The idea of a supercharged MK1 Mazda Miata is enough to infuriate purists. The Japanese roadster has won acclaim for being its era's perfect driver's car. It's one of a few cars that purely relies on the driver's input. But what if you could bump up the power on this little hot road? Jack of Number 27 YouTube channel got the chance to drive a supercharged 1993 MK1 Mazda Miata.
Let's face it. While the MX-5 Miata makes a great driver's car, it could do better with some extra power. Jack's test unit is a Eunos Roadster V-Special II, a Japanese version of the MX-5 Roadster. It has a 1.8-liter engine, limited-slip differential, MeisterR coilovers, and upgraded brakes but no ABS.
This particular MX-5 is perfect for forced induction because it comes with the same engine you'd find in the Mazda 323 Turbo. It comes stock with strengthened internals, an ideal recipe for boosting.
It's a neat setup that uses a Magnusson MP62 supercharger. According to Jack, this supercharger unit gives the MX-5 the equivalent of an extra liter of power, pushing 200 hp (203 ps).
Stock Eunos Roadster V-Special II MX-5s came with a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine paired to a 5-speed manual transmission making 130 hp (132 ps / 96.9 kW) and 115 lb-ft (156 Nm) of torque to the rear wheels.
On Jack's featured MX-5, the supercharger picks up from 2,000 rpm, adding a bit more torque, and increases incrementally, building up well past 4,000 rpm. Based on his experience, the back-end is super progressive, you can feel its input.
"It's super linear. There are no surprises, but you can rev it up all the way to seven thousand, and it seems to quite like that," Jack reveals.
He does a little pull down from second-gear at 3,000 rpm, and it rips hard, pulling away indiscriminately to 7,000 rpm. It's hard to miss the supercharger screaming in the background, even with the top rolled down and wind gushing.
"The gear change on this is absolutely, simply sublime. It is soo good. It is amongst the top sort of three gear changers I have ever tried," Jack confesses.
The owner of this little hot rod is a fiction writer. The MX-5 NA is sort of his dream car. He got the idea to supercharge it after watching Mad Max 2. He tried one with a turbo conversion but felt it didn't suit the character.
The hardest bit during the conversion was lining up the supercharger. According to the owner, there was some play in the mounting brackets. If it's not mounted perfectly, the belt could potentially spin off.
There's still more room for power if he changed the pulley ratios, but he feels the power is just about right for the roadster.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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