Miata pulls double duty as commuter, autocross car

In the world of automotive tuning, image and performance are everything. So if you’re a young man driving around in a 1995 Mazda Miata with hopes of getting the due respect you think you deserve, there had better be a good angle to your story.

Luckily for Louie Vieira the reality of a small economically affordable vehicle with only a few modifications ended up being the perfect configuration for the kind of automotive entertainment he was seeking.

Vieira credits his brother with his interest in automobiles. As a young kid, it was his brother who took him to car shows in and around D.C. As he found himself in a position to purchase his first vehicle, his brother again helped direct him to one that was affordable on a shoestring budget but would put him in direct contact with the tuner community.

When his little red Mazda Miata starting to show signs of aging and after one last tuneup, Vieira ditched the car and went searching for something else. When a Subaru 2.5 RS proved unattainable on his budget, Vieira conceded to another Miata. The “R Package” Miata he ended up with fit all the criteria he was looking for in upgrades. Armed with a peppier Miata, Vieira decided to try his hand at autocross, which he discovered around the same time.

Autocross is a sport that combines wheel-to-pedal dexterity with eye-hand coordination and is a timed competition as opposed to a race where a contestant goes head-to-head with other competitors. The object is to navigate turns and straight-aways and emphasizes one’s ability to control and handle the car. The fact that the emphasis was not on pure speed and brute power allowed people like Vieira to bring his Miata onto the track. But before he could get to that point, there was work that needed to be done.

The first necessity was R-compound Falken 615 competition tires since the tires that came with the car were already balding. A friend who already had accessory pieces from his Miata handed them over to Vieira. After visiting an online classified Web site, Vieira found and purchased a catback exhaust system for half the price it was selling for online.

The most pressing challenge was the continued maintenance of the vehicle. For many autocross participants, having a car strictly dedicated to the sport ensures the longevity of the vehicle. But for a cash-strapped college student like Vieira, his Miata has to perform double duty.

“This past year I have kept the mind-set of putting cash into areas that will keep the car drivable on the street as well as competitive on the track,” said Vieira.

What do you drive? A 1995 Mazda Miata.

Why do you drive it? A cheap rear-wheel-drive with reliable performance. It never ceases to put a smile on my face after an autocross or run down a set of twisty roads. There is no other car in its price range that will match the RWD performance it provides.

What makes this vehicle so special? In my eyes, anything that’s RWD, under 2400 pounds, and has a five-speed has to be a blast. Along with its simple inline 4 engine it works perfect as a daily driver/track rat. It’s also a special edition R Package which included a full lip kit, hardtop, no power steering, Beilstien suspension, beefier sway bars, Torsen limited slip differential, and lighter alloy wheels. It met all the criteria for what I wanted because I wouldn’t need to make many modifications right out the gate to keep it aggressive for autocross.

What is your most memorable driving experience? That would have to be the night I was doing 70 mph down a two-lane back road. My car started to skid into a turn and I held on for dear life. Two wheels dropped off the road and I thought I totaled it but in reality the car was fine. From that day on I decided to keep the need for speed and “Fast and the Furious” style of driving on the track which is what originally got me into doing autocross. Since then, my driving skill has improved dramatically and I’m glad I was smart enough to stop myself before I hurt myself or someone else.

What was the first car you owned? A ’92 Mazda Miata. Picked it up for 1,500 bucks and put a ton of work into it. After some major engine trouble at 168k I decided to part ways with it.

What music are you currently listening to in your vehicle? Musically my taste takes a U-turn every other week. One week I’ll blast Biggie, Gang Starr, Wu-Tang, Dr. Dre and the next I’ll be running through the gears to Caspa, Rusko, Digitalism, and Diesel Boy. I’m pretty much down for anything that keeps a good beat and doesn’t have a twang when cruising around town.

And your first ticket? What was it for? My first ticket wasn’t actually in my car. I was driving my dad’s 2008 Subaru Legacy GT and ended up driving faster then I expected past a speed camera. Boost can be dangerous if you’re not used to it!