I deeply appreciate the build and track day testing, as I know they don’t get the same views as other build series. You guys are killing it with great content, and deserve thanks from the enthusiast community.
I'm not sure what you're referring to that would make the NC change anyone's mind. Mazda didn't put a good motor in a Miata until the ND2, and even that motor takes a back seat to the K20/K24.
@@heyhayhay247 Yeah if all you want is power you should avoid stock Miatas in general. Even the ND2/3 are slouches That being said, a cammed 2.5 NC has more punch out of corners, by a LONG shot, over an ND2/3. It's such an exciting car to drive. I've also driven/ridden in a 400whp 2.5T NC and a 550whp K24 NB back to back, and although the K screams on the top end, the 2.5T was way more fun to drive, and spooled a 7163 as if it was the size of a flea. Handling wise the NC and the NA/B aren't even in the same league Mostly subjective of course, just my preferences.
@@taylormorrow1552I was in high school when it first came out and most of people around me didn't like it because it was girly. But I love the handling.
I never looked at miatas before, until i drove some at work, sold my 70 nova and havent regretted it since. My nb is the best car ive owned, way better than the r33 gtst i had back in 2013
Honestly makes it very hard to believe the K swapped miata bested it on a very Endurance rated tire. I mean those 2 tires are prob around 2 seconds different even on that short track. You're telling me K swapping my NC will make me around 2.5 seconds with less than optimal gearing. They're awesome motors no doubt, but that seems dubious
@@JNatellaI agree it wouldve been a better comparison if they were on the same tire and suspension but good enough. Could also mean that the K motor is just that must faster. There are 3 long straights on that track
Crazy how much of a difference cams make on those 2.5’s. Stock they drive like a forklift engine but with stage 2’s the power band is super fun, also the baby chop at idle is nice
@@PseudoKirbyyou’ll never get the same results from the 2.5, k series have decades of development and tuning experience. You’ll never get the reliability and power level no matter what kind of cam you throw in the 2.5
Really enjoyed this honest look at them side by side. Based on your previous comments about the 2.5 and then how it drove in the video, I would say those cams are must for waking that engine up. I think both swaps make sense given their purpose, but this was a pretty fresh kswap build againts a well sorted 2.5 so it reasons that the performace gap will only get larger with development.
Only if the 2.5 swap has proper exhaust and intake, that thing will sound awesome. Local Midwest NC owners love their 2.5 swap. Kswap FTW in long endurance race tho.
Thanks guys. I've decided today to upgrade my NC1. The 2.5 with cams etc is clearly the value option. I will examine the practicality of keeping the balance shafts. BTW, Super keen for that future vid including the ND2. I feel like it's the one Mazda wanted to build. Cheers John
How about revving out a Mazda rotary motor? 😃 Fits straight in the NC as well (yet I dunno, people don't want to pay $10,000 for a known good (rebuilt) engine, instead of $500 for the other two engines (plus all the cost of the Honda swap stuff)).
@@TassieLorenzorotary would be so sick, but it's nowhere near cost effective compared to a k24a swap. I run a jdm k24a in my 07 8th gen civic si an it's amazing. Running it out to 8,000rpm just make them feel good vibes.
If you do a 2.5 swap yourself and buy a turbo kit, it cost about $6000. That set up makes around 300 wheel horsepower for half the price of the K swap.
You could also probably source an M62 supercharger from a junkyard, and piece the rest together for a lot less especially if you're handy and can make some of the mounts. It is just a lot simpler than a turbo set-up, and has consistent boost through the rev range. It isn't going to make boost like a turbo, but you always have that bump in power (it is more like just having a bigger engine vs a boosted one). Probably better for a street car IMO. I'd think you could get 250 whp out of an m62 and a 2.5 duratec fairly easy. I'd think you could do it for $3K if you are handy.
Just be aware in hotter climates, the 2.5 is already a hotter running engine than the 2.0 and can overheat if you don't also invest in good supporting mods like better radiator. If its like mine, you may also need hood vents and a LRB undertray to keep in under control :(
Yeah and you can put a turbo kit on the k24 and it will handle 500whp in a completely stock engine and very reliable. Whats your point? And fyi theres also 270whp all motor k24s everywhere which would mean only bolt ons as well and much better torque and power curve, I feel like the extra 5 grand is definitely worth it for the whole swap kit on a more reliable powertrain that makes your car much faster.
