Just got a low milage ND1 in May, been having a blast with it in the mountains of Pennsylvania

I own the 2008 Mazda Miata MX-5 Grand Touring PRHT with all the options in Highland Green. I could have bought any other year and model and this is the exact one I specifically chose. Why you ask? Because after researching all of them, this is the one that spoke to me. I like it looks, the color of the paint, the driver's reviews. I get compliments on it daily.

I love the 'smiling face' on the NC Miata!

2:05 just a shell advertisement which makes such car nowadays more valueable and collectable cause this is the genuine factory sticker usually worn and torn or lost. Werkfüllung stand for Factory Fill as it says on the sticker and Shell Kraftstoffe means the fuels and then Schmierstoffe usually means lubricants. This is a car with the right patina for a Porsche and the sticker is still in good shape. You will have to search for quite a long time to find such a good one.

I like comparing old to new - keep on with these type of videos - love them.

I absolutely love my ND1, got it for the same price as your NC, the catch is its 130k miles, but still runs and drives superbly! Love seeing the comparison between these 3 cars!

@rjayzonfeet

4 ай бұрын

Damn you drive the shit out of that car.

Love these kind of comparisons! Having owned and driven and raced 5 Miatas (NA1, NB1, NC1, NC2, ND2 RF) for hundreds of thousands of miles (combined) I’ll share my. 2 cents. NC2 is considerably more composed at the limits than NC1 in stock form. But NC1 or NC2, I would immediately swap out springs and sway bars. They are significantly improved. Stock ND1 was not better than my track modified NC2, and only briefly considered buying an ND1, but skipped it. ND2s are noticeably improved over ND1s, but at the limit still close to my modified NC2, and not as obvious an upgrade as you might think. My wife encouraged the 2020 ND2 RF GT purchase because she saw the COVID induced market issues coming and new the NC2 at 130,000 miles was headed to be a designated track car soon. I’m 6’1” and the ND2 felt tight at first, but once I adjusted, it doesn’t feel tight AT ALL now. Even has room for a helmet, but proportions probably start to come into play with the RF at this point. I really liked the stock ND2 (even more than stock S2000), but like the NCs, it’s still not as composed at the limits, even on the street. After swapping out struts, springs, sway bars, and upgrading shock tower brace, I am VERY pleased with the ND2, RF and all. Probably my favorite sports car.

@sixpooltube

5 ай бұрын

Thanks! Can you share your setup (exact parts + settings) for the ND2 RF?

@kgm5330

5 ай бұрын

@@sixpooltube Sure. My set up for the ND RF GT dual use was mostly worked out by Goodwin Racing. Their Progress springs specified for the RF, Progress RF specified sway bars front and rear, Goodwin's front and rear bump stops, Bilstein B8s (stock B6s are likely fine, this is change I might skip because it's not necessary), Mazdaspeed shock tower brace replaced OEM, Garageline spacers (15mm front, 20 mm rear, do not go any bigger or you'll damage the front liners or have to roll the rear fenders), and alignment specs for dual use from Goodwin Racing. The rear sway bar is easy to replace, much better than stock. Front sway bar is a pretty extensive job, so it takes time or money, but it is SO much better than stock that it's worth it. The OEM sway bars are far and away Mazda's stupidest OEM configuration; they pulled these off the shelf and don't even fit right from the factory. These replacements fit and work beautifully. I didn't go with coilovers because they take some effort to get right on Miatas, and it's pretty easy to screw up a dual use Miata with coilovers unless you're careful about it. I daily my RF and didn't want to mess up the ride for the road (not just for comfort but handling on rougher roads can be greatly impaired with the wrong set up.) I think Goodwin has all this figured out pretty well. If you're thinking about coilovers, I'd talk with someone at Goodwin or Flying Miata first to figure out the best application for your needs. I'm currently on Continental UltraContacts, and I think I like them better than the Bridgstone Potenzas for street use and better than the Michelin Pilot Super sports or the Pirelli P Zero all seasons that I have mostly used in the past on my other Miatas. I don't think they are stickier, but they seem more predictable and smoother when they lose grip. All of these, however, have been good options. Pirellis P Zeros were great in the past, became horrible, and seem to be back on track, so I'm interested in trying those again. All these options are good for Miatas, and mostly come down to personal preference. I would stay away from run flats in ANY form on Miatas. I haven't talked with anyone who has not had anything but horrible experiences with them if you care about handling or performance. The reason I like this set up is that performance is MUCH better and the ride comfort is minimally impaired on the road. My wife, who is very sensitive about this, actually thinks the ride is as comfortable as stock (or very close.) She did NOT like the set up in my NC2 at all ("It's too stiff and hard" lol) and MUCH prefers the ND2's ride in stock or modified form. Hope this helps. All this is pretty standard stuff, and, again, worked out by Goodwin Racing. I HIGHLY recommend that if you're new to Miatas, I wouldn't just go buy stuff and start messing around. These cars are very carefully set up by Mazda (except the sway bars -- I still can't figure out what they were thinking.) They're meant to be modified, but it's pretty easy to decrease their performance by switching stuff out. And a Miata set up for track can become uncharacteristically and even dangerously unstable cornering on typical non-smooth roads.) I'd read the forums and go with Flying Miata or Goodwin Racing. They have this stuff pretty much figured out and can save you ALOT of headache. Both places know their stuff and have always been very helpful.

