RE: BBR Mazda MX-5 Super 200: Review

[900T-R]

Leejay-B said:

Great idea, probably not even much heavier than the current base engined Elise. More luggage space too.

Plus the super 160 kit from bbr and some added revvyness from the 1.5 would be great fun. Add some suspension enhancements and I'm sure you would have most of the Elise fun.

Indeed that sounds a lot like the sweet spot for pure fun. If you're going to deviate from the prevalent 'more = better' school of thought, you might as well go the whole hog.

[spikyone]

re33 said:

Sounds like great upgrade but saying they calibrated the dyno off a standard road car is basically admitting that it's not really 200bhp. I don't think it matters though, in the car it should still feel great.

That's not what the article says at all. What it actually says is that, on BBR's dyno, the cars achieve Mazda's claimed figures.

threespires said:

SPS said:

30K for an MX5 - way too rich.
I love em for their purity of handling etc but still a lot of dosh.
Boxster S anyone?
Yes it will be 3 to 4 years old but.......

As has been said countless times on these pages, one cannot compare a new car to a used car at the same money.
This BBR at c £30,000 compares to a new Audi TT or an Abarth 124 when they become available. For a PH type of driver I see no contest, the BBR has to be the choice.

Never mind new for used, a couple of services and a new set of tyres on a used Boxster will cost the same as the conversion on the MX5. Something else that the "buy a used Porsche" brigade conveniently ignore any time someone mentions a sporty car that isn't German.

[Krikkit]

Leejay-B said:

Motorsport3 said:

Any bbr upgrades for the 1.5lt miata? Retain the weight saving over the 2lt one? A bit like a front engined elise equivalent - but a lot cheaper. Is it just me think of it?

Great idea, probably not even much heavier than the current base engined Elise. More luggage space too.

Plus the super 160 kit from bbr and some added revvyness from the 1.5 would be great fun. Add some suspension enhancements and I'm sure you would have most of the Elise fun.

I'm not entirely sure about that. The ND boot is tiny.

Can't really see the obsession over the 1.5, 25kg is a 2.3% weight difference. For the extra power it's surely worth the effort?

[Jam12321]

Mitch87 said:

I'm 188cm tall, but slim... Can any owners offer an opinion on my chances of fitting in the ND? I have heard that I will be looking through the top of the windscreen, and my knees will be either side of the wheel.

The obvious answer is of course to take a test drive... but proximity and availability of Mazda dealers is an issue and I've only seen 1 on the road around here in the last year.

(Edit... because this BBR upgrade has made the want very strong!)

Im a couple cm's shorter but have sat in one briefly at goodwood and found i was comfortable and not looking at the top of the windscreen. Admittedly it is snug in there but i didn't feel like i had shoe horned myself into something to small.

[matpilch]

Krikkit said:

Can't really see the obsession over the 1.5, 25kg is a 2.3% weight difference. For the extra power it's surely worth the effort?

It's not the weight difference, it's about that engine. Stock, the 1.5 is way more engaging, revs to 7.5k, sounds crispier and is an in general an utter joy. the 2.0 is more GTish in character I'd say.

[SturdyHSV]

matpilch said:

Krikkit said:

Can't really see the obsession over the 1.5, 25kg is a 2.3% weight difference. For the extra power it's surely worth the effort?

It's not the weight difference, it's about that engine. Stock, the 1.5 is way more engaging, revs to 7.5k, sounds crispier and is an in general an utter joy. the 2.0 is more GTish in character I'd say.

I'd imagine the new cams in the 2.0 help with any revvy character?

The 2.0 means a torsen diff too, nobody likes a one wheel peel...

[matpilch]

SturdyHSV said:

I'd imagine the new cams in the 2.0 help with any revvy character?

The 2.0 means a torsen diff too, nobody likes a one wheel peel...

I only have experience of stock 2.0 and stock 1.5. The dyno sheet looks promising for the 2.0 indeed.
The diff availability depends on the market, from what I know, in Germany you can get the 1.5 in top spec, including suspension upgrades, braces and Recaros. Outside of Germany, we need to hope for a nicely specced special edition

[densil101]

Has anyone actually driven a Super 160 MX5 yet?

[Dan Trent]

densil101 said:

Has anyone actually driven a Super 160 MX5 yet?

We'll see if we can get a go ASAP.

But just to re-cap you can add the Starchip tuning package to the 1.5 and get near-as 160hp and the Super 190 manifold mod (basically removing the cat from the stock four-two-one set-up) and exhaust will add a little more power and noise too.