Thanks for doing more track / action videos this year, highly appreciate it! Thanks for addressing the final drive ratio on the K-swapped NC, would love to see the 5.1 happen! Cheers and thanks for the video!
There is some power left on the table with that 2.5L car. Plenty of them are making 195-198 or so with similar Esslinger Stage 2 cams and race exhaust. Still cool to see them so close in lap time.
The bc stage 2 cams aren’t very aggressive at all for a na cam, you can see it dies in the top end. The esslinger stage 2s drop power right at 7k rpm which is perfect for a 2.5
@@tigerrider6711 true the k with a cam makes 230, with a z3 head easily 250. It’s just relative to cost since a 2.5 swap w cams can be easily done for 2k.
@@tigerrider6711 oh sure, and that would blow the 2.5 out of the water. I’m just talking from a budget standpoint the 2.5L can get a lot closer to a stock K24 for less than half of the cost. Bigger cam in a K24 would be gnarly haha. *edit 240whp* 😍
As an owner of a 2.5 Mazda 3 wish intake and exaust, this engine is amazing! I also own a mazdaspeed 3 ans honestly, i préfère the sound and feel of the 2.5! Even tho the speed is faster when boost kicks
Great comparison. Shows the build between both. The 2.5 is a great option. I swapped on in my 06 mazda3 6yrs ago and its been a blast! The drag race was a lot closer then I thought it would be.
The 2.5 swap is really starting to heat up with Fab9 tuning development. Now they are putting in 2.3 cranks, revving them much higher, new intake manifold, etc and getting close to K power levels, but for much cheaper.
I'm definitely more interested in the 2.4 'scalpel' build, than the 2.5 truck motor swap. I might be more interested in a built 2.0 though...unless there's no good way to take advantage of that really short stroke and get a reliable 10k rpm track toy..
Great video. 2.5 MZR is what I would go with because most racing sanctions don't allow motor swaps from other manufacturers. And a K24 swap being almost $13k vs just over $5k in this financial climate I think an extra $7k for 30-40whp isn't worth it. But the k24 is the best engine swap for any miata chassis due to the high rev nature. Down in Atlanta I know someone who has a 10,000rpm ITB RX8 engine swap in his NC. You should do K24 vs 2.5 MZR vs Renesis Rx8 swap. NC miatas are just convertible rx8s with a shorter wheelbase and less weight.
We Need a Supercharged Miata/ MX5 vs the K Swapped to compare. Get the Suspension set up and see what spare cash you've got. Suspension setup is definitely King in these for Track builds!! Another question how much would it cost in Canada to have a built 2.5. In the UK a bit 2.5 all in with 300bhp is 12k. I think this beats the Honda k for Performance per pound!
For the 2.5 you could also use the ford fusion hybrid 2.5 pistons for higher compression and more power or even the escape or maverick hybrid even high cr pistons
One thing that improves NC Miata a lot is underbody bracing. Butterfly brace from IL Motorsports, which is a copy of Beat Rush, adds more grip to rear tires, even on the 2.0L engine.
Mazda Motorsports has a new motorsport transmission available for the NC! Check out their catalog, lots of nice parts created for the Spec MX5 series, e.g. rear hubs, RX8 front hubs, coilovers etc. Personally think you should have a 6 speed in the K swap. Also, why not install a digital dash like an AIM and do some data logging. Mazda Motorsports even has a nice little adapter to get brake pressure readings.
Just a heads up, at 11:00 your K swap time doesn’t come on screen. The sound does. Just a heads up if you guys wanna fix the upload before the views get to high 👍
I love how yall geek out on everyone of your builds but am so tired of Honda builds and Honda swapped builds. Something different would be nice. Maybe a v8 muscle car or sports car.
Good job on the video. Love the honest feedback now that you've driven a well setup 2.5 NC with entry level mods. ideally would be best to find one that has similar power say 195whp. The biggest variable with the lap times is the tire compound, Conti aren't' the choice of many endurance racers unless its use for rain, where as the CRS are top 3 tire in that category. The 245 to 255 isn't much different with an average driver so I wouldn't worry about size. K24 can rev to 8-8.5k but they can't do it for very long. Ask the endurance racers, they keep the K24 under 7k on average. I've built many engine honda engines and the K24 can do a lot of what you ask for it, it just can't do it for very long, many folks new to k series assume if it last a weekend of 8k abuse, it will last years and that's just not the case, once they loose their first engine that they thought was suppose to rev all day to 8k, they start to ask new questions. I love my Track cars (kswap s2000, EK and TSX, 2 NB miata and NC miata) but a Miata, it's just not enough car to dump +15k into a Kswap (supporting mods, tune) where as $3500 2.5 swap with cams, supporting mods, tune, can get you the same track performance with money left over for seat time, chassis mods, safety, ect. If your going to dump 15k into any rwd kswap the FRS would be my top pick only because S2000 parts are getting harder to find despite kswap s2000 only costing $7k to do. Great job!
