Germy's ND2 Mazda MX-5 'Cup' track build
The On Track Adventures of my ND 'Cup' – MX-5 Owners Club Forum
Read the full write-up at The On Track Adventures of my ND 'Cup' – MX-5 Owners Club Forum ↗
Photo: The On Track Adventures of my ND 'Cup' – MX-5 Owners Club ForumGermy's ND2 MX-5 Cup pack track day build
Germy takes his standard 1.5 ND2 MX-5, fitted from new with the Cup pack, onto track days at Castle Combe and Anglesey, logging lap times and gradually adding suspension hardware to cut body roll. The thread is a running diary of impressions on brakes, tyres and the 1.5 engine compared with his previous 300bhp track car, plus feedback from other forum members.
Specs
As stated in the original write-up.
- Engine
- Standard 1.5 petrol (Cup pack car)
- Suspension
- Mazda-fitted Eibach lowering springs, plus H&R anti-roll bars added later
- Brakes
- Standard factory fit pads
- Wheels
- Standard 16 inch wheels (Cup pack wheel upgrade not taken)
- Tyres
- Standard fit Advan tyres as supplied
- Exhaust
- Bastuck exhaust (part of Cup pack)
- Interior
- Alcantara trim (part of Cup pack)
- Geometry
- Flyin' Miata geo setup: 1.8 deg camber front and rear, max caster, 0.05 deg toe in front and rear (0.10 total toe in)
Parts used
Parts named as used in the original write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.
Fuel & Ignition 1
- Bastuck exhaustBastuck
Part of the Cup pack specification fitted to the car
Suspension & Steering 4
- Eibach lowering springsEibach
Mazda-optioned springs reducing body roll versus standard
In the shops
Pro-Kit Lowering Springs by Eibach ↗
Moss Miata· $350.00 USD
Pro-Kit Lowering Springs by Eibach ↗Moss Miata· $350.00 USD
Springs, lowering, pro-kit, Eibach ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £421.50 GBP - Flyin' Miata geometry setupFlyin' Miata
Camber, caster and toe settings applied to the car
In the shops
Flyin' Miata FOX Suspension Kit ↗
Flyin' Miata· $2,389.00 USD
Flyin' Miata Crossflow Radiator ↗Flyin' Miata· $499.00 USD
Flyin' Miata FOX Suspension for NA ↗Flyin' Miata· $2,502.72 USD - H&R anti-roll barsH&R
Fitted to reduce body roll and sharpen turn-in before Anglesey trackday
In the shops
Anti-Roll Bar Drop Link ↗
MazSpec MX-5 Spares & Accessories· £12.75 GBP
Rear Anti-Roll Bar Drop Link ↗MazSpec MX-5 Spares & Accessories· £10.50 GBP
Anti-Roll Bar, rear, 15mm, Eibach ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £324.76 GBP - Paco Motorsports reinforcement bracketsPaco Motorsports
Fitted alongside the ARBs to reinforce the chassis mounting points
In the shops
Seat Lowering Bracket, RH, Paco Motorsport ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £243.00 GBP
Seat Lowering Bracket, LH, Paco Motorsports ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £243.00 GBP
Bracket, anti-roll bar mount, Paco Motorsports ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £214.25 GBP
Body & Trim 1
- Cup pack aero kitMazda
Factory aero addition included as part of the Cup pack
In the shops
Genuine Mazda Rear Subframe Brace Bar Mounting Bolt (6 Pack) ↗MazSpec MX-5 Spares & Accessories· £21.95 GBP
Interior 1
- Alcantara trimMazda
Cup pack interior trim
In the shops
Genuine Mazda Centre Console / Radio Side Trim - LH ↗MazSpec MX-5 Spares & Accessories· £27.99 GBP
Genuine Mazda Centre Console / Radio Side Trim - RH ↗MazSpec MX-5 Spares & Accessories· £27.99 GBP
Genuine Mazda Plastic Push-On Flange Nut/Trim Retainer (B100-68-615) ↗MazSpec MX-5 Spares & Accessories· £1.99 GBP
Photos
11 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from The On Track Adventures of my ND 'Cup' – MX-5 Owners Club Forum. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.
How it was done
Starting condition
The car is an ND2 MX-5 with the Cup pack (minus the wheel upgrade, as the owner kept the 16 inch wheels), giving an aero kit, Bastuck exhaust, Eibach springs and alcantara trim. Otherwise it was a standard 1.5 on its original tyres, with a Flyin' Miata geometry setup and first service done by Mazda.
First track day - Castle Combe
On its first track outing the factory pads dusted heavily and faded more than expected, though they still stopped the car. The Eibach springs reduced body roll over standard but were judged not enough for serious pace. The 1.5 engine and standard tyres were both felt to be good enough for fun driving. A baseline lap of around 1:35 was set.
Suspension upgrade
Ahead of a planned trip to Anglesey, H&R anti-roll bars and Paco Motorsports reinforcement brackets were fitted. The owner reported flatter cornering and quicker turn-in afterwards, while still rating the Mazda-optioned lowering springs as good enough on their own.
Second track day - Anglesey
With the new ARBs fitted, the car coped well in the technical sections against much more powerful cars, even though it could not match them on the straights. The owner noted he would report further on how the standard tyres and brakes held up.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at The On Track Adventures of my ND 'Cup' – MX-5 Owners Club Forum ↗
Worth knowing
- Standard brake pads dust heavily and fade somewhat under track use, even though they still stop the car
- Springs alone are fine for casual track days but anti-roll bars are needed for serious lap time gains
- A lower power car on track gives more room from faster traffic, which can be more enjoyable