#mazdaspeed roadster

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Article comparing the Mazdaspeed A-spec and B-spec Eunos Roadsters. Translation of pages below.

How to enjoy the Mazdaspeed Roadster

Let's start with Aspec

test drive

MAZDASPEED EUNOS Roadster

A spec(1.8ℓ)

B spec(1.6ℓ)

The A-Spec is focused on the suspension. The B-Spec is its higher-end version with increased power. These two kits will greatly expand the range of driving capabilities of the Roadster. They will be released by Mazdaspeed, who knows Mazda cars inside and out.

report: Satoshi Saito

Photo: Hideyo Komine

Contact:

mazdaspeed

03-3533-6496

Runs and turns just the way you want it to

Let's start by getting straight to the point. Which one is more fun? It's definitely the B-spec. Although the displacement is different, the two cars have engines with similar characteristics. Since one of them has been tuned, it's only natural that it's fun. If it wasn't fun, it wouldn't be worth paying a high price for. The 102 isn't a bad car either. It will cost a fair amount of money, but if you know how, you can make a 1.6 -liter model that exceeds the 1.8.

Now, the B-Spec. The power specs are maximum output 144/6500 rpm, maximum torque 17.0 kgm/5700 rpm. Compared to the standard model, the power is up by 24 horsepower and the torque by 3 kgm.

In terms of speed, it's not as fast as VTEC, and if they were going to do it, I would have preferred it to be tuned to about 100 horsepower per 1L. That's my honest opinion. However, compared to a normal engine, it's still much more pleasant and powerful. Of course, even compared to the 1.8 -liter engine.

Perhaps it's because of the lighter flywheel, but the engine response is really good. Even when heel-and-toeing, you don't have to hold down the accelerator with your heel and wait for the rotations to pick up. Just give it a gentle jerk and it responds properly.

The more you increase your pace, the more you get into the rhythm. From braking to downshifting, and then cornering. Gradually open the throttle as you accelerate, then upshift. It's a certain pleasure, as if the car and your hands and feet are one.

This is due not only to the engine, but also to the well-balanced suspension. The springs are not set too hard, but the A-spec stabilizers on the front and rear and the 8-stage adjustable shock absorbers help the car turn just as you want it to.

Although it had been a while since I last drove on the Izu Skyline, I felt as if it were a familiar road.

If you are dissatisfied, just change it.

On the other hand, the 1.8 -liter A-spec car is not boring; that is not the case at all. If you want to enjoy driving, it is several times more fun than the normal 1.

Compared to the B-spec, the stock engine feels rough when revving up, but perhaps because the intake and exhaust systems have been replaced, the revving up is smoother and the torque is stronger at around 2000-5000 rpm. Since it already has torque in the low rpm range, there is no need to be fussy about keeping it at high rpm.

You can run fast and without stress without having to try too hard.

The handling is still incomplete. Only the front and rear shocks and the rear stabilizer have been changed, and the front stabilizer is still standard. The handling is unsettled, and when you turn the steering wheel, the nose turns in more than you would expect. There is a lack of stability.

So I changed the shock initials from 2 for both the front and rear to 3 for the front and 2 for the rear. This significantly increased stability, but the rear still lacked stability. So I boldly changed the rear to 1 (the softest). This calmed down the car's sharp cutting movements, and made it much easier to drive.

The A-Spec shock has eight adjustable settings, and each initial setting produces a clear difference in damping characteristics, so you can play around with the settings like this. In fact, I was playing around on winding roads trying out different initial settings on this A-Spec to see what kind of handling it would give me.

I wrote at the beginning that the B-Spec is by far the more interesting car, but that is only if you look at it as a completed car. If you change your perspective to enjoying the car, both are enjoyable enough to never disappoint you. This is no lie. If you are not satisfied with the engine, you can just tune it. There is no need to put up with anything and drive a ready-made car, as the A-Spec and B-Spec teach us.

_______________________________________________________________________

MAZDASPEED

EUNOS Roadster B spec(NA6CE)

144 horsepower and the response you expect

B-spec is, simply put, a tuned, complete engine.

It is set to 1.6L Roadster, and includes a stepped cylinder head port, high compression piston (compression ratio 10.5:1), eight-speed cam, reinforced valve springs, computer, lightweight flywheel (40%), reinforced clutch, reinforced clutch cover, octopus legs, muffler, air cleaner, head cover with Mazdaspeed logo, oil filler cap, and special ornament.

For the B-spec, a modified vehicle inspection is required, and the car will be delivered after passing this procedure. There are only 80 units available, and the price is 680,000 yen (excluding modification application fees, etc.).

Also available are radiators that increase heat dissipation by 100% and springs.

●15-inch wheels, 20mm lowered ride height, original nose beads, etc. give it a more dynamic image.

★The only difference in appearance is the stainless steel exhaust manifold and head cover, but the inside has been significantly improved.

