driven exiges/evos. I could pass someone in an MX5 in a poorly driven zonda ffs!

PS My initial response was to MK1's which I still own, understand the newer 2l's are a little quicker, albeit, not much.

Edited by Mike22233 on Thursday 26th March 14:09

[MX-5 Lazza]

Mike22233 said:

clarki said:

Exactly, and if your talking trackdays then i've passed many an evo/exige/911/M3/etc in the R300, so do you now call them slow?? I dont think so, not to the average PHer anyway.

It's all relative, but in answer to the title question - No (but its human nature to always want more!!).

Clearly poorly driven exiges/evos. I could pass someone in an MX5 in a poorly driven zonda ffs!

PS My initial response was to MK1's which I still own, understand the newer 2l's are a little quicker, albeit, not much.

It's not all about power. As I said before, I've overtaken Elises and a couple of Exiges on a track day at Silverstone Stowe while driving out Mk1 1.6 track car with standard 114bhp engine. Of course they were a lot quicker on the straights but I more than made up for that on the bends because Stowe is a very tight twisty circuit and it's a lot easier to throw a well set up MX5 around it than an Elise/Exige. They had to let me past when we got to the straights because they were holding me up so much on the rest of the circuit. A couple of laps later they weren't even in my mirrors.

[T0MMY]

Well as I said before, I'm not quite sure what people seem to compare MX5s to. Obviously they're not what you'd call fast but they're hardly in the realms of 75bhp superminis, which is what I'd call slow. 130bhp/tonne for the old 1.8s which is hardly terrible, same as a Golf GTD or a Ford Racing Puma off the top of my head.

For comparison, the closest drag race I remember having pre-turbo was with an E39 525i. Not an especially fast car but I don't think I've ever seen anyone recommend that they should be avoided on the basis that they're massively underpowered.

Edited by T0MMY on Thursday 26th March 18:07

[MX-5 Lazza]

I had a 1.6 Meriva as a courtesy car once. Now that was slow!

[Mike22233]

MX-5 Lazza said:

It's not all about power. As I said before, I've overtaken Elises and a couple of Exiges on a track day at Silverstone Stowe while driving out Mk1 1.6 track car with standard 114bhp engine. Of course they were a lot quicker on the straights but I more than made up for that on the bends because Stowe is a very tight twisty circuit and it's a lot easier to throw a well set up MX5 around it than an Elise/Exige. They had to let me past when we got to the straights because they were holding me up so much on the rest of the circuit. A couple of laps later they weren't even in my mirrors.

No, it's about the driver.
Loving your enthusiasm, they're great cars.

[T0MMY]

MX-5 Lazza said:

I had a 1.6 Meriva as a courtesy car once. Now that was slow!

I had a Fiat 500 hire car for work once which was absolutely abysmal but I think the slowest car I've ever driven was a 1987 Astra 1.3 with a blown head gasket which I bought for £100 to learn to drive in. You had to drop down to first to get up almost any hill I suspect it had somewhere south of 40bhp.

[Pit Pony]

T0MMY said:

MX-5 Lazza said:

I had a 1.6 Meriva as a courtesy car once. Now that was slow!

I had a Fiat 500 hire car for work once which was absolutely abysmal but I think the slowest car I've ever driven was a 1987 Astra 1.3 with a blown head gasket which I bought for £100 to learn to drive in. You had to drop down to first to get up almost any hill I suspect it had somewhere south of 40bhp.

I have owned the Fiat 500's BIGger faster brother the wait for it drum roll, the 126. 20 bhp on a good day ? Now I learnt to overtake in that car.

I never thought of it as slow. Downhill, it would go as fast as any car. Anyone, can drive a fast car fast, but it takes proper skill to drive a slow car fast. I did a lot of my overtaking when I probably should have been braking.

[Mike22233]

Pit Pony said:

I have owned the Fiat 500's BIGger faster brother the wait for it drum roll, the 126. 20 bhp on a good day ? Now I learnt to overtake in that car.

I never thought of it as slow. Downhill, it would go as fast as any car. Anyone, can drive a fast car fast, but it takes proper skill to drive a slow car fast. I did a lot of my overtaking when I probably should have been braking.

Oh, you driving god, you.

[Pit Pony]

Mike22233 said:

Pit Pony said:

I have owned the Fiat 500's BIGger faster brother the wait for it drum roll, the 126. 20 bhp on a good day ? Now I learnt to overtake in that car.

I never thought of it as slow. Downhill, it would go as fast as any car. Anyone, can drive a fast car fast, but it takes proper skill to drive a slow car fast. I did a lot of my overtaking when I probably should have been braking.

Oh, you driving god, you.

Indeed. I could write a book "ste Cars I have owned and loved and hated"

Instead I need to get some renewal quotes for the Mx5 (and D'accord)