Any reason against forced induction? There are lots of turbo and supercharger kits for the original 2.0, that retains linear power and gets you 200-300 hp, without the effort or cost of an engine swap
More power for over twice the price. For around 6-8k you can turbo the 2.5 and make around 300whp pretty easily. However it definitely doesn't have the reliability/ huge aftermarket support of the k series. 300whp is hilarious in the NCs, love mine to death.
The K sounds so much better. The NC is growing on me after this. If You'd want to turbo swap Miata there's the Ford 2.0 closed deck ecoboost and the 2.3 ecob. rotating assy swaps straight in the block. If there are motor mounts and/or bellhousing adapters available then this could be a "budget friendly" swap. OC You could turbo K24 or the 2.5 with mild boost.
I can't wait to k swap my NC. I just wish I had the money to do it now. But I don't wanna worry about passing emissions, so I need to wait a couple of years anyway until my car is exempt from emissions inspection. Hopefully that will be enough time to save and buy all the pieces I need for the swap.
the 25 is nice and torquey . but tuned with the cams and springs, make it cool well and breath well and open the exhaust? hpfp to help the tune and r35 spark plugs. easy 220-240 *crank* with a healthy power/torque ratio. in FWD that can be a good 190-210 to the wheel depending on the conditions. but thats with a pretty matched torque number too. RWD i have no clue , but ppl swap the mazda3 engine into these NCs all the time, its a great option that sounds good too.
The stage 3 cams with another 10-15 hp which is very popular would have closed the gap even more! Loved this yes please get the nd in there I debate all the time selling my 2.5 for a ND
I think if youre not planning on going above 200whp then the 2.5 is pretty hard to beat. I would personally go with the kswap purely for the fact that it has way more RnD done on the engine series then the 2.5 will probably ever have. Theres leagues more people to answer your questions about a kswap, help you with whatever discipline you want to tune it for, and the ceiling is way higher if you want to ever pivot what you do with the car. That being said im not an nc owner so wtf do i know right?😂
The main thing I don't like about the ford motors is that they use the oil pan as a stress member and sandwhich it between the front cover and the transmission. So if you have a leak, it is a major PITA to fix.
During the drag race all you could hear was the Honda engine. The Mazda engine may not be breathing enough. Looking forward to see the next miata comparison 😊
Supercharged nd1 owner , nd is my favorite. Take your k miata to the drag strip and do a time there, see if you can beat my 13.8 in the quarter. Again not a drag car mine is also set up for track but interested in the power mod and how quick it would be in qurter mile.
I know someone with one. 10,000 rpms with more power then their k24 and it's actually rear weight biased because the motor is much smaller, lower and farther back then any 4 cylinder.
The $7-8k question is; what if you spent $7-8k on modding the 2.5 to get more revs etc? I know that with a bigger budget than that, you can make them do close to YB power levels (300+ @ 9k rpm), so what could you get with the $7-8. Surely another 30-40hp and 1000rpm? And a much easier change to make.
Off topic but what mic setup is this?? I have a wireless mic but with my top down all I get is terrible clipping even when lowering the db all the way down!
$12K for 200whp seems like an awful value tbh. I’m sure a boosted K series in one of these would be a monster but how far down the rabbit hole do you go?
That 2.5 just needs a proper header, full exhaust, Fab9's new intake manifold, big intake, and the difference will be almost completely made up in a straight line.
That 2.5 swapped NC is no where close to its potential! I’ve seen them tuned up to 210whp which surely would have given the k-swap nc a true run for its money.
The K24 just sounds more old school racecar... bahhhhh 7K..... bahhhh 8k.....BAHHHH!! 9K. Thats whats makes a sports car. That K also has more headroom for power, turbo that K24 and V8s need to watch out😂😂😂.