★The test vehicle is equipped with a radiator (98,000 yen) that dissipates twice as much heat, and an oil cooler.

●To accommodate the strengthened suspension, the wheels are Mazdaspeed original 15-inch. The tires are 195/50 size W-1 Spec R.

●The already familiar Mazdaspeed rear spoiler. Compared to the standard version, it creates a much more aggressive rear view.

●The stainless steel sports muffler (76.3mm) is included in the standard tuning of the B-spec. It has a slightly thicker sound that is appealing.

●The buckskin bucket seats (68,000 yen each) that were installed in the test vehicle. They offer high levels of support and comfort, and are highly recommended.

_______________________________________________________________________

MAZDASPEED

EUNOS Roadster A spec(NA8C)

"The joy of finishing the suspension

●Although the A-Spec is centered on the suspension, there are also a wide variety of parts available for the exterior, interior, drivetrain, etc. You can choose your favorite parts from among them.

A-spec parts are developed for use on public roads and are in compliance with safety standards. The selling point is that you can wear them and pass vehicle inspections with confidence.

Although there are many exterior and interior dress-up parts on the market, the main products are suspension and engine-related parts.

The suspension-related parts include shock absorbers, stabilizers, and bushings, and their development and settings are handled directly by drivers Yojiro Terada and Takashi Yorino.

As for the engine, an air cleaner, a sports sound muffler, and octopus legs were added. Although the inside of the engine was not touched, the aim was to bring out the engine's inherent performance by tuning the intake and exhaust systems.

Other drive system parts available include a reinforced clutch and clutch cover, and a mechanical 1.5-way LSD.

PIC CAPTIONS

●The interior is slightly dressed up with 360mm leather-wrapped steering (35,000 yen) and aluminum and carbon shift knob (8,400 yen).

● The damping force adjustable shock absorbers are priced at 18,000 yen each for the front and rear. In addition to stabilizers, bushes and pads are also available.

The wheels are Mazdaspeed MS-01R 7JJ x 15 inches (35,000 yen per wheel). The test car is fitted with Dunlop W-1 tyres.

●Aero board combined with a four-point roll bar (48,000 yen). The streamlining effect and rear visibility are not very satisfactory.

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Personal scan '95/'96 Mazdaspeed Parts Catalogue

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Mazdaspeed Miata

[things-about-cars-in-posts]

Talk to us more about miatas. The sillies

There's so much I could say about it, but I feel like a nice thing to do is to start from Miataland, the wonderful place I alluded to in my kei car post (you really ought to read that section before this post) - or more specifically its collection, for despite being some half-hundred Miatas, it's not monotonous at all.

While sure, there is some bit of "this one's a different color!" going on (which I definitely can't say I understand, but being a collector often comes with being a completionist), the bulk of the collection is extremely varied - not least because the above is just the first of the four generation the Miata has been sold for.

Well, more accurately the MX-5, since that's the only official name that lasted all throughout, with the American "Mazda Miata" being ditched by the third generation in favor of MX-5 and the Japanese "Eunos Roadster" name turning to "Mazda Roadster" with the second generation since the Eunos brand got nixed. And every generation, known by the two-letter codes that represent the model in their chassis number (VIN for yankees) that span from NA to ND, has further changes within it!

The NB, seen left in the beautiful 10th Anniversary Edition, received interior and exterior updates in 2001, seen right in the rare Mazdaspeed Turbo edition, one of the extremely few factory turbo Miatas (leave it to Mazda to turbocharge a sportscar engine and manage to gain only 26hp out of it) - and, being more of a huge update of the NA than a new car, it retained the two engines, the 1.8L that many have because they say it's the better engine and the 1.6L that many say is the better engine because it's the one they have (though updating the 1.8 with Variable Valve Timing for, in other markets, more power, and, in the US, less more power).

The NC did it one better - not only did it get an exterior refresh and two engines -1.5 and 2.0- but it even had different tops, with an optional "PRHT" electric metal top that further cemented its reputation as a big fat boat of a Miata, for its outrageous increase in size (two inches all around) and weight (up to 90kg or 200lb). No, seriously. This generation is actually extremely overlooked, so much so that Andrea, the owner of this whole shebang, only has two (which I do appreciate is quite an insane sentence). But that means you can scoop one up for not that much, and I do recommend it!

The ND, instead, is quite the enthusiast's darling - how many cars these days get smaller and lighter with a newer generation? How many cars out there are no bigger nor heavier now than thirty years ago? Oh and also just look at it. Once again, a refresh (i.e. "The lights are 'new', the mirror's bigger, and there's a software update! Please care :)") was just unveiled, and you can get them in 1.5 and 2.0 flavor and optionally with the "RF" hardtop on the left. Well, not those two you can't, because the one on the right is the only example of the 300-unit 30th Anniversary Edition in Italy, and if you think Mr. Miataland can't flex harder on the Corvette dads of America who insist theirs is super rare because of that specific year (that is no different from the others) with that specific combination of options (that is in no way special) with that (random) color they only made 503 (and yes there's many people like that), the other car in this picture is a 1-of-1 Miataland edition. I should clarify: he didn't just make up his own special edition; Mazda asked him to make up his own special edition for them to build for him to celebrate his collection. Which, I want to stress, Andrea is not at all vain about. And props to him because if that happened to me I cannot fathom being humble about it.

