8 days... and today, Christmas Eve is upon us, and that means talking about presents. The New Year is almost upon us, and that means top-whatever lists. Let's talk about cars then...
Not a Porsche
Almost a year ago (well, not entirely a year, more like 10 months) I gave in to my mid-life crisis and bought myself a sports car. Not the car I actually wanted (that's still a Porsche) but something cheaper.
In a way.
I mean, for the price of the (used) car and the mods I had done I could have probably bought a Porsche.
And one day, I still might.
But not yet.
I bought myself a very nice MX-5 NC2 2.0 PRHT. A black one, with minimal mileage. And then I modded it.
Is that smart? Probably not. Many mods actually decrease the value of the car, and many Mazda MX-5 modded cars look ugly. Well, there's no accounting for taste.
Now, after 10 months, it's time to make up my mind. Was it a good decision, and were my mods the right ones? Let's (re)consider...
You'll have to scroll down all the way for my top 3 of cars... This is the 2024 countdown, after all... First the Miata stuff.
Car and Mods - Pros and Cons
1. Mazda - MX-5 NC2 2.0 PRHT
So, that's a two liter hardtop, of the NC series. It looks fine (though not exceptionally). It felt like new, even though it was manufactured in 2011. It first saw a road in 2013, and at the start of 2024 it still only had 35k km on it. (Now I'm at 55k km.) It's a great, little car, though a little useless, and purists may not like the hardtop. Yes, the newer MX-5 ND looks smarter, is more modern, you can find a used one for roughly the same price, and it is way more frugal with petrol. But the NC is a tad larger, a tad sharper in steering (especially when compared with early NDs), and I strongly dislike the hardtop of the ND (the RF version, which looks great but isn't a convertible / roadster in my book).
The Mx-5 isn't a Porsche. But I don't have a garage, and I can afford the Mazda. Every time I doubt myself I (re)consider the potential maintenance bills.
MX-5 - Yes. Any model will actually do, as they all bring a smile to your face.
2. Two liters - 160 hp
Yeah. You want those 160 hp. The smaller engine is fine, but not if you feel the need for speed. You want those two litres for the sound and power.
2.0 - Yes. At least in the NC.
3. PRHT - Powered Hardtop
My MX-5 has to live outside, so I wanted a hardtop. It's not much quieter, but still a bit, and way better under rainy conditions. I live in the Netherlands, so... yeah, lots of rain. (Again, I like the looks of the RF, but it isn't a real convertible, sorry.)
PRHT - Yes.
4. Suspension - OEM Bilstein
My MX-5 is a German 'Sportive' which has somewhat shorter, stiffer springs, and Billstein dampeners. I've driven a regular MX-5 NC-1 (a floppy bastard), a standard MX-5 NC-2 (with the smaller engine) and my MX-5 NC2 (with the Bilsteins).
The 'sport' suspension is definitely a better drive. If you run a standard NC then consider upgrading. Note that this is not the same as lowering the car. With all those speedbumps in NL I would never do that. I also don't feel the need for 'adjustable coilovers', as things are mostly fine as is. (Note that I did replace the sway bars later, read on.)
Lowering - No, and a good thing I didn't do it.
Sport suspension - Yes. Though my car already came with this, so no mod required.
5. Cruise Control - OEM
To find a fun road you first have to get there, so yes. Get it installed.
Cruise Control - Yes.
6. Mod 1 - BBR Super 200
This engine mod adds power (about 40 hp) and changes the sound. It definitely is not prolonging the life of your engine (as it invites you to more spirited driving). It doesn't increase the value either. The car will rumble and shake a little more as well.
Was it a good decision? At first, yes. Then I started getting doubts, but - I have to be honest - I wouldn't want to go down to 160 hp again, so I guess it's simply stays a YES. It's a bit sad perhaps that I did this to a mostly new looking car, but... I hated getting out of my heavier Passat GTE (225 hp), only to find the MX-5 to be slower (!).
BBR Super 200 - Yes. But damn, it's expensive!
7. Mod 2 - DLR
I had the fog lights replaced with combo DLR + fog lights. You could simply run the fog lights as daylights but I opted for the combo.
I didn't like the 'individual LED look', which looks too much like a hobbyist's aftermarket solution:
I picked the NS Lumo version where the DLR looks more 'integrated', though some people doubt the quality. (If they ever fail, then perhaps I will install combined fog lights + angel eyes DLRs, if only to make them blink red and blue 😂)
The image below shows the same type I have, here in DLR mode.