Good morning SA! You guys REALLY want me to push that 'BUY' button every time I see that right MX5 for sale online lol! They are fun cars to drive anywhere you go! That engineers build is a nice setup too! 🤝
Shoot , miatas work for drag to fam , mine i daily has 400hp at 34psi 😅 but i also have dbl the k swap just in the engine ,turbo intake ect 😅.. na but being serious even as a miata guy , i deff think the k series is a top notch engine for the nc , and with a snail , that boat will float right past all the haters 😅... peace and love all, keep it rad, stay safe, and build on..l8r famz and keep having fun
I deeply appreciate the build and track day testing, as I know they don’t get the same views as other build series. You guys are killing it with great content, and deserve thanks from the enthusiast community.
NC is another breed of Miata. People who don't really like the NA/NB platform definitely need to drive an NC
I'm not sure what you're referring to that would make the NC change anyone's mind. Mazda didn't put a good motor in a Miata until the ND2, and even that motor takes a back seat to the K20/K24.
@@heyhayhay247 Yeah if all you want is power you should avoid stock Miatas in general. Even the ND2/3 are slouches
That being said, a cammed 2.5 NC has more punch out of corners, by a LONG shot, over an ND2/3. It's such an exciting car to drive.
I've also driven/ridden in a 400whp 2.5T NC and a 550whp K24 NB back to back, and although the K screams on the top end, the 2.5T was way more fun to drive, and spooled a 7163 as if it was the size of a flea.
Handling wise the NC and the NA/B aren't even in the same league
Mostly subjective of course, just my preferences.
Greg, Patreon member here. What do you mean with the handling point? NC having better handling?
I hated Miata's until my brother let me drive his NC. A year later sold my built 07 wrx and bought a NC because Kmiata was developing the Kswap.
What was the hate about?
@@taylormorrow1552I was in high school when it first came out and most of people around me didn't like it because it was girly. But I love the handling.
@@taylormorrow1552 he didnt have his own brain and people told him not to like it, so he didnt.
@@taylormorrow1552i still think theyre pretty ugly compared to the na, nb, and nd, so maybe its that
I never looked at miatas before, until i drove some at work, sold my 70 nova and havent regretted it since. My nb is the best car ive owned, way better than the r33 gtst i had back in 2013
James' car is a beast and so is the driver. He wins events at autoX against heavy hitters like C5's, ND's, Porsches, BRZ, etc
Honestly makes it very hard to believe the K swapped miata bested it on a very Endurance rated tire. I mean those 2 tires are prob around 2 seconds different even on that short track. You're telling me K swapping my NC will make me around 2.5 seconds with less than optimal gearing. They're awesome motors no doubt, but that seems dubious
XB?
NDs and BRZs aren't heavy hitters
@@brandoGTR48 in autox they’re extremely capable. That’s what the guys referencing
@@JNatellaI agree it wouldve been a better comparison if they were on the same tire and suspension but good enough. Could also mean that the K motor is just that must faster. There are 3 long straights on that track
I love how DP gets more and more Canadian the more he enjoys a car on track
Crazy how much of a difference cams make on those 2.5’s. Stock they drive like a forklift engine but with stage 2’s the power band is super fun, also the baby chop at idle is nice
Great, honest review. Wish the K24 swap wasn't so cost prohibitive. Just hard to beat the value of the 2.5 in this chassis.
ORRR people could start actually developing aftermarket for the 2.5 and start making the same kind of power
@@PseudoKirby2.5 doesn’t have the potential of a k series.
@PseudoKirby that already exists. Just go on fab9, esslinger engineering, etc websites and order the parts
@@FreshYoungDude thats just what they WANT you to think
@@PseudoKirbyyou’ll never get the same results from the 2.5, k series have decades of development and tuning experience. You’ll never get the reliability and power level no matter what kind of cam you throw in the 2.5
Really enjoyed this honest look at them side by side. Based on your previous comments about the 2.5 and then how it drove in the video, I would say those cams are must for waking that engine up.
I think both swaps make sense given their purpose, but this was a pretty fresh kswap build againts a well sorted 2.5 so it reasons that the performace gap will only get larger with development.
Only if the 2.5 swap has proper exhaust and intake, that thing will sound awesome. Local Midwest NC owners love their 2.5 swap. Kswap FTW in long endurance race tho.
Thanks guys. I've decided today to upgrade my NC1. The 2.5 with cams etc is clearly the value option. I will examine the practicality of keeping the balance shafts. BTW, Super keen for that future vid including the ND2. I feel like it's the one Mazda wanted to build. Cheers John
You just can’t beat the feeling of revving out a Honda motor - that’s why!
