With the Miata, you're constantly trying to manage more extreme weight transfer, so slides take a lot more commitment. In the Toyota, it's much easier, and the car is far more willing to hold big angles and make transitions between. "There's way more adjustability beyond the limit," Silvestro said. "Torque and stiffer suspension," added Okulski.
A few less-oversteery laps on the autocross and previous experience indicate to us that the GR86 is probably the better track car. Despite being easier to slide, the limits are actually higher, that extra stiffness translating to more grip. The engine's torque means gearing is less of an issue, and being a fixed hardtop means that you don't need to worry about rollover protection.
"I can certainly live with a Miata full time, but I can see why people wouldn’t want to," Silvestro said, and I'm in agreement. The Miata ultimately offers the better sports-car experience, but it's just not going to work for a lot of people. Especially for younger enthusiasts who aren't looking at either of these as a second car, the Toyota makes more sense. And it's still one of the best-driving cars on sale today.Price also matters here, too.
With the Miata, you probably don't want the base Sport model as it has a softer chassis setup and no limited-slip differential. The Club starts at $32,615 and the GT is $34,115, adding leather interior, automatic climate control, and some other nice features, but no mechanical upgrades. Really, the Miata you want is the Club with the BBS/Brembo/Recaro package, which costs $37,150.
Though the options for affordable, rear-drive, lightweight sports cars aren't plentiful, the Miata and GR86 offer so much to so many. Picking a winner between the two misses the point. These are cars that are products of passion over reason. At the end of the day, we're thankful.A car enthusiast since childhood, Chris Perkins is Road & Track's engineering nerd and Porsche apologist. He joined the staff in 2016 and no one has figured out a way to fire him since.
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