My DLRs are always on (just take out the fuse). I know that's not entirely legal, but the DLRs are not blinding, mounted very low, and because my MX-5 NC is black and low, I need all the additional visibility I can get. (The image below is with both fog lights and DLRs enabled.)
DLR - Yes. I would do this just for safety alone.
8. Mod 3 - Atoto Head Unit
I replaced my head unit with a Chinese Atoto Android box. Although replacing the radio is a good idea, it does reduce the looks a bit.
For the best look, a. have a dealer do it, b. use an OEM frame and not a Metra frame (like I did), and c. some phones consume a lot of power when running Android auto so you may have to install an additional charger or USB port. But... you get build-in navigation, USB and BT support and that's worth something.
I'm not as convinced when it comes to Android units. If you're into experimenting then an Android box is fine. If you don't want to worry then get a Pioneer or similar. Note that you don't need to do a full 'Bosectomy' if your amplifier is still fine.
Head Unit replacement - Yes. But carefully figure out how 'involved' you want to get.
9. Mod 4 - Smart Roof Controller
Don't keep your finger on that open / close button, just open the latch or push the close button once! Also, no need to be at a stand-still to open / close that roof!
Yes, I know, it's pure luxury and way too expensive, but it saves stress. Yes, I did spend the 350 or so euro, and I think it's worth it. I drive the MX-5 as a stress releasing machine after all.
Smart Roof Controller - Yes. Though there's no real need whatsoever.
10. Mod 5 - Sway Bars
In spite of having a sport suspension, I still found the car to 'lean over' in corners, but I didn't want to toughen up the suspension any further. The solution are new sway bars, OR coil-overs.
I opted for sway bars because I was happy with the current suspension. I ended up with a set of H&R, and they are fantastic. So now I have yellow Billstein shock absorbers and blue sway bars. And nobody can see it 😎
Sway Bar replacement - Yes. But only if you're driving to the limits - or get easily seasick 😇 Otherwise: no.
11. Mod 6 - Winter tyres
I'm currently trying Pirelli SF3 All Season on 195/55 R16, and I'm not entirely satisfied. I strongly suspect I took wheels that are too heavy so this may be my first mod that I'm disappointed with. I might try to recover my losses and swap the current Kira wheels for something lighter, and see how that works.
Pirelli SF3 on IT Wheels Kira S-114 ET45 - No. But it might work with lighter wheels. The tires themselves are pretty grippy though.
Winter tires - Yes. If you drive your car in the winter.
12. Mod 7 - BBR Sticker
A sticker adds 10 hp, right? 😁 I think this is the only mod so far that doesn't have any practical purpose (nor excuse 😂). With the BBR Super 200 kit came a few stickers, and after careful consideration I added ONE sticker to the rear.
BBR Sticker - Well... only if you have a real BBR Super 200 mod 😎
Note that it is probably the cheapest mod on this list... Can you even spot it?
Top 3 Cars
This list is not driven by looks but by attributes. You probably won't be surprised...
1. Porsche Boxter
It still is my dream car, either the Boxter or the Cayman. Anything 6 cilinder goes. I always said I'd own one when I reached 40, but I still don't...
2. Mazda MX-5
Not a big surprise, but I think - at least in the Netherlands - that the MX-5 is what gives you the most smiles per euro. There are more exotic cars, but alas... money money money...
3. Passat GTE 2016
NOT because it's the perfect car. I've added this one because it's about the only car that got the internal Media system right (except for a few niggles, and the very poor support by Volkswagen and its dealers). Physical buttons where needed, and a touch screen to make some things easier. The best of both worlds.
Of course, Volkswagen would go on to completely destroy any goodwill and progress with the insane unlit touch sliders - the idiots!
Runners-up
- Porsche 928S - Just because.
- Jaguar E-type - Perhaps the most beautiful car ever made.
- Tesla Model S - Proving that electric cars can be fun (an earlier version please, with a regular steering wheel and physical controls, not that silly yoke and touchscreen stuff).
- Renault Traffic DC140 - With all the extras, obviously. You need to have driven a van to understand why driving a van is way, way better than driving an SUV. And why European vans are why better than US or Japanese vans. Even a Renault beats those hands-down.
- Any other Porsche but a SUV - A Panamera. A Boxter. A Cayman. A 911. Too many options... But no SUVs. A Porsche shouldn't be a SUV, period.
- A Corvette - Either an early Stingray, one of those 70's brutes, or the C7. Not the C8!
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