Category: Design

Credit/Special thanks: I.L. Motorsport (www.ilmotorsport.de)

Looking at one in Mazda’s showroom, the MX-5/MIATA comes across as small and cute, but I.L. Motorsport’s demo NC couldn’t be further from that! (Just look at their little roadster tearing up the Nurburgring!)

You see, there’s a reason why the MX-5/MIATA is the best selling roadster of all time. Mazda’s ethos for the little drop-top – focusing on total balance rather than absolute power – is what makes this roadster so special and such a joy to drive. It’s, lightweight, nimble, agile; call it the ‘refined athlete’ if you will. And much like an athlete on the track, the MX-5/MIATA can certainly hold it’s own against bigger, more powerful rivals.

Leaving the ‘power v handling’ debate aside, I think we can all agree that the stock exhaust (see above) is the clear ‘Achilles heel’ of the speedy roadster.

The stock system has 2 major ‘bottle necks’, one on the header and one just after. Removing these alone makes a huge difference as it dramatically reduces turbulence and back pressure caused by the OEM system (see above).

Combined with the straight pipe and muffler, you’re looking at vastly improved exhaust flow as well as a weight saving of more than 35lbs!

For full details, click here!