A Miata With Everything Dialed Up To Eleven: Members’ Rides

Last week on Members’ Rides, we met Spencer and the last fun Chrysler, at least for now. His modified GTI was also a treat. This week, we look at Autopian Member t0ast’s version of the perfect two-car garage. T0ast is a software engineer living in San Diego, and it is hard to argue with their choices in cars! I am always excited to introduce these garages, but t0ast’s current and past cars are just incredible and I can’t wait to show you their track-focused Lotus, the cars that led to it (including another Miata that’s not a Miata), as well as the practical but fun daily!

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How did you get into cars?

I’m definitely a product of the Gran Turismo to Real Life Car Enthusiast Pipeline. I grew up in the 90s as a computer nerd surrounded by gearheads, so racing games were a pretty big staple. You can name almost any title from Drag Racer on the Atari to the earliest Gran Turismos or Forzas and I’ve probably spent some time with it.

Strangely, the idea of driving enjoyment in real life took quite a long time to dawn on me though. My first car was a ’94 Plymouth Sundance, chosen mostly because it was cheap and I actually found it easier to drive than most everything else in my very limited price range. I learned some basic wrenching skills on it with my dad, but it unfortunately was rear-ended about a year later. The replacement was a ’98 Ford Escort ZX2 because again, it was cheap and clicked with my apparent compact encono-coupe tastes.

The ZX2 followed me to college near the Ozarks and that combination of fun-ish car and hilly, twisty roads is where the light bulb finally went off. After graduating and landing a decent job, I picked up a lightly used NC Miata, and it all snowballed from there. The NC was joined by an Outback XT for practicality, the NC was replaced by an Exocet, the Outback was replaced by an STI, and finally the Exocet was replaced by a Lotus Elise.

Wait, Exocet?! Tell me more!

Once I realized that a small, lightweight car on a twisty road was a very good time, that notion drew me towards a NC Miata as my first “new” (barely-used) car. I just kept happily marching down that rabbit hole of lightweight, driver-focused cars with an Exocet and finally the Elise.

How did the NC lead to an Exocet?

The NC was my gateway to modifying cars as well as autocross. The idea of track days finally came knocking, but there was a major problem. Convertibles need a roll bar, and my NC’s retractable hard top did not have enough room under it for me to fit one capable of passing the broomstick test. It just made more sense to move on.

Some experiences renting a Lotus Elise and a Birkin Lotus 7 clone had me eager to go for something more hardcore. The Elise was mighty tempting, but the Exocet offering up similar thrills for roughly 60% of the price made a lot more sense for my budget at the time.

And how is it?

To borrow a tagline from (I think) Flyin’ Miata, it’s really just a Miata with everything dialed up to 11. It’s all the same drivetrain, subframes, and suspension, but now with several hundred pounds removed. In my case, it was down to well under 1700! So performance and driver feedback take a big leap forward while keeping the core characteristics.  The open cockpit wasn’t exactly easy to deal with, but it absolutely lived up to its promises of being cheap, reliable, and decently fast. I will still argue to this day that it is the most fun per dollar you can have on four wheels.

Was it used primarily for the autocrossing or how did you use it?

Autocross was the main focus for most of its time with me, though I did take advantage of every single clear day that to drive it to work. There’s really something to be said for being able to take it on some back roads on the way home. As mentioned before, I went in with the intention to start doing track days at nearby venues like Heartland Park and and RPM, but unfortunately that didn’t pan out.

Did you buy it as an Exocet or did you build it?

I bought it from an individual in Colorado who built it about two years ago. I’m comfortable turning a wrench for basic maintenance and modifications, but I didn’t really trust myself to embark on a full DIY build. Funny enough, the previous owner was planning on switching to an NC Miata, though mine didn’t work for them for the same reason it didn’t work for me. Conventional wisdom may dictate that it’s a bad idea to buy someone else’s project, but the kit is a pretty basic body swap, and it’s pretty easy to evaluate the quality of work when so much of it is just out in the open to be seen.

Switching gears … What’s the story behind the STI?

My garage has typically been made up of one wildly impractical fun car and another to help cover other people/cargo hauling and winter duties. The original duo was an NC Miata and Outback XT, but an eventual change from Miata to Exocet meant fewer opportunities to drive the dedicated fun car on account of it being a fully open-cockpit vehicle. The Outback XT was amusing for what it was, but its age and subpar handling abilities had me wanting to change over to a newer sporty sedan or hatchback. To make a very long shopping story short, I took a look at almost everything under $40k new with four doors and a manual transmission, and it eventually boiled down to choosing between Golf R and STI.  It was a very tough call, but the STI’s more engaging driving experience won me over in the end.

How do you like it?

It’s great! It does everything I need it to do and still feels entertaining to drive almost 6 years later. The STI is a riot in the winter with appropriate tires equipped. Surprisingly, I can sit in the rear seat comfortably even at 6’2″, and it can fit just about anything short of furniture or large appliances. The biggest win in my book though is that I don’t feel like I’m giving up much when I have to drive it in comparison to the main fun car. It feels like more of a blunt instrument at the occasional autocross events I’ve taken it to, but there’s still a certain charm to that, and it can still move a lot better than most people think.

What’s your favorite thing about the STI?

The mix of old and new. It has a modern, comfortable interior with Android Auto and came with a new car warranty, while still holding on to hydraulic steering, a good manual transmission, mechanical differentials. And turbo lag. It’s an end-of-an-era car that I’m thankful I was in a position to buy while it was available.

Anything you don’t like about it?

Fuel economy is the only real negative for me. Anything above 21 MPG is cause for celebration here. It wasn’t a big deal with how cheap gas was while it was running around the Midwest, but now that I’m in California…

You’re keeping it stock to prevent it from blowing up, has that worked out?