@lensoprezole5322

Ай бұрын

​@@kgm5330hello, did you see the Mazda Spirit Racing RS Concept that was showcased at the Tokyo auto Salon? Videos are on KZread. It has all the perfect bits for track use as standard from factory. It's like a GT3RS version of the miata without aero.

I love my 2006 NC1 5 speed. It gets great gas mileage and is super fun to drive. It has 206k miles and runs like a top! No engine noise or oil burning. They were really built to last. I want an ND but my wallet doesn't so I'll just enjoy it until I can't!

@davidr2975

5 ай бұрын

I love mine too. I bought mine because it was mint, I like the 5 speed Trans, it's the same shift pattern as my Honda civic, another good reason why I bought a nc1.

I took the NC2... three years ago. I still love it. It might not be the lightest, or the most practical car, but I love it.

I'm not surprised! I'm sure in the handling portion of this test the Porsche is going to get spanked and that NC with RE-71 is definitely going to come out on top.

I got the NC3 over the ND1 because I wanted to turbo charge it and I heard the ND1 had a weak gearbox when charged. They have probably fixed that now with the ND2. I'm very happy with my NC. I got the BBR stage 2 turbo conversion and I love it. It's 300 BHP at the fly and 270 BHP to the rear wheels. It's really fun to drive.

I'm 6-2. I have 21 Club with Ricaros and seat lowering kit. Headroom is fine. 3 fingers between knees and dash.

Love the Dad & son chemistry between you two. Such a fun video! More of these please!

Just got a low mileage ND-2 Club. A blast in the twisties and quick off the line.

Enjoying every second of your miata series! Keep the pure fun videos coming!

Fun video! As the previous owner of the blue NC, glad to see you put on the nice wheels and changed the rubber. The NC is a really great car, but in my experience, it gets very light in the front and steering suffers above 85 mph, even with the handling package and aero package that car has. Glad it was you guys doing the drag racing! Hope to see it on a motocross test one of these days.

@absoluteclownworld

9 ай бұрын

How did yours shift when cold , first 5 mins of the drive after sitting overnight? Mines stiff.. 2nd clunks and sometimes locks you out on first try. 3rd is stiff and needs extra force to shift. After a good 10 minute drive it's fine for the most part but still "feels" meh overall.

@partheniadis

9 ай бұрын

Had the same issue with my NC. Upgraded sway bars fixed the issue on the highways. Coilovers made it even better after!

@dhruvgowda6898

9 ай бұрын

Mine does the exact same thing, I have to force it into 2nd sometimes. But only during winter and when it's been sitting in the cold for a while.@@absoluteclownworld

@JETZcorp

8 ай бұрын

​@@absoluteclownworldThe reluctant cold shifting is fairly normal for NCs, but doesn't indicate a problem. It's the sa.e transmission as the RX-8, and very strong (much stronger than the ND, for sure). The best fluid for the NC is Motorcraft Synthetic MT. It's the secret sauce, and I've read it works better than any fluid at any price. In the Miata community they call it the "unicorn tears". Just go to the local Ford dealer and ask for 3 quarts of XT-M5-QS. The car takes like 2.2 quarts, which is annoying, because it's pretty expensive. But you should be changing it roughly every 3rd oil change, so that leftover bottle can be used later. In my experience, the trans definitely shifts much better from cold, but it will ALWAYS be a tad reluctant when there's snow on the ground.

@manuelaguirre1062

8 ай бұрын

​@@JETZcorpi use that tranny fluid on my 08 mazda 3 and it shifts like butter.

I had Potenza on my old Protege, they improved the cornering and that thing stopped on a dime.

ND2 is perfect, in every way!

