Miata Mailing List: May 1993, Message #132
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   From: (none)
Subject: Was: Miata Coupe
   Date: (none)

Hello,
This thread has sort of gotten off of the Miata Coupe and turned toward 
how "hot" can a Miata be and still be a "true" Miata.  Don't get me wrong, 
this is one of my favorite things to contemplate.  However, I always come
 back to that old adage that the single most significant performance 
enhancement you can make to your car is to install a better driver.  That's
 to say, spend your cash on going to driving schools, autoxes, or 
participate in races.  Whatever it is, you can't bolt on, bore out, or 
outright buy the kind of improvement you'll see any other way.  Not to 
mention the enhanced enjoyment you have of any driving experience.  And 
you take it with you to other cars!  If you bought some mondo turbo for the
 Miata and then sold it to buy a Viper (say), there goes the turbo and the $.

This has been said over and over by people staggeringly more eloquent
 than me (e.g. Peter Egan).  Still true.

Of course you can also become a better driver AND buy lots of go-fast 
goodies.  Nothing wrong with that.  But I have seen lots of very tricked out 
Miatas (and other cars) that weren't being driven very well.  Seems like 
most folks fall into one camp or the other.

By the way, a 2000 lb, stiffer Miata coupe with an honest, 
controllable160 HP would probably be a serious challenge to the RX-7 on 
most road courses.

-Al