As previously mentioned elsewhere my mum actually runs a 1.5 and I'm attempting to 'borrow' it for a trip to Brackley for it to return 'a little more perky'.

While I'm here Neil also mentioned that in dyno testing the NDs they all respond very well when run on super unleaded.

Cheers,

Dan

[densil101]

Great! Thanks

[Scottie - NW]

threespires said:

As has been said countless times on these pages, one cannot compare a new car to a used car at the same money.

Yes you can and I and others regularly do. If you have a budget in mind for your car you look at lots of options, and I like many others consider what I could get new versus what is so many years old, how depreciation and running costs balance out and so on.

But thanks for telling me and all the others we are not allowed to think this way.

[Johnnytheboy]

I'd be a little surprised if it really did 0-60 in 5.6.

[dinkel]

Johnnytheboy said:

I'd be a little surprised if it really did 0-60 in 5.6.

200 brake in a 1100 kgs car... mmmh.

http://www.060calculator.com/

Dunno how accurate it is.

[nicfaz]

Johnnytheboy said:

I'd be a little surprised if it really did 0-60 in 5.6.

Should be easily achievable in a rwd car, 205hp at 1100kgs.

[Leejay-B]

Krikkit said:

Leejay-B said:

Motorsport3 said:

Any bbr upgrades for the 1.5lt miata? Retain the weight saving over the 2lt one? A bit like a front engined elise equivalent - but a lot cheaper. Is it just me think of it?

Great idea, probably not even much heavier than the current base engined Elise. More luggage space too.

Plus the super 160 kit from bbr and some added revvyness from the 1.5 would be great fun. Add some suspension enhancements and I'm sure you would have most of the Elise fun.

I'm not entirely sure about that. The ND boot is tiny.

Can't really see the obsession over the 1.5, 25kg is a 2.3% weight difference. For the extra power it's surely worth the effort?

Fair point about luggage, it is very small in the ND MX5 as well, smaller than I thought.

Google shows 130 litre boot for ND MX5,
And 112 litre boot in Elise.

So a little extra, but then if you are buying one of those then luggage is not a big issue.

[elvismiggell]

Leejay-B said:

Fair point about luggage, it is very small in the ND MX5 as well, smaller than I thought.

Google shows 130 litre boot for ND MX5,
And 112 litre boot in Elise.

So a little extra, but then if you are buying one of those then luggage is not a big issue.

I'm pretty confident you'll get more in the MX-5's boot than the Elise. Not by a huge amount maybe, but enough.

That said, isn't the Elise still a fair bit lighter than the MX-5?

[Leejay-B]

matpilch said:

Krikkit said:

Can't really see the obsession over the 1.5, 25kg is a 2.3% weight difference. For the extra power it's surely worth the effort?

It's not the weight difference, it's about that engine. Stock, the 1.5 is way more engaging, revs to 7.5k, sounds crispier and is an in general an utter joy. the 2.0 is more GTish in character I'd say.

The higher revs and involvement of the 1.5 is very attractive. The 25kg weight saving is a bonus.

BBR upgrades show new rev limiter for -
2.0 litre ND = 7100 rpm
1.5 litre ND = 7700 rpm

Although I admit the power and upgrades of the 2 litre would be nice, the 7700 rpm potential of the 1.5 would sway me I think.

[threespires]

spikyone said:

Never mind new for used, a couple of services and a new set of tyres on a used Boxster will cost the same as the conversion on the MX5. Something else that the "buy a used Porsche" brigade conveniently ignore any time someone mentions a sporty car that isn't German.

Fair point

[CABC]

Scottie - NW said:

threespires said:

As has been said countless times on these pages, one cannot compare a new car to a used car at the same money.

Yes you can and I and others regularly do. If you have a budget in mind for your car you look at lots of options, and I like many others consider what I could get new versus what is so many years old, how depreciation and running costs balance out and so on.

But thanks for telling me and all the others we are not allowed to think this way.

You're right. Many posts do ignore TCO though, which can be high with Pork. All good if the conversation is open and complete in its logic. And of course depreciation is higher on new cars, then again these are rarely strictly rational decisions!

[Dan Trent]

It's only a 15-second teaser for the moment but here's a little clip from the video we also shot on the day - FYI this is BBR's louder Super Sport backbox option with the 2.5-inch centre section; there's a quieter Grant Tourer one too. All are optional over and above Super 200 pack but, I'd argue, well worth it. I would say that though, being the owner of a rowdy little Eunos with a noisy exhaust!

Cheers,

Dan