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The Mazda MX-5 – AKA Miata or Roadster – is a pillar of automotive enjoyable. A back-to-basics driving expertise focusing sharply on driver engagement, with a sensible barrier for entry giving the everyman an opportunity to really feel like Schumacher… or in our case, the prospect to really feel just like the Drift King himself.
Our story begins in 2017, with a younger Ben Rowlands. With an itch to go drifting, Ben made his manner into an MX-5, and, as you do, began to gel with numerous buddies who shared his passion. From 2017 to 2020, Ben discovered about his passion increasingly, and as his understanding of the craft matured he made his manner into different extra highly effective vehicles. He owned and drifted a pink Nissan Silvia S13 by 2019, however he simply couldn’t shake the bug – Ben wanted to get again into one other MX-5.
2019 got here and went, and with it a silver NA MX-5 which you are taking a look at right here. You’re in all probability considering ‘which one?’ and bear with, we’ll get to that.
2020 was a fuzzy, bizarre time frame for everybody, however popping out of it Ben was crammed with drive and an thought to create one thing enjoyable. Certainly one of his good native buddies, Connor, owned a unit the place he saved and labored on his personal automobile. Ben had met him by means of drifting some years prior, with Connor’s automobile on the time being a pink NA MX-5. I believe you possibly can see the place that is going…
Connor’s MX-5 was ultimately swapped for an additional, which adopted on from one other boosted MX-5 he had, after which…
Look, I’ll be sincere with you, these boys have defined it to me a couple of instances now and I’m nonetheless misplaced with precisely what number of MX-5s Connor owned beforehand, however what you must know is that in 2020 Connor had a blue one and Ben had a silver one. You’re looking at these vehicles now.
The 2 lads have been good buddies, had an analogous driving model, attended the identical occasions on the identical tracks, and had almost equivalent vehicles. Their MX-5s have been naturally very properly suited to one another, so this was the proper time for Ben to run along with his thought: A gaggle of buddies that might enter staff drifting occasions sharing a love for a similar chassis.
And so, in 2020, Ben and Connor painted their vehicles pink (the quickest color identified to man…) and began to attend occasions collectively beneath the staff identify Gripped Up.
2021 arrived, which is once I first crossed paths with the boys, though on the time I didn’t know their names and didn’t get the prospect to say hi there. What I did see although, was them completely sling-shotting these naturally aspirated, tiny MX-5s into quick entries, going backwards, up a hill at Anglesey Race Course in North Wales during Drift Matsuri. I used to be amazed, and I walked away from that occasion being shocked by how energetic they sounded and the way fast they regarded.
I used to be then much more amazed to study that Ben’s MX-5 was a typical 1.6L mannequin with a welded differential. It fairly actually solely had 113bhp new, not to mention 20+ years later, and right here it was chasing competition-spec drift vehicles into the primary areas of the observe. Unreal.
Connor’s automobile, nonetheless, has the 1.8L VVT engine from the NB MX-5, giving it a very staggering 20bhp extra over Ben’s automobile.
However, you want three for a celebration, and Ben needed to develop the staff additional. Two equivalent MX-5s weren’t sufficient, they usually started the hunt for a 3rd staff member. Seems, they didn’t actually must look far…
Introducing Dan O’Shea, who was additionally at Drift Matsuri and likewise had his personal NA MX-5. It was vivid blue, and I favored it a lot I additionally grabbed a photograph of it within the pit earlier than Dan was ever a part of Gripped Up. Ben jokes to me at present: “Connor and I mainly kidnapped Dan and compelled him to color his automobile pink,” however Dan was good buddies with Connor already, and needed a slice of the awfully enjoyable and addictive motion.
Dan is one other MX-5 addict, having additionally discovered his manner round the chassis with earlier vehicles, together with a boosted one similar to Connor had. What now we have right here then is three buddies who’ve skilled extra highly effective and larger drift vehicles, however have been fast to level out to me that energy alone didn’t outline how intense and interesting a drifting expertise is.
The pictures you’re seeing on this article are all from our time at Dorifest in Scotland at Driftland, which was the trio’s first time driving collectively for an entire weekend. Let’s lastly put the names to the faces to the vehicles…
On the left now we have Dan, his NA is the as soon as blue, now turned pink 1.8L VVT-powered automobile working unbiased throttle our bodies from an AE111 Toyota. Within the center now we have Ben, whose automobile on the time of those pictures ran a easy 1.6L setup – that’s it. On the proper with have Connor, who additionally has a 1.8L VVT mill with a curious quad throttle physique setup from a Honda CBR1000 motorbike.