How about revving out a Mazda rotary motor? 😃 Fits straight in the NC as well (yet I dunno, people don't want to pay $10,000 for a known good (rebuilt) engine, instead of $500 for the other two engines (plus all the cost of the Honda swap stuff)).
@@TassieLorenzo higher maintenance cost
Yes, but twice the budget is a key factor in actually finishing a build
@@TassieLorenzorotary would be so sick, but it's nowhere near cost effective compared to a k24a swap. I run a jdm k24a in my 07 8th gen civic si an it's amazing. Running it out to 8,000rpm just make them feel good vibes.
@@TassieLorenzo the K makes more torque, more reliable, better fuel economy, and revs higher lol
2.5 NC is actually a really compelling combo, cheap and powerful enough, and the NC chassis seems great.
If you do a 2.5 swap yourself and buy a turbo kit, it cost about $6000. That set up makes around 300 wheel horsepower for half the price of the K swap.
You could also probably source an M62 supercharger from a junkyard, and piece the rest together for a lot less especially if you're handy and can make some of the mounts. It is just a lot simpler than a turbo set-up, and has consistent boost through the rev range. It isn't going to make boost like a turbo, but you always have that bump in power (it is more like just having a bigger engine vs a boosted one). Probably better for a street car IMO. I'd think you could get 250 whp out of an m62 and a 2.5 duratec fairly easy. I'd think you could do it for $3K if you are handy.
Just be aware in hotter climates, the 2.5 is already a hotter running engine than the 2.0 and can overheat if you don't also invest in good supporting mods like better radiator. If its like mine, you may also need hood vents and a LRB undertray to keep in under control :(
Yeah and you can put a turbo kit on the k24 and it will handle 500whp in a completely stock engine and very reliable. Whats your point? And fyi theres also 270whp all motor k24s everywhere which would mean only bolt ons as well and much better torque and power curve, I feel like the extra 5 grand is definitely worth it for the whole swap kit on a more reliable powertrain that makes your car much faster.
@@raymondgonzales8780 agreed; the 2.5 swap makes zero sense unless you are absolutely strapped for cash and know you'll never want more power.
How much power can the NC gearboxes take?
Both swap are nice! The 2.5 just more budget friendly and a weekend swap from junkyard to track the following weekend. But yes, K's the way.
Thanks for doing more track / action videos this year, highly appreciate it! Thanks for addressing the final drive ratio on the K-swapped NC, would love to see the 5.1 happen! Cheers and thanks for the video!
Finally, I woke up looking for the new upload and couldn’t find it so I had to watch Gears and Gasoline first lol.
ugh, it was a "bitch" Ben episode so I had to skip it
me too🤣😩
@@mrbookends I didnt know he wasnt as liked as Tall Ben
Never know a NC can look and perform so well. Reminds me for a small s2000 from the back. 👍
There is some power left on the table with that 2.5L car. Plenty of them are making 195-198 or so with similar Esslinger Stage 2 cams and race exhaust. Still cool to see them so close in lap time.
The bc stage 2 cams aren’t very aggressive at all for a na cam, you can see it dies in the top end. The esslinger stage 2s drop power right at 7k rpm which is perfect for a 2.5
@@bruce_son agreed. My car made 198 on a Dynojet with SAE correction. And over 175whp everywhere above like 3500 rpm.
Nothing stopping you from a big cam on the K motor either.
@@tigerrider6711 true the k with a cam makes 230, with a z3 head easily 250. It’s just relative to cost since a 2.5 swap w cams can be easily done for 2k.
@@tigerrider6711 oh sure, and that would blow the 2.5 out of the water. I’m just talking from a budget standpoint the 2.5L can get a lot closer to a stock K24 for less than half of the cost. Bigger cam in a K24 would be gnarly haha. *edit 240whp* 😍
Both killer builds..The sound of the K, OMG
Would be interesting to see it compared to a FRS/brz k swapped build
Nc is 3-400 lbs lighter
@@FreshYoungDude FRS larger wheel base, more car sir. Kswap FRS is superior than Kswap miata na nb nc
You don't understand how great a Miata is , but if you understand all cars are compared to a Miata it goes to show how good a Miata is.
Looking forward to more head to head battles with the kswap NC. Thank you speed academy!
ya would be cool to see how a na/nb 2.4 compares
So much NC love lately. ❤
Love track videos! I know you guys don't get as many likes and views out of it but these are the best!