@ADUSN

8 ай бұрын

The steering sucks, my only real complaint

@tohaskyline5693

5 ай бұрын

Only if you fit in it, i am 186 and i don't, that's why nc is my choice

@Hammerdak

5 ай бұрын

Unless you want a true hard-top convertible…..and hydraulic power steering…..and room for a 6’3” driver….and a interior storage…..and passenger legroom…..and not have a stupid iPad taking up your sightline. Sure , then maybe I see your point.

@gabrielflores1149

4 ай бұрын

Well no, the ND3 is.

@gabrielflores1149

4 ай бұрын

@@ADUSNfixed in the ND3

I owned and daily, 4 season, drove an NB Miata from new for 17 years. For reasons I didn't get an ND2, but I think it will go down as the best Miata ever. Love 'em all.

Love the vids! Drag races are so fun!

Tommy is having so much fun and I love that for our goat of Tfl family togetherness.

When the ND Miata was first announced, I decided I would sell off my 79 911 SC.. I've never looked back. The Miata has Heat, AC, a working radio.. I did have to drive around with an 80lb sack of cement mix in the trunk for the first 9 months. I was soooo used to the a$$ heavy rear end of the 911;) btw.. I live at sea level. The 79 911 would still out-grunt the Miata in a straight line. That Carrera needs to be tuned for your altitude.

I just turbo charged my nd and it feels pretty fast avo claims 0-60 in 5 sec, and I also have a clutch type limited slip differential makes a world of a difference.

"Its just for fun" Love it. Keep these coming.....

You're right about the importance of tires, and may I add brakes. My big brother said buy the best of those. So, I took his advice and got a set of Continental DWS06 Plus tires from Discount Tire because there's a $110 rebate and I'm pairing it with EBC USR Rotors and YellowStuff Brake pads on an 07 Scion TC. The RedStuff are almost as good with much less brake dust. May add stainless steel brake lines and definitely using Redline synthetic brake fluid.

@boredhazel

4 ай бұрын

scion tc doesnt need upgraded brakes buddy🤣 Trash car

Would be interesting to see this with the factory POS NC exhaust manifold replaced with a 4-1 header. I swapped out mine and made a nice change in power and torque.

I would love any gen Miata.

Sure would like to have a new Miata. Such fun driving.

TFL is now in the position to do the comparison I can't find anywhere on the web... Compare which car is more fun to drive - the NC MX-5 Miata or the C5 Corvette... I currently own a 2012 MX-5 GT. Great fun on back roads, but lacking for highway travel. I am considering a C5 or C6 Corvette and I would love to know how you feel they compare / differ in the driving experience. No question the Corvette is faster in a straight line, but what about the overall driving experience.....

@datboytalkinrungotellem

7 ай бұрын

c5 has alot of power, alot.. totally different experience.. its all personal preference but i had more fun at lower speeds and tight roads w the nc and the c5 was just a blast bc of the power.. take both for multiple test drives. if you havent upgraded the suspension on the nc then really leaving some fun on the table

@themancuniancandidate2744

Ай бұрын

I used to work from GM Canada as a demo driver, leaving in 2011. I'm telling you straight that Corvettes feel like they are built at about 3.30pm on Friday afternoon; the trim is so bad it's laughable, and they are about as refined as a cement mixer. Save your money and your sanity, and buy an MX5 instead.

@lensoprezole5322

Ай бұрын

​@@themancuniancandidate2744great comment LOL😂

I'm 5'7" and there is an ND Miata in my future.

@CliffWarren

3 ай бұрын

@@user-np4fn4kr9h Not yet, first my wife’s car needs an upgrade. The Miata is next year.

It is more fun to drive a slow car fast than driving a fast car slow… the Miata you can probably redline the first 3 gears and just walk away with a speeding ticket. Try that is something with 400+hp and you’ll like be going to jail. I have driven a mid 1990’s Miata and it was a blast to flog in first 3 gears and I don’t think reached faster than 75 mph.

Great comparison video. As the owner of an NC, I am curious about the RE71RS tires on the NC. How much tire noise do they make?

Good review having owned 2 gen 1 miata. At 6"4' my head would fit between the bars. I'm looking for a new gen Miata with high mileage. I also had a MR2 gen 1 very good car. Thank you

As a current owner of a rotrex powered 97', I would choose the ND for sure. The tugboat is fun, just feels big compared to my NA8

@JETZcorp

8 ай бұрын

How dare you speak poor of the Mighty NC? You'll walk the plank for this! Yarr!

