so i've had my M2 for almost a yea now and its still stock, and i'am just now wanting to put some money into it... whats the first thing('s) i should do to make it go faster quicker... i find once i get to 3rd its pretty zippy, but first and second are a little sluggish!!
faster...quicker...
- Thread starter SurlySays
- Start date
I'd go with lighter wheels and the CorkSport crank shaft pulley first, then follow up with the CorkSport short ram intake. Reason for doing the wheels and crank pulley first is that it sounds like you want to feel a little quicker in 1st and 2nd. Reducing your rotating mass and unsprung weight (anything not on the springs; ie, wheels, tires, etc..) will do wonders for feeling quicker. The short ram intake will help, but I'm a little gun shy on the cat-back exhaust. Seems to me that reducing back pressure too much will actually cause the car to feel less "quick." To me, getting more air and cooler air in would be beneficial, but without a software upgrade, the cat-back feels like overkill on a car that putting like 90 hp on the asphalt.
Just my opinion.
Just my opinion.
Racebrewer
Member
- :
- Mazda, Mazda 2 Touring MT
Less restrictive intake is the first. Corksport or Injen (I have a Corksport on mine, great Bang-for-the-Buck)
Less restrictive exhaust. There are a couple out there. Corksport has a full cat-back. Magnaflow has one listed but hasn't made it yet. Couple others I believe.
Corksport crank pulley lowers rotating weight allowing for better acceleration.
Aluminum flywheel when one comes out. Not for everyone as it sometimes takes a bit of throttle feathering.
Dynotronics can re-flash the ECU. From their posts (jmac) they also make a good looking header and exhaust. Not sure if street legal, though.
John
PS Take out the back seat if you don't use it. (lighter) Lighter wheel and light tires always help. Heavy wheels and tires will kill you.
Less restrictive exhaust. There are a couple out there. Corksport has a full cat-back. Magnaflow has one listed but hasn't made it yet. Couple others I believe.
Corksport crank pulley lowers rotating weight allowing for better acceleration.
Aluminum flywheel when one comes out. Not for everyone as it sometimes takes a bit of throttle feathering.
Dynotronics can re-flash the ECU. From their posts (jmac) they also make a good looking header and exhaust. Not sure if street legal, though.
John
PS Take out the back seat if you don't use it. (lighter) Lighter wheel and light tires always help. Heavy wheels and tires will kill you.
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Mazdas are pretty sensitive to wheel weight and 18+ lbs is way too heavy. Most of the people on here are looking at wheels that weigh under 13 lbs. Check out good-win-racing.com. They've got tons of nice wheels for the 2 that are under 15 lbs.
Racebrewer
Member
- :
- Mazda, Mazda 2 Touring MT
I'll second what MazdaTwo said. A wheel/tire is a gyroscope. A car has one on each corner spinning away madly. Spinning gyroscopes don't like to change direction.
Heavier wheels and tires negatively affect braking, acceleration, handling, ride, and gas mileage. The only thing they help is UPS or Fed-Ex since they increase the shipping cost......
John
Heavier wheels and tires negatively affect braking, acceleration, handling, ride, and gas mileage. The only thing they help is UPS or Fed-Ex since they increase the shipping cost......
John
hansolocujo
Member
- :
- 2011 Mazda 2 GS/Touring (CWP)
My wheels are under 10 lbs. 15" Enkei RPF1
Racebrewer
Member
- :
- Mazda, Mazda 2 Touring MT
"My wheels are under 10 lbs." My house cats are heavier.........<LOL>
John
John
I read a test where somebody reduced wheel+tire combo weight by about 8 pounds and it resulted in about an 8% faster 0-60 time and a 16% reduction (133ft to 111ft) in braking distance from 60mph. The tests were averaged over three runs. I believe they were done on some BMW. I'm guessing the improvement in handling was even more dramatic.
Lighter wheel and tire combo is definitely something I'll be interested in with my 2 once I get it.
Lighter wheel and tire combo is definitely something I'll be interested in with my 2 once I get it.
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Both the aluminum and the steel stock wheels weigh around 15 lbs. Don't hate Mazda for this as they are designed for impact first and weight third. Of the aftermarket wheels, the Spec Miata wheels are 13 lbs. plus (TRM, Team Dynamics, Kosei K-1, etc.) and high performance track wheels are under 10 lbs. but cost a bit more as most are forged insted of spin/gravity/pressure cast.
That being said, be careful as the OEM tires are very light at ~14lbs and it is very difficult to find aftermarket 15" tires that weigh less. Rotational mass is important for your gyroscope. The heavier mass should be closer to the center of rotation so the Mazda engineers did a pretty fine job. You may find your aftermarket wheels to be slowing yur acceleration rate even if your wheels are lighter. The heavier mass further away from the axle will take more torque from the engine to accelerate and more brake pad work to decelerate.
So buy the lightest wheels you can endure to (money/durability) and the lightest high performance tires you can afford. Your M2 engine will thank you and reward you with better 0-60 times and better 60-0 distances (shorter).
P.S. 6UL wheels are a fine addition to our choices and they weigh in between the Spec Miata choices and the Ultra-Lights. Their prices at about a buck and a half also splits the two categories. Check out BBS weights and prices if you are looking for the pinnacle of wheel design and manufacturing. Tire Rack sells the BBS Forged wheels.
That being said, be careful as the OEM tires are very light at ~14lbs and it is very difficult to find aftermarket 15" tires that weigh less. Rotational mass is important for your gyroscope. The heavier mass should be closer to the center of rotation so the Mazda engineers did a pretty fine job. You may find your aftermarket wheels to be slowing yur acceleration rate even if your wheels are lighter. The heavier mass further away from the axle will take more torque from the engine to accelerate and more brake pad work to decelerate.
So buy the lightest wheels you can endure to (money/durability) and the lightest high performance tires you can afford. Your M2 engine will thank you and reward you with better 0-60 times and better 60-0 distances (shorter).
P.S. 6UL wheels are a fine addition to our choices and they weigh in between the Spec Miata choices and the Ultra-Lights. Their prices at about a buck and a half also splits the two categories. Check out BBS weights and prices if you are looking for the pinnacle of wheel design and manufacturing. Tire Rack sells the BBS Forged wheels.
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