As an owner of a 2.5 Mazda 3 wish intake and exaust, this engine is amazing! I also own a mazdaspeed 3 ans honestly, i préfère the sound and feel of the 2.5! Even tho the speed is faster when boost kicks
can't beat the look of a ND, but for the price the NC is an outstanding chassis.
Loving the Miata content. Answering the exact questions I have for my NC.
NDs are VERY surprising even in stock form for auto cross. Extremely fast for how cheap it is.
Just slap some good tyres and you're good to go even the brakes are solid. Good ass cars.
They look like shit though.
Great comparison. Shows the build between both. The 2.5 is a great option. I swapped on in my 06 mazda3 6yrs ago and its been a blast! The drag race was a lot closer then I thought it would be.
The 2.5 swap is really starting to heat up with Fab9 tuning development. Now they are putting in 2.3 cranks, revving them much higher, new intake manifold, etc and getting close to K power levels, but for much cheaper.
This is the way. Would love to see the built de-stroked 2.4 mzr vs the K. Much closer in power and arguably cheaper & more robust.
@@daviddemoss1887 Yeah, or spend the difference between the K-swap kit and the 2.5 on modding the 2.5 (to a 2.3 or 2.4) re-run.
I'm definitely more interested in the 2.4 'scalpel' build, than the 2.5 truck motor swap.
I might be more interested in a built 2.0 though...unless there's no good way to take advantage of that really short stroke and get a reliable 10k rpm track toy..
@@colinbowman8816 reliable and sky-high rpm are not synonymous lol
This is what I'm talking about! Back to the roots of the channel, and why I subb'd, track content!!!
The NC is growing on me, must admit it looks great in white. Love both these builds
Great video. 2.5 MZR is what I would go with because most racing sanctions don't allow motor swaps from other manufacturers. And a K24 swap being almost $13k vs just over $5k in this financial climate I think an extra $7k for 30-40whp isn't worth it. But the k24 is the best engine swap for any miata chassis due to the high rev nature. Down in Atlanta I know someone who has a 10,000rpm ITB RX8 engine swap in his NC. You should do K24 vs 2.5 MZR vs Renesis Rx8 swap. NC miatas are just convertible rx8s with a shorter wheelbase and less weight.
5k if you have a shop do everything. If you DIY, 2k is more than enough to get you the engine, cams, tune, and misc
@TheCorington I'm all about price to performance ratio on any build.
The glitch in the video at the 5:28 mark is just my brain pausing for a few seconds as I adjust to the top down Miata experience...
they had to add a second to the lap time of the 2.5 so the K won
I have an rotrex nc 230whp love it
My favorite series so far
We Need a Supercharged Miata/ MX5 vs the K Swapped to compare.
Get the Suspension set up and see what spare cash you've got. Suspension setup is definitely King in these for Track builds!!
Another question how much would it cost in Canada to have a built 2.5.
In the UK a bit 2.5 all in with 300bhp is 12k. I think this beats the Honda k for Performance per pound!
This is my favorite speed academy content. Thanks for the comparison and really looking forward to the nd comparo
Those are great options but what about a 2.0L Ecoboost?!
Please keep developing this car, and keep lapping it at the track
Track days are the best days!
Great video guys.
Would definitely rather have the 2.5L. Fun video. As an ND owner, looking forward to the next one.
For the 2.5 you could also use the ford fusion hybrid 2.5 pistons for higher compression and more power or even the escape or maverick hybrid even high cr pistons
I'm loving the miata content!!
Excellent series. The Miata is great for almost any budget. And that's the best part.
One thing that improves NC Miata a lot is underbody bracing. Butterfly brace from IL Motorsports, which is a copy of Beat Rush, adds more grip to rear tires, even on the 2.0L engine.
Mazda Motorsports has a new motorsport transmission available for the NC! Check out their catalog, lots of nice parts created for the Spec MX5 series, e.g. rear hubs, RX8 front hubs, coilovers etc. Personally think you should have a 6 speed in the K swap. Also, why not install a digital dash like an AIM and do some data logging. Mazda Motorsports even has a nice little adapter to get brake pressure readings.
Link to the gearbox?
To solve the RPM issues, could you use an RX-8 dash cluster? Your running a standalone ECU, so it should be too big of a problem to swap.
Is the 2.5 running just the stock ECU and tune? Kinda thought those made nearer to 190-200whp with a tune and basic breathing mods.
