Driving the World’s Most Painstakingly Personalized NA Miata | Road & Track

The Garage Woolery Miata is a legend among NA enthusiasts. Matt Farah tells you what it’s actually like behind the wheel.

Like many of the world’s greatest performance cars, the Mazda Miata provides an excellent base for building something that reflects your personality. This particular Miata takes that idea to the ultimate extreme. It might be the most modified example in the world, and it’s totally fantastic.

This outrageous Miata is the work of David Woolery, who bought it new back in 1989. Since then, he’s modified damn near everything on the car, creating something that looks like a combination of a Lotus Elite and a Toyota 2000GT, complete with reworked suspension, a turbocharged four-cylinder, and extensive body alterations that turn the late-’80s roadster into a vintage-inspired fastback. Even the interior has been upgraded with quilted red leather and seats from a Lotus Elise.

The Smoking Tire’s Matt Farah got behind the wheel of this car, and found out that it drives as well as it looks. At under 2000 lbs, it’s lighter than a stock 1990 Miata, while offering more than double the horsepower. The suspension is compliant without sacrificing handling, and road-legal track tires provide a ton of grip.

This car is not only a testament to Woolery’s years of hard work perfecting his vision, it’s also an illustration of how excellent the Miata is as a platform. It makes you want to get your hands dirty by modifying your own little roadster.