ZN6

Stock. Or at least boring SCCA Spec. This is a continual challenge for me, as fellow FT86’ers tease me with cool purchases and part installs. In addition, the classification of the ND Miata into C-Street with the FR-S, makes this a less meaningful Solo car than it was for its first years of existence. I have however, decided that I take great satisfaction from not being that guy who shows up for dinner with a GT wing and no back seat… especially when I can run in front of that guy on event day.

So for the near future, the car exists largely as Mr. Tada created it, and in my opinion he created it well. Now 27 months into ownership, there is only one other car that I have ever owned for longer. And while most of my car life relationships are love-hate, this one is all love. The car is certainly the slowest car that I’ve owned in a very very long time, but it reminds me constantly of all the great things about those other cars, while steering clear of the common pitfalls.

I continue to dream of a car that will always clearly be a ハチロク: naturally aspirated, minimalistic and highly floggable. For now I am just going to live with one that is a bit soft around the edges.