Base model, referring to the new Miata, the next levels up contain parts I would not want, need, have to swap out, etc.....easier to save the time, trouble and cost of upgrading parts not needed though some would sell for good money. I would research the value and market demand for such parts before making a final decision, might be better to order the car with a higher level package and sell the parts not needed as base model parts would have little demand.
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Having modded cars for handling up to full on race cars, FWD and RWD, AWD street and track, not full race....
I find FWD more challenging and love to dispel the myth that FWD is slow, making it work well and staying within the power limits of what that platform can use since the front wheels do 90% or so of the work. I have had great fun running with "superior" cars on track often beating many of them and when a full race car against my street car even more so, I have set my sites quite high for the FiST
I like the overall dynamics of RWD the best, great fun getting the rear end out, more so in the dirt, rain, snow where you can get sideways at safer speeds more easily.
A a mid engine RWD has to be setup very carefully and driven properly to fully use it's true potential, if not they can bite one in the arse quite easily. Since a FWD is more forgiving it makes sense one could learn more then transfer it to a mid engine RWD car.
AWD, I have only built one, I find it to easy to make it fast and less challenging to drive so got bored with it pretty quickly.
To me driving is not about ultimate lap times, it is about quick ones in the type of car you are in, preferably one you setup yourself, and having as much fun doing it as possible and adding the challenge of FWD makes it more rewarding to me.
Why I recommend a Miata has many facets but the one I miss the most is going on mellow drives with the top down and just having a great time in the sunshine and sometimes even the cold and light rain and NA so I can test and hone my skills where lots of power can mask that experience. If not for needing to haul two big dogs around with a multipurpose car, we are full time RVing, I would of already taken delivery of a 2016 Miata
I do agree, start out NA or at least not too much FI power, to much power is addictive and can keep one from learning how to drive well, work your way up and stop where you are comfortable with it instead of searching for more and more power.
I have to admit it is seriously tempting and great fun in many ways but I have refrained quite well all my life, the FiST may be the highest power to weight ratio car I have built yet but I have beaten hundreds of cars with more power in the other projects I have done.
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All that said, if I wanted a little hatch with more room and a great chassis to work from or enjoy it mostly stock, the FiST is the only car I recommend, I do love mine and plan to keep it but would love to have the new Miata as well.
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The one single thing I dislike about the FiST is the stock turbo power delivery, a huge rush of torque then a dead top end is not much fun to me, why I had the first Cyborg turbo. Sometimes I wish I stayed there instead of the EFR which turned out having more lag than expected and now going to the smaller GTX but may end up going down to an even smaller GT but want enough power to run with some pretty serious cars on track so willing to see how the GTX2860R works out.