Tommy, I hope you all have been in contact with Flyin' Miata. They have a turbo kit launching soon for the NC, that and some other mild modifications make a huge difference (Flyin' Miata turbo NB2 owner here). Off topic, I see you are a Moonswatch fan. Same!

@bryaninnc5511

10 ай бұрын

Too bad they stopped doing v-8 swaps 🙂

Seat lowering bracket and cut the plastic trim that hits your right knee and the ND is perfect for someone 6ft or less.

At 5' 4" Miata's are very comfy.

Man you can really see how much extra power the nd2 makes above 6k

I’d love to watch my new(old) ND1 up against the ND2 or a new Boxster.

I love your swatch

I see Tommy is rocking the MoonSwatch there

The closer comparison would be NC2/3 vs ND1.

I’m still on the fence if I liked my 2010 nc phrt or my 2019 Rf. Definitely think the roof disappearing on the phrt was a better roof than the RF.

I might be interested in an ND, but my 2010 NC has way more room for my 6’1” height.

Im too tall for the ND, NC it is and i love it!

Love to see a video and your thoughts on a 2000 Mazda Millenia S, I have one, has 70,000 miles on it. Thank you.

@christianbrandes6362

9 ай бұрын

They are amazing, they are mini hellcats lol

Wow, I thought the 911 would have walked away. Very interesting.

Looking at the difference in interior space, once you lower the seats in the ND it is far superior. It's easy to do, and we have a good video covering the different brands of seat rail kits and the dramatic difference it makes. I'm 6'2" and drive an ND 1k miles a week.

@socalmotorx

6 ай бұрын

I’m a little shorter at 6’ but lowering my seat made a world of difference. I just barely with in the car before with 2 fingers of clearance on my RF. The lowering rails gives me 4 fingers of clearance and more importantly a more ergonomic seating angle for my legs.

Nice hair dryer. The 84-85 Carrera hair dyers are the best ones to get.

I love the color on the nc... what's it called?

I have a 2014 mx-5 with the 6 speed... transmission sucks for the first 5 minutes of driving then shifts fine... but before that 2nd clunks or soft locks you out on first try... 3rd is very stiff and needs extra force to shift, also sometimes clunks if you shift to fast when cold. After about 5 to 10 mins it's pretty much fine but still feels meh overall.. not impressed.. Changed the trans for redline synthetic and had x2 transmission mechanics look at it.. both said normal / tight tolerances.

Gotta have some fun!! That poor 911,,, desperately needs a full clean & detail. That 911 needs to slip the clutch a little more on the launch to really get going vs bogging it down, but I know you are taking care not to break it. I understand. Roman sure had a decent launch with the older Miata in the race against the 911. The Miatas are definitely sporty. Not rockets, but sporty. Wonder if Mazda would ever put their turbo in the current Miata,,,,,, 😊.

@mazdaman0075

7 ай бұрын

Well, if you believe Dave Coleman, NEVER. And he should know. 😉

I had a ND2.5 (Polymetal gray metallic 2020 Club convertible) and loved it, but the NC is a beauty as well. It's heavy, but I prefer the body over the NA and NB. Wish I could have kept my Miata, but I needed another truck and there wasn't room for it. I think there will be when I retire 🙂

My 2017 just hauls ass. The sport button is insane. Literally pushes me into the seat

if that ND had a manual steering rack, it would be close to perfection!

@lensoprezole5322

Ай бұрын

You meant hydraulic?

@miguelt.7997

Ай бұрын

@@lensoprezole5322 No, I meant as in no assistance at all, Lotus Elise like

I had a manual NC last year, and currently run a manual ND1 RF. I'm telling you straight the ND is significantly quicker. The ND2 would be even quicker still. The NC is a great little car, but the ND runs rings around it in pretty much every area.

I can't do an nd. I'm only 5'10 but even with the seat all the way back my eyes are even with the top of the windshield pillar. Wish I fit but it's not happening.

I’d like an ND2.5, where they stretched everything to fit my 6’ 4” frame

@ADUSN

8 ай бұрын

I'm 6"3 and I make it work.

@mazdaman0075

7 ай бұрын

@@ADUSN All depends upon your torso length I guess. I'm the same height sitting down as my brother, he's 6'4" and I'm 5'10".

Bridgestone Potenza FTW Boi!

I owned an NC2 and it was a blast. Can’t fit into ND very well. Like it just wasn’t designed for anyone over 6 ft tall. 😊NC2 was much better.

@aperson5062

9 ай бұрын

if your 6 ft tall or taller. At 5'10" my ND2 RF fits like a glove.