Hell I am not humble about having sat in this M2 (IT'S INCREDIBLE!!!! IT FEELS NEW IT SMELLS NEW), imagine owning one PAIR.

Which also makes an important point: the Miata is probably one of the cars they made the most special editions of. I mean, G-limited, R-Limited, S-Special, S-Limited, RS-Limited, SR-Limited, VR-Limited A, VR-Limited B, Tokyo Limited, V-Spec II, 93LE, BBR Turbos and of course the M2 1001, 1002 and 1028. And want a kicker? Have three: those are just the first generation ones, and just the ones he owns because there's some he's missing, and they're not even all the special first generation Miatas he has - because we've not even gotten to modifications.

From fiddling with the engine as per the supercharged one in the foreground or outright replacing it as per the 5.0L V8 (!) one in the background...

...to completely altering its shape by way of changing bumpers and lights, as per this Pitcrew kit-adorned example...

...to just fucking making it an extremely bad Ferrari 250 GTO... replica? It's so far off I can't even tell if it's sincerely trying.

And such modifications are genuinely innumerable. I could hit the image limit just with full-transformation body kits for the first generation Miata, let alone all the weird bumpers, side skirts, spoilers, mirrors et al across all of them!

And that's the thing about the Miata - it can go in so many directions and will take it just fine. That's what they mean when they say Miata Is Always The Answer (M.I.A.T.A.): classy old roadster cruiser?

Miata! Get the Nakamae quilted interior bits and any of the plethora of chrome accessories and you're good to go! Barebones weapon?

Miata! The existence of CarbonMiata alone is proof enough that you'll have no problem sourcing weight reduction bits. Serious track car?

Miata! Even a stock one will be competent in autocross (oh right, we're trying to be accessible: "What If We Pretended This Parking Lot Was A Racetrack? We Have Cones!") and you're going to spend six digits before you run out of possible upgrades. Silly track car?

Miata! The thing is so small and light that you can just upgrade it with stock components from bigger cars, and they made a million of 'em (not hyperbole) so even if the bit you're looking for isn't one of the plenty used in many other cheap cars it will still be in plentiful supply. Drift car?

Miata! Obviously you can get drift modifications for it, it's one of the cheapest rear wheel drive sportscars out there. You can use a stock one or go as hard as you want, DestroyOrDie makes front suspension components that allow for more angle and of course every suspension you could want is available. Rally car?

Miata! This is an actual 90s picture, they even used a couple for ice racing! Rock climber?

Miata! Paco Motorsport makes a lift kit for them and the owner of the one in picture, Jimmy Has No Garage, also sells a kit they codeveloped with Godspeed Project, and that's just to talk about off-the-shelf solutions! Four seater?

Okay, maybe that's a bit of a stretch. Pun intended.

And again, please note: all these are just the first generation.

The Miata really is an insanely versatile car that was so beloved all over the world all through the years that from the most outlandish to the most minute every part of it has been taken in every imaginable direction, most often by people who dedicated their lives to it. The enthusiastic curiosity it oozes has thoroughly proven contagious.

And throughout the years it remains determined to get to experience more adventures! You find a ton of them that racked up hundreds of thousands of miles with nothing but a happy owner to show for them. Road and Track notably bought one with some 350k miles and were, shall we say, impressed.

(How's that car going now? Who knows, they put it up for sale after eight years and a car chase) Like I like to say of many old Japanese cars, it'll keep going until it dissolves. Its only real problem is it's very prone to dissolving, so look out for rust.

And now, since today is Halloween, y'all have a chance to scare me for good: I have a list of modifications I would do to a Miata were I to own one. (And have lots of money. (And lots of time. (And a clue how to turn a wrench. (And probably other requirements I am forgetting about.)))) It is an extremely, extremely long list. Like, over a hundred items long. WAY too long for one post. Probably too long for a chain of ten. Where was I going with this? Huh, I must have been thinking out loud again. Anyhow, here's a poll. It boosts engagement!

Links in blue are posts of mine about the words in question - if you liked this post, you might like those!

[topmiata]

👌 @mazdaspeed_cspec 🇯🇵 The C-spec is the rarest NA Roadster. Built by members of Mazdaspeed, who won Le Mans back in 1991.

In Japan, it is called "legend" or "phantom roadster". #TopMiata #JDM #Mazda #Miata #MX5 #roadster #namiata #mazdaspeedcspec #mazdaspeed #cspec

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Miata is always the answer 😶 ⭕@definitive_motorwerk ⚪tag @ owner 📸@geoasimak

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