Mx5 Nd or Alpine a110 for road and trackdays?

[Loafers92]

Hi all,

I currently have a track prepped mx5 nd 2.0 with 184 hp that I use on track, and so far I've really enjoyed it, its a great momentum car that is also good fun to drive on track. Besides a gearbox replacement under warranty, it's been quite reliable too. I dont love convertibles so I never use it top down, or very rarely, I wish they had made a true coupe version - otherwise, great car.

I might be moving this summer to somewhere with tracks that have long straights (Estoril, Portimao) and am wondering if the mx5 will be a bit out of its element there, given that these are tracks more suited to a bit more power, so I was considering a switch to a base Alpine A110 that I would modify over time (engine mapping, chassis)

Given that the Alpine is almost double the price of the mx5, would it be worth the spending? I've driven a gts on backroads only and loved everything about it, but yet to try one on track.

I love lightweight cars and was also considering a v6 exige but it might be a bit out of budget for the moment. Also looked at s2 exiges which I love everything about, but I need something that I can also use on a roadtrip across europe. I have considered a 987.2 cayman but I dont want something that has high running costs, in terms of maintenance and consumables, as well as potentially old enough where lots of things will need replacing. Only exception to that criteria would be a Lotus because I'm a sucker for their cars!

Thanks in advance

[ChrisH72]

Can't answer your question but do you mind me asking what year mx5 yours is and what happened with the gearbox please? I have a 2020 ND2 and the gearbox can be a bit of a pain.