I’ve just bought my NB and keen to “tastefully” increase power output while I upgrade brakes and install coil overs. Happy to also hear about exhaust recommendations as all I can find is the Jetex one on Demon Tweeks
That’s a pretty car.
This might depend alot on your budget 
Forced induction is the best value £ per BHP
You can make her far nippier without boosting,All the basics will help straight away, services, tyres, brakes, suspension ,alignment, air intake, zorst and some weight lose on her, the MK 2.5 version is heavy., a lip, I already see the rear MS rear wing fitted.
M-m
Regarding the zorst approach, the mk2 icon I had in the past was great, it had a sports exhaust with fast flow cat. All fitted by the previous owner. It felt really revvy and quick, however, the noise was simply too loud. Is it possible to achieve performance gains without the loud noise (drone)?
I suppose I’m happy to consider anything as long as it represents value
Got you. I do quite like the look of this Garrett kit which is ~£4k
My NB has 117k miles so getting the chassis inspected soon to see if the structure is solid enough to invest a chunk into it
Excuse my ignorance but is “zorst” car-speak for exhaust? If so, any specific recommendations?
FYI the rear wing was fitted by the previous owner. Wasn’t a huge fan at first but it’s really grown on me
Id make sure your rings & bearings are up to it.
Huge “ask” from a old mill.
Get it pressure tested
Even if it does not burn oil just now…
From a fellow Crystal owner btw
Yes…zorst was new word to me today too before I looked it up, exhaust system…
Lovely looking car.
No its not, not all are noisy built for high flow buddy.
M-m
okay, now I definitely know what it is…
Replacing the convoluted OE air intake system with some form of cone or mushroom air filter could help the engine breathe better. That could help release a pony or two, especially in conjunction with a better (ex) zorst 
If nothing else, she’ll sound better.
Doing the slight mods , without boosting will make the roadster breath and expel easier giving a smoother flow ,One of the biggest suckers of power is the cat, i’ll leave that there, a 4 in 1 will go that step further, the correct tyres make a big difference as does alignment ,suspension and brakes, servicing also makes a massive difference to how she will preform, weight also plays a major part , as does bracing, wings and lips.
Simple things like taking the slack out of the throttle cable will help in the feel and help with a snapper response to the foot.
Owners advance the timing for more torque at bottom end , but you lose it at mid range and top end so to me thats a total waste of time to do.
You will gain a couple horses purrs doing these, most should be done as a course of owning any way .
Doing all the correct bits will not give you a sleeper without a new ecu,mapping, charger or turbo,itb’s , but will release all the power she as to give smooth and freed up in use.
These roadsters are not driven , you wear them, its all about feel, nothing can get them in corners when they are set up right, and jaws drop on motorways in standard form with tasteful mods mentioned, even if they are auto’s, plus nothing takes the smile away when they are set up correct to be used with confidence.
M-m
Its adjustable( 3 settings), and it is a Mazdaspeed wing( not a spoiler) there is a huge difference in what they do, plus its worth a shed load my friend.
M-m
As others have mentioned, there is some mileage in looking at reducing weight, etc., but there isn’t much left on the table in terms of the engine directly as the 1.8 VVT is already pretty good. BMW M cars used to have an expected performance from the block directly of 100 bhp / litre, so 146 brake from 1.8 litres is reasonably respectable and none of us expect M Sport performance from our 5s as they are!
In terms of more power, you may find that you’d have more fun barking up a different tree. These cars are about the engaging drive on B-roads, not about outright power. If you go through the servicing and finessing steps already mentioned, in terms of sorting steering tracking and refreshing bushes etc., you’ll have an enormously fun car in which you can enjoy the experience of throwing it around corners with great confidence.
If, after all that, you are fixed on having more power, there are simple options like boliting on a supercharger, through adding in intercooling, and ultimately adding on a turbocharger in the hunt for incrementally more shove. All of those are paths very well trodden and with some excellent build threads all over this forum, so you’ll have plenty of interesting reading without looking elsewhere if you think that’s for you.
After that, the limit is really only on the amount of budget you can put into it! Once you go past roughly 220 lb/ft, you’re going to bend the rods, so you’re into open-engine surgery to get more but, up to that point, you can bolt stuff onto the existing block as the original donor was a boosted car and the internals are beefier than they’re really needed for the current usage.
The only other thing to say is that, if you do go full-fat, make sure you start a build thread so we can all join you on the journey! Have fun!
I have an NB with VVT, about to fit a standalone ecu - cheap one PNP is about £300, told it can add about 20 bhp by optimizing ignition timing and fueling, you can always plug the original one back in for MOT etc.
That’s a great lid you’ve got on it there. Is that something you picked up along the way or bought with the car?
A lot of good tips here and especially good to know on the cat which I wasn’t aware of.
I’m also keen to swap the Nardi steering wheel for something smaller with a view to give quicker steering and some extra knee room…although I’m slightly hesitant to do so when considering I might be without an airbag - interest to know if you have a view on this?
Do let us know how you get on with the new ECU!
