For a roadster there’s almost nothing as important as the ability to engage every possible atom of energy when needed. Sure it’s easy to upgrade to a turbo or supercharger kit in order to bring in those extra horses that you need, but is it possible not to spend a ton of cash in order to make your car more powerful? The answer is yes! With a few simple modifications and some practical advice in this article, you will be able to unleash the full power of your Miata and enjoy the road like never before.
Shift at redline
This first is a free one. Why asking for more if you’re not using everything you already have, right? Timing your shifting will allow the engine to work its magic to the best of its abilities and engage every single horse your car is keeping under the hood. Put your foot on the gas and keep increasing the pressure on the pedal until the RPMs hit the red. Then shift up and repeat the process, as many times it’s needed. You will feel the car pulling you harder and faster than before as every bit of power is being used.
Cold Air intake
When you push your Miata to the limits it heats up the engine faster, and you don’t want to over burn it. Allowing a steady flow of cold air into the system will set the engine free to reach its full potential and wake those sleeping horses that you never knew were there.
There is a science behind this, actually. Cold air is denser than hot air, which means that it has more oxygen in it. With more oxygen available to burn, your engine will achieve higher performance marks, ultimately providing more power while consuming less fuel. Cold air intake systems are much cheaper than most of other performance upgrade components, and they are easy to install.
Make your car lighter
With every added pound of weight, the engine needs more energy to accelerate the car. In other words, if you make your car a little lighter, the engine will need less energy to set your car in motion. There are many things that you can do in order to decrease the weight of your MX-5.
- Replace your old seats with a set of seats that weight less.
- Get lighter wheels and tires.
- Change metal components with carbon fiber, etc.
Think about exhaust
What makes an exhaust important in terms of HP is that it makes your Miata breathe. All those nasty gasses go through the exhaust system, allowing the engine to burn the fuel with maximum efficiency. As time goes by, a layer of burnt particles creates from the inside of the exhaust pipes which decreases the effective diameter of the pipe, consequently less carbon dioxide is allowed to go through. Removing the headers and cleaning the pipes would be the cheapest way to muster even more power for your Miata. You could consider getting performance upgrade exhaust components if you wish, but that can cost you more.
All these performance mods are easy to apply and cheap. We aimed to help you get the best results possible with little or no expense. However, now that you know how to add some extra hp and give your Miata a new life, it’s important to keep in mind that safety goes first. Hold your horses until you reach the open road and enjoy the ride safely.
