I’ve driven RWD 2-seaters for 45 years but I seriously toyed with getting a cheap Clio 172/182 before plumping for the Mazda.
My other car is a Hyundai i20N.
Much quicker across the ground than my 184 brake Proper Bilstein B6 shocked NC3.5.
The Mazda is much more tactile and you feel connected to every control. If in doubt we take the 5
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On mine I have an IL Motorsport 4-1 (avoid 4-2-1 ones) header, Cobalt rear silencer, removed the resonator and put in a SS silencer, Torque intake and a full remap.Racing Beat are also top notch.
Yes, avoid eBay items would also be my opinion.
As they say you get what you pay for and very well worth putting your hand in your pocket.
I have the original mid pipe and cat.
Love it to bits now and various threads on here.
That was done by Skuzzle Motor Sport, sadly gone.
Be VERY careful about what you do as the noise can be too much, but again a personal choice.
I avoided BBR by the way… 
Make a long weekend away and go to Rodinsons would be my preference.
I am in Wiltshire by the way.
It drives nice now and indeed extra fuel economy when cruising.
As above V Power or others , (I use Tescos Momentum which actually works out more cost effective all in all).
The wife likes it now , so you can’t go wrong really! 
Enjoy and good luck. 
Hi
Your car looks great, loving the wheels. I saw it advertised and thought it was a winner and priced right.
I took my car to BBR, much because I’m old enough to remember the BBR NA tie up with Mazda. At the time I didn’t know what a turbo was and I’d never heard of BBR. However the car and that name seemed very glamorous and unobtainable to me. It’s always stuck and that’s one of the reasons I had the Super 200 and exhaust upgrade. For me the car is just so much fun and has been very reliable. I live in Sheffield and have used Rodders for service and a few other things. He’s great and will probably do my suspension at some point. I found Neil at BBR to be helpful and we chatted for a while why they did my car. His phone manor though could be friendlier!
How does the car pass the MoT emissions test without the catalytic converters?
Are there cats somewhere else or does the fuel injection work well enough that cats are only needed for the type approval certification ?
It’s done via a modification to the location of the sensor and to the ECU code
Suggest you research a bit more about the MOT test as my understanding is that if a vehicle was originally fitted with catalytic converters it has to have working ones. So pre-1996 engines are ok without cats, as are circuit cars as they don’t have to pass the MoT test!
This earlier thread might be useful
Think you are wrong on the year as it should be from 1993.
Likewise, if fitted with one then it “has” to have one for the car’s designated emissions.
Also if fitted with 1,2 or even 3 you “can” change the system to say 1 as long as it meets the output for that car/engine for the MOT.
Fine with 1993, other thread I mentioned was not specific. Also the MoT advice is not clear, so if car had cats on the exhaust manifold to meet the “cold start emissions” part of the type approval test it may only need a downpipe cat for the MoT … I’m not expert hence suggest ask an MoT tester!
So my NC has a DECATTED Header / exhaust system etc but flew threw the MOT -i think that generally if you keep the 1 CAT on there you are still ok…
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Umm, BBR say that since 2018 if the car originally had catalytic converters in a certain location, they have to be retained: BBR 4-1 Catted MX-5 NC Manifold – BBR GTi.
They also say that their decatted manifolds for the NC etc are no longer legal!
I think it’s just a matter of finding either (a) a garage that doesn’t really care or know that the MX5 needs 2 cats or (b) a friendly garage that’s happy to pass the car on emissions alone irrespective of the number of cats
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That is not correct and what BBR say is not always true.
So how can a Mark 3.5 fall into that 2018 category!
It’s a sales ploy in my opinion.
BBR will tell you anything to sell stuff.
I am shocked by that statement. Shocked, I tell you.
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