So, why the MX-5? Ben defined to me: “They merely drive actually, very well. That’s crucial factor. After we’ve pushed these vehicles as a duo and now a trio, there’s an unmatched, hectic power. The sound they make -especially the ITB’d vehicles – is so buzzy, they usually rev up so properly it’s harking back to movies we used to observe of AE86s in Japan. These MX-5s are wild and noisy issues.”
Open classes are the place the three gents actually placed on a present. The occasion invited a few groups and drive duos, however the Gripped Up MX-5s dominated the day and entertained the viewers like nothing else.
If you wish to perceive why individuals check with ITBs as trumpets, these vehicles are an important case examine. Not solely do they appear like trumpets, however they sound like a jazz band on the peak of their efficiency. Because of the decrease energy of the vehicles, infinite clutch kicking is required to maintain the wheels spinning and momentum going. Throughout that s-bend in the course of the observe, Ben would kick the clutch six to 10 instances to maintain up with the highly effective vehicles. That is the trumpet participant performing their solo!
There actually is one thing musical about these three MX-5s, and having the ability to grasp that sense provides a layer to the expertise you simply don’t get from different vehicles which, merely put, simply make noise. Ben does admit that as enjoyable because the 1.6L is, after the occasion he did set up a 1.8L VVT lump into his MX-5 to match the opposite boys, and is presently on the hunt for ITBs to degree the taking part in area.
What I’ve not likely touched on but is the reliability and affordability of those vehicles, and I did that on objective. If you communicate to anybody about MX-5s, they’ll throw you the ‘it’s the one to get as a result of it’s reasonably priced’ card your manner which to most individuals, together with myself, is the ace within the deck. Bang for buck is a crucial factor I search for when weighing up my private automobile selections, and the MX-5 is with out rival.
Nonetheless, I actually imagine there is no such thing as a purpose the expertise I had with the Gripped Up boys going spherical Driftland needs to be valued any lesser than a number of the extra wanted vehicles. These MX-5s have been a extra pleasurable, extra intense and finally a extra enjoyable expertise than I’ve had from some Nissan S-chassis, BMW M-cars and even Toyota JZXs. All these vehicles have their time and place the place they win at a sport of High Trumps, however on the day it’s the MX-5s that go away me with the most important grin on my face.
And in the true world, on UK streets it’ll be the MX-5 that might be most approachable and leaves me with the next ideas: Am I paying 5 instances much less for this MX-5 expertise as a result of it’s 5 instances lesser than a extra highly effective, extra wanted automobile? Completely not.
Chatting to the Gripped Up guys actually opened my eyes to accessibility of drifting within the UK. Having gone from higher-powered vehicles again to what they first fell in love with in MX-5s exhibits {that a} purer expertise is a precedence for them. Ben was giving me the lowdown on their expertise of reliability and it appears to me you are able to do as a lot or as little as you need with these vehicles.
All their vehicles have lower steering knuckles, lighter flywheels (this undoubtedly helps their musical sound), paddle clutches, adjustable arms and 6-speed gearboxes from the NB MX-5. Ben tells me the 6-speed actually transforms the NA MX-5. Ben’s automobile has a 4.3 ratio welded differential, making up for a number of the energy he lacked, while Connor and Dan have welded 4.1 differentials. Ben has HSDs and 13-inch wheels, Dan has Meisters and 14-inch wheels, and Connor has BCs and 15-inch wheels.
Ben treats his automobile as a “nail” and by no means does something aside from oil modifications, in the meantime Dan’s one goes by means of oil consumption points regardless that his automobile is comfiest and the nicest drive of the bunch. Connor fiddles along with his engine on a regular basis, and his possession expertise kind of sits in between the opposite two.
So, has Ben’s thought of making a staff labored? Completely. Gripped Up left Dorifest with the ‘Tandem Kings’ award, and rightly so. However I don’t suppose that was the tip purpose for the staff. I requested Ben what he thinks of Gripped Up and the MX-5s to this point, and he responded with: “The ‘finish all be all’ of all of this, is that we’re just a few mates with MX-5s. Driving as a lot as we will and having a good time is the purpose. The MX-5s enable us to do this, and there’s no plans to vary it.”
Michał Fidowicz
Instagram: candyshowroom
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