Drag racing is not a thing in Europe. In Germany spinning tires from a stop is a quick way to spend an uncomfortable afternoon in the nearest Polizeistation. I love that the Miata is still small, light and simple, Porsche has lost its way over time.

Nice omega swatch

I love all the Miata's

I'll take last year RHT NC Club....

I don’t fit in any Miata. My head pushes into the soft top and I look at the windshield frame on top. Lol.

I’d take NC miata for the value…but if there was a s2000 in the mix I would take that over a ND miata.

Clearly the porche don,t have 240hp any more, but the nc is my drive away pick.

The best part about any old Miata is calling the Atlanta based Exocet company to make it a real race car!

Love the Miata’s but given the choice? That Porsche.

@user-tg8do2kr4v

9 ай бұрын

Junk

Give me the Porsche with the flared fenders and whale tail!

Pontiac solstice GXP next. 😂😂

My dad has the NC Miata and I’m only 5’9” on a tall day and I find it a bit tight. Overall though if money was no object, I would take the Porsche even though it’ll probably be ridiculously expensive to maintain.

@JETZcorp

8 ай бұрын

I'm 6'1" and it took me a couple days to settle into the NC. Rented one on Turo and in the first 5 minutes I HATED it and thought I'd made a terrible mistake. 3 days later, I cried when I had to give it back. Now I own one and daily it year-round, even in Blizzak season.

Besides being childish i don't know about the torque difference between them my guess is the old version could be a 1.6 liter and the other a 2.0 liter .. Need some explanation on it that would be helpful

ND all the way!!!

These cars aren't drag racers. Have Paul test each around the road course, then we'll see how the compare with each other!

Warning: You may want to watch this video at 2X speed.

Nice smiley face

The Porsche interior doesn’t look old

NC modded > ND modded

So you’re saying my 350,000 mile prelude could smoke a 911 Porsche! Because it can out accelerate a NC Miata.

They didn't specify if it is an ND1 or ND2..

@aviking6186

5 күн бұрын

It must be an ND2 as it's brand new I think.

Hilarious voice when racing lmfao

I would have skipped the Porsche and brought in a Honda S2000 for comparison.

That is one slow example of a 911 from that period

I can't believe the Porsche got spanked by the old Miata. Twice! Do you think it was the driver?😂

@user-tg8do2kr4v

9 ай бұрын

nah porsche is overrated junk

There’s a reason the ND2 and the NC don’t compete against each other in SCCA Solo events

@dblrightclick

10 ай бұрын

uh they’re in the same class … I autocross an NC so I feel the ND2 pain

@scotturich

10 ай бұрын

@@dblrightclick you are correct I thought they reclassified when they bumped the power

I've got a NC2 with the PRHT. Far superior to the ND RF.

@stephenj4937

9 ай бұрын

My brother has one of those with over 350k miles on it - you can't kill them.

We all know what one looks better

The ND would be the most reliable.

@htasker8

8 ай бұрын

NCs are know for being incredibly reliable

How about doing an episode about used EV under $10k… looks like there quite a few options… Nissan leaf, Fiat 500e, Chevy spark ev, ford focus ev… and several more!

@cormaro1376

8 ай бұрын

Yea ones with a bunch of miles , get ready for a battery change lol

New vs old, ignores NA and NB. Awesome

Lol you don't need good tires on a Miata. That's the entire point.

My son's and me all over 6'3 so with 2 in an ND is impossible. Shame, have to stick to my NC.

@gregblack8550

5 ай бұрын

Nc is a great car.

@aviking6186

5 күн бұрын

Rejoice my friend and have a look at "lowering seat kit" out there. It's maybe the solution for your guys to fit in a ND!

@asphalthedgehog6580

5 күн бұрын

@@aviking6186 I lowered the seat by 1" in my NC. I know there are kits for the ND, but first buying the car, modifying it and coming to the conclusion...

@aviking6186

4 күн бұрын

@@asphalthedgehog6580 No sure thing it will work, I understand. Which kit did you use for your NC?

$14000 for a fun car that is very reliable vs a $37k car that barely beats it vs an ugly Old German money pit!The NC is a no brainer winner.Thats why I bought one!

@bobreno4042

5 ай бұрын

Barely beats it? Did we watch the same video ?

Me personally I take the NC mistake. It looks better

@erniearruda8861

9 ай бұрын

Miata . Stupid autocorrect

What's with the "face" on the nd? It's gone from happy on the nc to evil. And evil is strictly bmw territory.

No turbo mazda.

🐢 💨

240 hp against 160 hp is that fair? Lol

Nice race. 1st here...