Remarkably well, though it has lived a much easier life than most STIs. My work went remote and stayed that way during pandemic, so it only has about 36k miles on it so far. Driving back and forth a few times as I moved from Kansas City to San Diego didn’t phase it, and neither did its autocross outings. The only trouble to date has been a battery-eating Data Communication Module, which Subaru eventually fixed with a recall.

How long do you think you’ll keep this one?

As much as I’d like to hold on to it for the long run, its days may be numbered. I’m wanting to do more track days with the Elise, the nearest tracks are all now 3+ hours away, and my partner (who has graciously acted as my safety net for these sorts of things) may soon start working overseas for a significant portion of the year.  The idea of towing the Elise is growing a lot more appealing, but the STI would almost certainly have to go in order to make room in the budget and the driveway.

Any idea what will eventually replace it?

I’m still in the early research phase, looking broadly at mid-size truck and SUV offerings in the neighborhood of the mid-$40k range. On paper at least, the upcoming Honda Passport sounds like it may be the most well-rounded and potentially best-driving pick, but I’ll definitely be spending a lot of time checking out all of the available options if/when the time comes.

Ok so now what made you replace the Exocet with the Elise?

Honestly, I bit off more than I was ready to chew with the Exocet. I really thought I could tough out its unavoidable exposure to the elements. But after autocrossing in the volatile weather of the Midwest for a few years, I couldn’t quite convince myself to go all-in on what it’d take to make me comfortable going to the track. I’m the sort of person who tends to approach things fully prepared or not at all, so this would have meant an enclosed trailer and tow vehicle (likely at the cost of my still-new STI) on top of a handful of safety and mechanical/electrical weatherproofing improvements for the Exocet. Returning to a more conventional sports car made a lot more sense, and the previous runner-up Elise was still firmly next in line.

How do the Exocet and Elise compare for autocrossing?

The Exocet is a little easier to drive in general, largely owing to its Miata roots. It still does all of the exact same low power, lightweight, RWD things, albeit with a little more oversteer, thanks to the kit shifting the weight balance more towards the front (roughly 55/45). Couple those straightforward characteristics with an immense amount of feedback and practically unlimited visibility, and it’s very easy to get it pointed exactly where it needs to be. The only real challenges were not having ABS and a heavy de-powered steering rack.

The Elise feels more challenging, but more rewarding when you get it right. Learning the car was a little rough at first, but that was more or less to be expected from a short-wheelbase, mid-engined car with suspension hardware old enough to vote. A few handling upgrades and a lot of seat time later, it really started to click. It will still punish an overzealous corner entrance or exit, but the ability to make adjustments with the tiniest of input changes is immense. The only remaining problems in my mind are the open differential and needing to tiptoe around the ABS “ice mode”, which will turn off the rear brakes for a very unpleasant moment or two if it thinks things are getting a little too spicy.

Anything the Exocet did better?

I think it managed to be a marginally more exciting driving experience overall, and a much more care-free one as well, weather limitations notwithstanding. It’s a whole lot easier to just go full-send when parts are cheap, it’s easy to work on, and the body is made up of Rustoleum-painted steel tubing with some simple polycarbonate and fiberglass body panels bolted on.

You mentioned upgrades to the Elise, what have you done to it?

Quite a lot. I happened to buy the Elise while living near a major Lotus aftermarket specialty shop, then I moved halfway across the country and somehow landed near an even bigger Lotus aftermarket specialty shop. This has been extremely detrimental to my wallet, but the car is positively thriving with their help! Almost everything so far has been in service of fixing the car’s known flaws and improving its handling:

• Rear toe links, because the original hardware isn’t nearly as robust as it should be.
• Aluminum radiator, because plastic end tanks are a ticking time bomb on a car of this age.
• Baffled oil pan and gas tank, because both are very easy to starve on sticky tires.
• Relocated oil cooler with higher temperature thermostat, because the stock setup tends to over-cool the oil (risking wiped cams).
• Single-adjustable coilovers, to increase spring rate (by ~65%) and get rid of the old and tired original dampers.
• Spherical bushings, because those were tired too, and what’s a little more NVH in a car that already has a ton of NVH?
• Improved steering arms for a slightly faster steering ratio, less bumpsteer, and more front camber.
• Muffler and a minimalistic rear panel, to shed weight and heat.
• Two-piece brake rotors and aggressive pads, partially for braking performance, partially for unsprung weight reduction.
• Forged wheels, lighter and 0.5″ wider than stock, with Yokohama A052 tires in OEM sizes.
• Aluminum panels riveted into the front fender liners, because even OEM-sized tires will eat them up.
• Digital dash for oil monitoring, GPS lap timing, a more accurate speedometer, etc.

Any additional plans?

Just a couple:

• LSD, because one-wheel peels are slow
• Seat and harness, to improve seating position and be held in place a bit better.
• Shifter replacement, because the original, while perfectly functional, feels kind of weird and bad.

What’s your favorite track you’ve had it on?

Streets of Willow is the front-runner for me so far. I was a little sketched out by a couple of blind crests and the bowl at first, but eventually got used to it. It’s a short and sweet little track that feels right-sized for the Elise, and worming it through turns 3-7 is a delight. That said, I’m still working my way around the area, so I wouldn’t be surprised if something else eventually wins me over.

Think you’ll hold onto this one for a while or are there plans for what comes next?

I have zero intention of letting this car go for the foreseeable future. It’s all the fun that I hoped for without being ruinously unusable, there’s still room to grow, and I can’t think of anything at even double the price that I would prefer to own at this point.

Ultimate dream garage, what’s in it?

A spicy Caterham, a WRX STI 22B, a Gordon Murray T.50, and a comfy tow rig.

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