Mazda MX5

[Lazza]

How many other Z4 owners on here have had or still own an MX5?

I bought my first one, a brand new Mk1 1.8i Berkeley back in 1998 and owned it for around 5 years. I bought my second one in 2003, a 2011 Mk2.5 1.8 Sport. A few months later I had a lot of work done to it, rear roll bars, upgraded coil overs and most importantly, MP62 supercharger with big FM intercooler. Various upgrades including a standalone ecu saw the power steadily rise to over 240bhp - plenty in an MX5. I think in a straight drag race, it wouldnt be far behind my 35i!
It was featured in the EVO MagazineRoad & Track Car of the Year article in 2004 when it still had just 215bhp.
Last year, after around 70k mikes of road, track and drag strip use the charger finally gave up and munched the bearings. Rather than replace it I have removed all the charger/intercooler/ecu and taken it back to standard power, other than the little power that the exhaust upgrades will be giving. Realistically, on the road, it’s just as much fun now as it was with the charger, possibly more as you have to work it harder to make good progress. I still have it. At some point I need to sell it on as the Z4 is supposed to be a replacement. It’ll be a bit of a wrench though.

The plan has been to replace it and the 2011 Merc C220 cdi with a single car that could do the job of both. The comfort and cruising ability of the Merc along with the speed & fun of the ‘5. I think the 09 35i I have bought fills that gap perfectly.

Mk1 Berkeley in Scotland


Mk2.5 Sport at EVO COTY 2004


Mk2.5 Sport in Scotland

 

[markplant]

If you haven't seen Stevie's thread it might interest you
http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=101847&p=1495781&hilit=330#p1495781

 

[Anonymous]

I think there are quite a few members on here that have migrated from MX5 ownership, including me. For the money they’re a great roadster. I had a 2.0 Mk3 with the folding hard top. Uber reliable and frugal too, we just outgrew it for our frequent trips to the south of France.

 

[Lazza]

Ta Mark. I'll keep an eye on that thread!

 

[markplant]

Ta Mark. I'll keep an eye on that thread!

If you want a really good read there's a monster thread where Stevie put a V10 in his zed

 

[Lazza]

I think there are quite a few members on here that have migrated from MX5 ownership, including me. For the money they’re a great roadster. I had a 2.0 Mk3 with the folding hard top. Uber reliable and frugal too, we just outgrew it for our frequent trips to the south of France.

I thought there might be as they seem like an obvious 1st step towards something like a Z4, SLK or S2000.

 

[Lazza]

Ta Mark. I'll keep an eye on that thread!

If you want a really good read there's a monster thread where Stevie put a V10 in his zed

I'll have a good look around when I get some spare time on my hands.

 

[buzyg]

I don't fit in. Our son has a nice Mk2 though.

 

[DOOM]

I bought my 2004 NBfl a year ago as my (sort of) daily.
I a d o r e it.
Been wanting one since I can remember myself.
And tbh, luckily it came after the ZC cause if I had bought her earlier I am not really sure if I would have gone the Zed route..

 

[jabber]

I have owned 3 mk2.5s in the past great little car but not as practical as an e85

 

[Buckz]

I do own a Japanese import MK1 mx5..

She's a 1800cc s special in Laguna blue.. only mods are roll bar, flyin Miata suspension, alloys and that's it. Rest is stock. Did come with a lot of body bracing.



post image

 

[DOOM]

How many other Z4 owners on here have had or still own an MX5?

I bought my first one, a brand new Mk1 1.8i Berkeley back in 1998 and owned it for around 5 years. I bought my second one in 2003, a 2011 Mk2.5 1.8 Sport. A few months later I had a lot of work done to it, rear roll bars, upgraded coil overs and most importantly, MP62 supercharger with big FM intercooler. Various upgrades including a standalone ecu saw the power steadily rise to over 240bhp - plenty in an MX5. I think in a straight drag race, it wouldnt be far behind my 35i!
It was featured in the EVO MagazineRoad & Track Car of the Year article in 2004 when it still had just 215bhp.
Last year, after around 70k mikes of road, track and drag strip use the charger finally gave up and munched the bearings. Rather than replace it I have removed all the charger/intercooler/ecu and taken it back to standard power, other than the little power that the exhaust upgrades will be giving. Realistically, on the road, it’s just as much fun now as it was with the charger, possibly more as you have to work it harder to make good progress. I still have it. At some point I need to sell it on as the Z4 is supposed to be a replacement. It’ll be a bit of a wrench though.

The plan has been to replace it and the 2011 Merc C220 cdi with a single car that could do the job of both. The comfort and cruising ability of the Merc along with the speed & fun of the ‘5. I think the 09 35i I have bought fills that gap perfectly.

Mk1 Berkeley in Scotland
E27774EE-5C52-43FB-AEFF-0F2B41BD57E2.jpeg

Mk2.5 Sport at EVO COTY 2004
E68C0163-958C-4E8F-8A14-5D8A3849F26F.jpeg

Mk2.5 Sport in Scotland
D0070EF9-3358-47B2-B6B9-FBE6B6CB2774.jpeg

What shoes is the Mk2.5 wearing, if I may so ask?

 

[Lazza]

They are 17” OZ Superturissmo. A little on the heavy side but they look great and don’t seem to hurt the ride at all.

I also have a set of 15” Rota Circuit 10 with Yoko A048 for track use.

 

[DOOM]

They really suit the car, nice one!
Is that deuce roll bar?

 

[paulgs1000]

Yep - I had an MX5 Mk2 before my Zeds - fabulous fun and never failed to put a smile on my face

 

[srhutch]

Nearest I got to one was a test drive. Tested one with the retractable hard top, followed shortly afterwards by testing a 2.2i Z4. The rest as they say is history.

The LSD put me off as on a roundabout it was really noticeable being fixed. That and the fact there was no discount on the MX5 and a 3 month wait. As a result a Z4 with a list of 10k more cost only 2k more (2.5si sport) so the deal was done.

 

[Steve84N]

I had a Mk1 Eunos Spec-B 9yrs ago, it was a super rare factory model that came with an M45 supercharger and other Mazdaspeed goodies including a TorSen differential. It was great fun and made an awesome noise but it had serious problems.

The smaller supercharger is bolted to the head rather than the block like the larger MP62. This can and did crack my cylinder head so I got Phil Dixon to rebuild it and he used a MK2 head which flows better. I got it back on my birthday and it blew up, spewing white smoke like a Challenger tank. I think it was running lean and although he repaired it we never got the supercharger back on before some spotty oink crashed into me at 2am after losing the back end of a Corolla coming off a roundabout. Then they ran off... After being caught he had alcohol in his breath but was just under the limit.

The Eunos was replaced with a DC2 Integra Type-R and then a 330Ci before the Z4 I had. It's a close call as to which was the most fun but now it's all been surpassed by a C63.

 

[Lazza]

Ooh, nasty. Especially for a rare (over here) special!

The MP62 is also attached to the head bug it uses better mountings and also has a brace underneath that attaches to the power steering bracket.
Phil Dixon (Performance 5) is the guy who did 90% of the work on my car too! A good guy and very knowledgeable but terrible at running a business.

 

[Steve84N]

Thanks for the correction, my knowledge is a little rusty.

Phil developed some nice suspension around the time I had mine and I saw him crop up again years later when I installed WhatsApp as he's still in my phone book.

 

[DPG]

Has anyone tried one of the new ones?