Whilst the S2000 has been sitting up on axle stands for the winter, my mind has been wandering....

Now I've never driven a MX5 before, so I've not experienced the fuss, or indeed if they are over rated. However, I have a real hankering for a MK 3.5 MX5 Black Edition (but green) and fitting the Cosworth BBR Supercharger kit too it, good for 260bhp with their exhaust kit, weighing 1100kg gives a very good power to weight ratio, almost as good as my old M3.

Now I know you will all suggest supercharging the S2000, but there just doesn't seem to be a quality trouble free kit out there. I supercharged my Z4 3.0 from 230bhp to 370bhp and it was 100% reliable, it was twin screw type of charger and turned the car into a real monster, maximum boost generated at just 2100rpm, unlike a typical centrifugal that needs max rpm to generate max boost.

Anyway, just wondering if anyone has driven a facelift MK3.5 MX5, perhaps come from one. I appreciate out the box the S2000 is a better car as the standard MX5 is just too slow, but I think this would be a completely different car, up 100bhp.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2011-MAZDA...d=436511608115

 

Ive had a 2007 Mk3 2.0 sport which we stupidly sold to buy a run around for the kids to learn on - should have kept it. Ours was bilsteined and eibached with a Miltek cat back exhaust. I regularly drive a friends Mk3.5.

They are both very sensitive to geometry settings and few drive well without a decent set up.

As you say the standard car is pretty slow compared to the S2000 but with the sc it is a different matter altogether. Factor in much lower running costs and a decent MX5 is well worth looking at IMHO. Comments about hairdressers and MX5 are by those who dont get it.

I'm looking for an s2000 at the mo' but SWMBO is still secretly hoping I'll get another MX, I'm sure.

The early superchargers had a tendency to blow up the Mk3 but the 3.5 is a much stronger engine. Have you been in touch with BBR as they now do the sc kits, not Cosworth directly ??

 

Thanks for replying, nice to see a positive reply, I was expecting to be slated

How did the Miltek exhaust sound? Did it make the car sound a little bit more throaty.

I plan on keeping the S2000 for at least one more summer, especially as I've just spend a bit of money and time on it over the winter. Plus I'd prefer to wait until the car linked above is around £10k.

I've now got a baby and a 2 year old, so I should be lucky I'm allowed to run a second car. Your comments on running costs is spot on, I've gone from M3's, to the S2000 and can see me being forced to go for something even cheaper to run.

I've not spoken to BBR get, I think that would be dangerous My plan is to test drive a standard one and see what I think. Then next time I'm down south I'll go in past BBR for a test drive. I'm in no rush. There was a problem with the earlier Cosworth conversions, but that was down to dodgy ECU's maps I think, but BBR have developed their own ECU and map which is proving much more reliable. And as you say, the MK3.5 has stronger internals.

I'd maybe have to run the MX5 standard for it's first year.. that could be painful.

 

The Miltek or another cat back makes a huge difference as the standard car sounds really weedy. It adds the required throatiness without being intrusive at all and as it removes 1 cat, adds allegedly about 9/10bhp. The engine certainly revs a whole lot cleaner.

You've got me looking on PH now

 

Good to know.

Have you seen this? Perhaps I'd buy the car, install this 180 kit, then 'charge it at a later point if BBR can do a good deal. I'd want the exhaust system anyway to get the 260bhp rather than 240bhp.

http://www.bbrgti.com/product_detail...=11659&make=18

 

Yeah - looks interesting, but £ per bhp the sc is the way to go......

 

Yeah agreed, not sure how much the exhaust is on it's own.

Hmmm.. need to sort out test drives.

 

From memory the Miltek is about £650 fitted.

 

The Science of Speed kit on Blue Monster's car seems to be extremely robust. A couple of the bolts were chocolate, but other than that the kit is spot on. The issues with it were down to external factors, but i'd recommend it to anyone.

In addition, I don't understand how a twin-screw can defy physics. It is still driven by the crank and it will still create more boost at higher rpm!

 

Thanks, will take a look into it, but for some reason a supercharged S2000 just doesn't appeal. The S2000 has enough power for the road, just not the grunt or torque if that makes sense. Besides, I wouldn't want to change the way the power is delivered, I love it.

Not sure, don't even pretend to understand these things I just remember it seems to be the best of both worlds, behaves more like a turbo in terms of boost lower down, saps very little power from the engine and doesn't have the heat inefficiencies associated with a turbo.

More info here if you're interested -

http://www.esstuning.com/products/M5...%28TS2%29.html

ESS TS Series superchargers with it's Lysholm supercharger technology and CAD designed intake runners creates boost the instant the throttle is touched usually reaching full boost by ~2200 rpm – long before a centrifugal supercharger commonly even creates 1psi of boost, resulting in breathtaking low-mid range acceleration and it also removes the need to rev the engine high to get good acceleration.

The ESS M54B30 TS2 series system is equipped with a Lysholm Twin Screw supercharger which has several advantages over the centrifugal compressors used in earlier ESS M52TU/M54 systems. It creates a higher boost-pressure at lower engine rpm, thus significantly increasing bottom and mid range torque. Lag time during shifts and on-off throttling are reduced to a minimum and the throttle response is incredible. The twin screw principle is also highly energy efficient, which contributes to the extreme power and torque output of the ESS TS Series systems. The patented liquid intercooling system consists of 3X500mm Laminova cores integrated into a high strength cast aluminium ESS intake manifold system