NC Mazda MX-5 Miata Drag Races ND Mazda MX-5 Miata, Both Are Understandably Slow

Pictured with Kase van Rees behind the wheel, the white-painted retractable fastback in the featured clip is an ND3 that retails at just around $38,000 including destination charge. Still, does that make it approximately $24,000 better than the 2010 model owned by Tommy Mica?

"If it were my money, I would do the exact same thing you did," said Kase. "I would get an NC. It's still plenty modern; you could daily drive it if you want to, and you're going to have probably just about as much fun." That doesn't mean it's wrong to spend more on a brand-new ND. At $28,985 from the outset for the soft top, it's more affordable than a coupe-bodied Toyobaru.

Which one's better in a straight line? Tommy and Kase are much obliged to answer that question with a series of drag races on a Colorado runway at 100 degrees Fahrenheit (almost 38 degrees Celsius). The first run ended with a clear victory for Kase in the ND3, clocking 17.26 seconds compared to 17.71 at 81 mph (130 kph) for Tommy's larger, plasticky, yet simpler NC2.

Equipped with Michelin Pilot Sport 3 rubber, the 2010 model ran posted 17.71 in the second race as well, albeit at 82 mph (132 kph). As for the ND3, which is wearing Bridgestone Potenza at every corner, the numbers are 16.67 seconds at 85.9 miles per hour (138 kilometers per hour).

Very slow by Demon 170 and twin-turbo Huracan standards, but remember that Miatas aren't designed to slay at the drag strip. They're made for driving enjoyment, and they also happen to provide said enjoyment within the speed limits.

Tommy and Kase also raced their Miatas from a rolling start, with the 2024 model pulling harder from 30 miles per hour (almost 50 kilometers per hour) all the way to the finish line. Both deliver maximum power at 7,000 revolutions per minute, with the ND3 packing 181 horses compared to 167 for the older sibling. Peak torque favors the ND3, which belts out 151 pound-feet (205 Nm) of twist at 4,000 rpm versus 140 pound-feet (190 Nm) at 5,000 rpm for the 2010 Mazda MX-5.

Their final instrumented test involved braking from 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) to zero. The car that stops in the shortest distance wins. It should be noted that Tommy changed the brakes on his NC2 some 400 miles (nearly 650 kilometers) ago, and Kase mentions that his test car does not have the optional Brembo brakes.

The numbers? Make that just under 129 feet for the 2010 model compared to 117 feet for the 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF. Converted to metric, those would be 39.3 and 35.6 meters, respectively.