Lakeside Cruise

A little trip to lakeside means a lot of fun and a chance to test the MX5 on the track.

Lakeside is about 1.5 hours from my place so an early start to the day.

Accompanied on the highway by a friend with the ND setting the cruise control. Speed cameras everywhere. 

the Breakfast and Happy laps is not a Race... No helmet needed.  30 minute "Cruise" around the track with some sections coned off.

My friend's R32 is a 2.0 Turbo and is of course quicker than the 2.0 ND in a straight line.

 The day is hosted by the BRZ/86 owners club



which means my 2.0L ND is about right.
 

A couple of EVOs



and some aussie machines also.

But the 86 is the main runners. Some stock, some turbo, some supercharged.

So how does the Roadster go? Pretty damn good actually. Lightweight Sports is quicker than you think and corner speed is very very good. Body roll was noticable as speeds go up but its fun shifting the weight around.

Against other 86s, performance out of slow corners is just slightly down, but braking an mid corner seemed better.   But with so many variations in car spec, what do you measure against.

The ND was awesome. I loved this downhill section onto the straight and the corner before the eastern loop. The carousel had me on full lean, so that's where suspension was noticeable.  

But I'll be back.

No stress, relaxed sessions. 

ND Interior Upgrade

Interior needs White!


Yahoo Auction...

Shipping?

Light but Big.

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Drive Up Down and Around

Just another lazy Sunday...  Not really.

Time for a refresh of local twisties.  Canungra, Tamborine, Beachmont

You have to do everything twice. one for recon and photography and one for attack.

At times you find little gems, 

Tarmac Stage, It's these kind of bumpy crap shite roads that mean the ND should stay wiggle friendly. 

But then you hit the fresh re-surface and that suspension stroke just becomes damn frustrating. 

On these corners, body roll is way too much especially at full attack.

So there is the dilemma. In two weeks, I'll be on the Lakeside circuit for a test of the roll monger.

I know it's gonna suck. So DMS?

ND - Love to Drive

Getting to the destination is ALL the fun.

After the downhill session

relax and take in the scenery

Next stage... Up and down.

Next Stage... Downhill, Uphill 

On these roads there are times when I think a lowered car would be good, but as soon as you hit your first braking zone with rough patches and humps that use the e n t i r e suspension stroke. I soon restore my thought.

this car is near perfect.

between the next stage. Downhill Uphill Downhill.

On a road like this... meeting a B-Double fuel truck is quite a surprise. No space to pass just stop and enjoy the scenery. 

before... another session...

ND Review 6000klms + 3 Months In

3 Months has gone so fast.

Familiarity, Travel, Sport Driving, Daily Life

The Roadster has been above all surprising and fun!

I'm not new to the MX5, but the ND is something different. Its not raw. It's refined. Its not slow, its fast!

And I love it.
 

 Ive been burning through online parts catalogs and the desire to make it more "cool" is there, but the desire to not ruin the car is also very high on the list.

Where I like to drive is not necessarily a silky smooth circuit, so the stock ride height and feel is pretty dam good.

But when I look at this car... It just screams at me. do it!

Sop my list is,

Volk Racing TE37 16x8 +25 tires 205/50R16
Garage Vary Type 3 Front lip
Odula gt wing.

Parking... Low

While normal is fun...

Race inspiration is more funner?

Too High!

4WD.?

Shocking Decisions

Compare, meet, discuss, feel, ....... maybe decide.

Today I met Matt for a chat about our ND Roadsters.  We are remarkably similar in many ways and the way he has tuned his ND for the street meant that this was going to be informative.

Subtle differences and big differences.

Stupid Australian sun takes no prisoners when photographs are called for in direct sunlight.

My car is the 2017 Base 2.0L while Matt's car is the previous 2016 GT "premium" model.

Aussie GT spec externally gets colour mirrors and hyper silver wheels. Touch entry for the door handles. Internally the changes are colour door trims, leather and silver control bezels. The bits you don't see are terrain sensing headlamps and auto sensing wipers.

My 2017 car doesn't have the un-necessary on 2.0L sound enhancer (matt had deleted this himself.)
But My car has the lane change assist mirrors and rear sensors.

Matt has added a 3rd party proximity parking assist himself.   

So thats stuff I know now from 2016 to 2017.

But thats not the reason for this meet.

Externally  Matt's car has Mazda bottom line aero pack. slight extensions visually add a fraction.

but also MCA "purple"  coil overs and a HKS Legamax exhaust + flash tune add more.


The car is about an inch lower, and 10000% visually better in person.

Driving impression is immediate turn in response is improved and that roll... is gone. 
Sound is awesome but not intrusive.

Because I like driving by exhaust note rather than induction sound, I found that awesome. but i didn't feel many HP changes. Thats something you'd only find on a track maybe.

So #1 priority for me is that I don't wan't to loose the suspension stroke.

Yes I wan't it lower and flatter, but on bumpy sections where I usually drive, I'm nervous to loose that when braking hard into a bumpy corner.

But I think that would be the only negative.

Definitely, I want it lower. As low as will cope with my garage driveway.  
Definitely, I want it louder. This is subjective, but I don't mind it loud ALL THE TIME!

Aero... Odula GT wing and Vary front Splitter would be best

In the new year, I plan to do the odd track day. so I guess that will be the focus.

Spend some money and get what I want.

December Lights.

That time of year.

TARGA Stages

It maybe wet, but that doesn't effect the ND. Superbly competent.

With roads like these. You drive safe, but still fast.

Two of my favourite signs...  The wiggly one

And the go hard sign. realistically on this road you aren't going to break the national limit. It's tight.

Miata country.

It's almost a sin to stop for a photo. 

2nd gear for the main, glimses of third and First on those hairpins.

This was a wet return journey, but the previous nights dry run was open top nirvana.

No it didn't shrink.