In reply to KyAllroad:
are they making ground just on the straight or on the drive out of the corner too?
In reply to KyAllroad:
are they making ground just on the straight or on the drive out of the corner too?
KyAllroad wrote: On two track nights now I and two of my Miatai driving friends have lapped NCM in the intermediate group and all three of us have been universally "up the trumpet" (to use Mr. Clarksons phrasing) of the P-cars in all the corners. Then we get walked in the straights. YMMV
That is the driver. Drivers being equal, a Boxster is going to walk away from a Miata at any point on the track.
In reply to Flight Service:
It seemed like it was mostly just in the straights. The Miatas braked deeper and later and stuck harder in the corners. Just couldn't overcome a 200 hp horsepower disadvantage. Same situation against the vettes, corners good=straights weak.
What year does the whole IMS issue go away in the Boxster/Cayman models? IIRC they changed the motor at some point.
2009 is when the new motor came in but the 2000 motor is really pretty good too.
Went through this debate for the last year, and ended up with a CPO '15 MX-5 for the price of a mid-'00s Cayman. As fun as the Cayman would have been, I did not want to contend with the maintenance costs of the Cayman. It's not a concern in the Miata, plus, the drop-top is excellent. I like how lowering the roof is a drama-free, instant-gratification flick of the wrist.
In reply to Flight Service:
If you have a miata engine to give away I will gladly take it!
@toebra you are correct about driver having a lot to do with Miatas lapping Boxsters but having spent a ton of time instructing at PCA tracks days I will tell you Boxster will not walk away from a Miata at any point on the track. A Miata is 750lbs lighter, both cars are fantastic but at the end of the day on medium and low speed tracks I'd take a Miata.
Here is the rub; I am a better than average driver so the fact that getting the last little bit out of the Miata means skating the car though the corners in an alarming manner doesn't bother me but the average track day driver or non racer would go faster in a Boxster.
The Porsche is fantasticly balanced and has that billet feel. The Miata is more of a hooligan car and that is why a like them.
If I was mostly street driving I'd lean towards the Porsche and if it was mostly a track day car I'd pick the Miata. Since money matters here I'd spend a few extra bucks getting more omph out of the Miata and put a good set of dampers on it.
Last year I was eyeballing Caymens but instead bought an Outback, Formula 500, upgrades for the Datsun vintage race car, a NA Miata for my son to daily and do track days.
Tom
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