Just a heads up, at 11:00 your K swap time doesn’t come on screen. The sound does.
Just a heads up if you guys wanna fix the upload before the views get to high 👍
Great short comparison videos cs the extensive build videos
YES! Been waiting for this.
would be curious to see weight differences between the two NCs
I love how yall geek out on everyone of your builds but am so tired of Honda builds and Honda swapped builds. Something different would be nice. Maybe a v8 muscle car or sports car.
Good job on the video. Love the honest feedback now that you've driven a well setup 2.5 NC with entry level mods. ideally would be best to find one that has similar power say 195whp. The biggest variable with the lap times is the tire compound, Conti aren't' the choice of many endurance racers unless its use for rain, where as the CRS are top 3 tire in that category. The 245 to 255 isn't much different with an average driver so I wouldn't worry about size. K24 can rev to 8-8.5k but they can't do it for very long. Ask the endurance racers, they keep the K24 under 7k on average. I've built many engine honda engines and the K24 can do a lot of what you ask for it, it just can't do it for very long, many folks new to k series assume if it last a weekend of 8k abuse, it will last years and that's just not the case, once they loose their first engine that they thought was suppose to rev all day to 8k, they start to ask new questions. I love my Track cars (kswap s2000, EK and TSX, 2 NB miata and NC miata) but a Miata, it's just not enough car to dump +15k into a Kswap (supporting mods, tune) where as $3500 2.5 swap with cams, supporting mods, tune, can get you the same track performance with money left over for seat time, chassis mods, safety, ect. If your going to dump 15k into any rwd kswap the FRS would be my top pick only because S2000 parts are getting harder to find despite kswap s2000 only costing $7k to do. Great job!
Any reason against forced induction? There are lots of turbo and supercharger kits for the original 2.0, that retains linear power and gets you 200-300 hp, without the effort or cost of an engine swap
I can't wait to see the K-Miata with better gearings and tires. I bet it's gonna bring a lot more smiles.
K Power for the win. Shows what a big deal suspension setup is. The white one looked velcroed to the road.
@@alexnelson9505 also the difference between 245 endurance tires vs 255 super sticky tires.
More power for over twice the price. For around 6-8k you can turbo the 2.5 and make around 300whp pretty easily. However it definitely doesn't have the reliability/ huge aftermarket support of the k series. 300whp is hilarious in the NCs, love mine to death.
The K sounds so much better. The NC is growing on me after this. If You'd want to turbo swap Miata there's the Ford 2.0 closed deck ecoboost and the 2.3 ecob. rotating assy swaps straight in the block. If there are motor mounts and/or bellhousing adapters available then this could be a "budget friendly" swap. OC You could turbo K24 or the 2.5 with mild boost.
That 2nd to 3rd Gear walk away though👌12:45-12:50👍
I love this series!! Bring out a turbo 2.5!! You can still build a mild turbo 2.5 for less than that k swap.
I can't wait to k swap my NC. I just wish I had the money to do it now. But I don't wanna worry about passing emissions, so I need to wait a couple of years anyway until my car is exempt from emissions inspection. Hopefully that will be enough time to save and buy all the pieces I need for the swap.
the 25 is nice and torquey . but tuned with the cams and springs, make it cool well and breath well and open the exhaust? hpfp to help the tune and r35 spark plugs. easy 220-240 *crank* with a healthy power/torque ratio. in FWD that can be a good 190-210 to the wheel depending on the conditions. but thats with a pretty matched torque number too. RWD i have no clue , but ppl swap the mazda3 engine into these NCs all the time, its a great option that sounds good too.
Legit episode! Loved it
Love you guys, was wondering if the 2.5 swap is worth it or spend the money on ND2
yall should really mess around with the MR2 spyder, put a 2AR in it
Can’t wait to see the head to head of the K-swapped NC against the ND2!
NC Miata can also easily swap in RX-8 Renesis engine with minimal works, including direct swap of front sub frame, rear differential, etc.
The stage 3 cams with another 10-15 hp which is very popular would have closed the gap even more! Loved this yes please get the nd in there I debate all the time selling my 2.5 for a ND
The K24 is bone stock
I think if youre not planning on going above 200whp then the 2.5 is pretty hard to beat. I would personally go with the kswap purely for the fact that it has way more RnD done on the engine series then the 2.5 will probably ever have. Theres leagues more people to answer your questions about a kswap, help you with whatever discipline you want to tune it for, and the ceiling is way higher if you want to ever pivot what you do with the car. That being said im not an nc owner so wtf do i know right?😂
The main thing I don't like about the ford motors is that they use the oil pan as a stress member and sandwhich it between the front cover and the transmission. So if you have a leak, it is a major PITA to fix.
