...then I drove a Miata on the track. Hmmm...
The thinking was along these lines. What am I doing tearing up a car that is still worth some $20K on the track when I could pay cash for a cheap Miata, install a turbo kit, and have the same performance for a whole lot less money and worry? I could sell my 8 and shed a car payment while it is still in great shape. I could also return it to stock and get some cash out of the aftermarket parts I have put into it and put that money into building out the Miata. Sounds smart, right?
Well, through some unexpected serendipity, I ran into another driver who had exactly what I was planning to build last Saturday. He had bought an '04 Spec Miata with a fresh drive train and installed a FM turbo kit, then had it corner balanced and aligned. The head scratching began when I consistently beat him by 0.9 seconds lap after lap after lap. He's a good driver, so that wasn't the difference.
In a typical session, we would run neck and neck on the straights. Neither of us could pull away. But I could carry more speed into, through, and out of the corners than he could.
We took turns driving each others cars. The best way to describe the difference is the Miata was like riding a wooden roller coaster, and the RX-8 was like riding a steel one. The Miata felt fast and was very visceral. At first, I was sure I was turning in great lap times. But the equipment doesn't lie, and I was a full second slower in his car than I was in mine. His experience was much the same. He was about half a second faster in my car.
My 8 doesn't feel fast. Everything is gradual and smooth. It is like putting on your favorite jeans. The car is comfortable to drive, and you forget about it after a few minutes. It just goes where you want it to with no fuss and without beating you up. I thought Miatas were supposed to give the same driving experience, or very close to it. What gives?
Maybe a different suspension setup in the Miata would improve it. But, Spec cars are set up the way they are for a reason. They are set up to extract every last ounce of performance possible. Sometimes fast isn't supposed to feel fast. I dunno.
Your thoughts?
The thinking was along these lines. What am I doing tearing up a car that is still worth some $20K on the track when I could pay cash for a cheap Miata, install a turbo kit, and have the same performance for a whole lot less money and worry? I could sell my 8 and shed a car payment while it is still in great shape. I could also return it to stock and get some cash out of the aftermarket parts I have put into it and put that money into building out the Miata. Sounds smart, right?
Well, through some unexpected serendipity, I ran into another driver who had exactly what I was planning to build last Saturday. He had bought an '04 Spec Miata with a fresh drive train and installed a FM turbo kit, then had it corner balanced and aligned. The head scratching began when I consistently beat him by 0.9 seconds lap after lap after lap. He's a good driver, so that wasn't the difference.
In a typical session, we would run neck and neck on the straights. Neither of us could pull away. But I could carry more speed into, through, and out of the corners than he could.
We took turns driving each others cars. The best way to describe the difference is the Miata was like riding a wooden roller coaster, and the RX-8 was like riding a steel one. The Miata felt fast and was very visceral. At first, I was sure I was turning in great lap times. But the equipment doesn't lie, and I was a full second slower in his car than I was in mine. His experience was much the same. He was about half a second faster in my car.
My 8 doesn't feel fast. Everything is gradual and smooth. It is like putting on your favorite jeans. The car is comfortable to drive, and you forget about it after a few minutes. It just goes where you want it to with no fuss and without beating you up. I thought Miatas were supposed to give the same driving experience, or very close to it. What gives?
Maybe a different suspension setup in the Miata would improve it. But, Spec cars are set up the way they are for a reason. They are set up to extract every last ounce of performance possible. Sometimes fast isn't supposed to feel fast. I dunno.
Your thoughts?
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