The fourth generation of the Mazda MX-5 Miata does slow-car-fast arguably better than anything else on the market today. But as it’s often the case with car guys, some people want more get-up-and-go from the freely aspirated 2.0-liter SkyActiv-G.
This is where the aftermarket steps in with a varied selection of enhancements. The most extreme example comes from Flyin’ Miata, which swaps the inline-four with a 525-horsepower V8. A more down-to-earth course of action is a small supercharger such as the one from Edelbrock.
Over in the United Kingdom, however, most MX-5 owners rely on tuning specialist BBR. Starting from £4,395 excl. VAT, the Stage 1 turbo upgrade for the MX-5 ND increased the 2.0-liter engine’s output to 248 ponies at 7,150 rpm, while torque goes up to 236 pound-feet at 3,250 rpm. For the U.S., BBR chose Flyin’ Miata as its exclusive distributor of the Stage 1 turbo pack.
In detail, Stage 1 translates to a TSX30-71R twin-scroll turbo mounted on a bespoke cast-iron twin-scroll manifold. The air charge temperature, meanwhile, is controlled by an air-to-air intercooler. Other highlights include high-flow induction from K&N, up-to-snuff boost hoses, Starchip / EcuTek RaceRom ECU, and a turbocharger heat shield finished in carbon fiber.
“On the Stage 1 conversion boost is set a conservative 7 psi, which is well within the limits of both the BBR turbocharger and the SkyActiv-G engine,” explains Neil Mckay, the British outfit’s director. “With internal upgrades to the Mazda engine we know that considerable more power is available - the BBR technical team is already developing future stages to exploit this.”
Bit by bit, the Stage 1 turbo upgrade consists of:
bespoke twin-scroll hybrid TSX30-71R turbocharger including jet turbine specification fixings
bespoke cast iron twin-scroll exhaust manifold
stainless steel downpipe
high-flow lightweight front mounted aluminium intercooler with factory-look black intake pipes
high-flow custom silicone turbo pipes in factory look black finish with stainless steel hose clamps and unique black coating
lightweight aluminium battery tray in factory black finish
recirculating piston type dump valve in factory black finish
BBR / Bosch MAP / temperature sensor
high efficiency carbon fiber turbocharger heat shield
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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