During the drag race all you could hear was the Honda engine. The Mazda engine may not be breathing enough. Looking forward to see the next miata comparison 😊
Supercharged nd1 owner , nd is my favorite. Take your k miata to the drag strip and do a time there, see if you can beat my 13.8 in the quarter. Again not a drag car mine is also set up for track but interested in the power mod and how quick it would be in qurter mile.
What we’ve been waiting for
Okay I'm gonna ask it.. What about a renesis swapped nc...
I know someone with one. 10,000 rpms with more power then their k24 and it's actually rear weight biased because the motor is much smaller, lower and farther back then any 4 cylinder.
@@CarPediaShow they also enjoy a 5.30 gear too lol!
Supercharge the ND to give it a little spice and noise.
How come you guys decided to go with the 5 speed instead of the 6 speed? Its such an amazing build with no corners cut.
Is the 2.5 the duratec/sigma? I know Ford and Mazda share a lot of drivetrain from these years.
I'm still shocked at the cost of the K build and wondering why anyone would do it with all the other options out there.
If you’ve got the funds and wanted to make closer to 300 whp naturally aspirated, agreed if you’re staying around 200 it’s not the best.
@@StingrayOfficial no kidding you could build an entire k24 swapped civic for the price of just this kit.
So the 2.5 MZR swap has another 5k remaining on the table to get 35 hp and a couple hundred more RPM? is that doable in the MZR?
That red wall gives me goosebumps everytime....
The $7-8k question is; what if you spent $7-8k on modding the 2.5 to get more revs etc? I know that with a bigger budget than that, you can make them do close to YB power levels (300+ @ 9k rpm), so what could you get with the $7-8. Surely another 30-40hp and 1000rpm? And a much easier change to make.
My nc turns my friends into miata lovers its such a fun car
Off topic but what mic setup is this?? I have a wireless mic but with my top down all I get is terrible clipping even when lowering the db all the way down!
That K is WAY faster in a straight line. Pretty wild! 2.5 for me though: far more affordable, easier to do, and more oem
k is the way!!
2.5T car?? Now that would be interesting. 225HP and 310tq stock oh man.
That White car needs an intake and exhaust. The Mazda 2.5L engine has a really nice sound when opened up.
How build a better s2k ?
$12K for 200whp seems like an awful value tbh. I’m sure a boosted K series in one of these would be a monster but how far down the rabbit hole do you go?
That 2.5 just needs a proper header, full exhaust, Fab9's new intake manifold, big intake, and the difference will be almost completely made up in a straight line.
This is relevant to my interests!
For an NA 2.5 build you need an Esslinger Engineering engine. That would be a more apples to apples comparison.
That 2.5 swapped NC is no where close to its potential! I’ve seen them tuned up to 210whp which surely would have given the k-swap nc a true run for its money.
The K24 just sounds more old school racecar... bahhhhh 7K..... bahhhh 8k.....BAHHHH!! 9K. Thats whats makes a sports car. That K also has more headroom for power, turbo that K24 and V8s need to watch out😂😂😂.
Someone from Mazmart in Ga put a 13b MSP into an NC, so you end up with a 210whp engine that's lighter than the K engine and has more power than 2.5l.
I wonder how much more expensive it is to K swap a non-Honda, which leads me to wonder how a K swapped Fit would stack up.
Good morning SA! You guys REALLY want me to push that 'BUY' button every time I see that right MX5 for sale online lol! They are fun cars to drive anywhere you go! That engineers build is a nice setup too! 🤝
The ND2 is the best looking Miata ever made. At 1120kg its considered a little chunky for a Miata but nothing an LS3 or LS6 cant fix 😅
Shoot , miatas work for drag to fam , mine i daily has 400hp at 34psi 😅 but i also have dbl the k swap just in the engine ,turbo intake ect 😅.. na but being serious even as a miata guy , i deff think the k series is a top notch engine for the nc , and with a snail , that boat will float right past all the haters 😅... peace and love all, keep it rad, stay safe, and build on..l8r famz and keep having fun
Now to test Fab9s de-stroked 2.4!