In my previous posts I had mentioned that it may take me some time to really enjoy my MX-5 after having heart-surgery done on the engine. The car was a lot more capable, the driver not so much!
After months of getting to know the car again and knowing where our boundaries lie, I decided it was time to spice up this relationship. As alluded to previously, the team at BBR recommended that my next upgrade should be their ITB (Individual Throttle Bodies) package. This was going to be a two day job so I took three days off work. Two for the upgrade and one to get reacquainted with the car.
I arrived early morning on the Tuesday, still a little apprehensive about the upgrade. Having watched a few YouTube videos of people driving their MX-5 with the ITB upgrade, I did not want to be that anti-social! Too many loud pops and crackles for my taste. We have enough of that representation around my area.
I asked one of the team member whether it was possible to tune down the pops and crackles. He said there are no pops or crackles with this upgrade. Puzzled, I told him about these YouTube videos. He reassured me that those extra pops and crackles must have been programmed post upgrade by someone else. Apparently if you ask BBR to program in pops and crackles they would politely decline. This is after all performance tuning not showboating. With this confirmation I signed on the dotted line and left my key with them.
I was back again at BBR HQ mid afternoon on the Wednesday. They were running behind schedule, which turned out to be a serendipitous moment. As I waited in reception at the front of the building, all of a sudden an overpowering crescendo emanated from the rear of the building. I’m not religious but dear deity - it was scary! I think the whole building must have resonated as the team finished off tuning the car on the dynamometer.
Have you the answer to the question in the subject title?
Some time later… I was handed the key to my car and off I went. What was going through my mind as I drove, what is now my fourth MX-5? By fourth I mean in terms of character. With each trip to BBR I drive away a car that’s completely different to what went in. Each time having to readjust my driving style to match the car’s capabilities and nuances.
To be totally honest I wasn’t convinced I’d made the right decision with this upgrade. Being of a conservative nature, this car just sounds too anti-social to my ears! This worries me. I don’t want to be like those whom I scorn every time they race down our road. There’s only one way to allay this feeling and that involves more testing!
I enlisted a more than willing participant and we headed to our usual stretch of roads. I’m in the passenger seat with my friend driving. This allowed me to concentrate on the sound aspect of the car. He started the run accelerating from 1st gear and working through to 4th… dear deity! When asked how fast we were doing he said he doesn’t know, too busy gripping the steering wheel, all the while keeping an eye on the rev counter needle. The needle climbs, goes past the printed markers and in to the unprinted section heading towards the end stop. Hearts thumping, adrenaline pumping, body in a shiver, what a visceral feeling.
About half way along a quiet section of this unnamed road I got out and positioned myself atop a mound of earth away from the tarmac. My friend was given instructions to drive past me near max rev in both directions. While I waited for him to approach I can hear the sound of the car echoing in the distance. As the car zoom zoom past me, surprisingly it was “not that loud”. After two passes I was relieved to know that most of the sound was contained inside the cabin and was mostly intake and throttle noise. This sound system was for the driver’s enjoyment not to show off to everyone else!
It’s been two months since the ITB upgrade. How do I feel about the car now?
I tend to drive one gear higher than I usually do previously, keeping the rev between 2000-2500rpm. At this pace the note from the engine almost melts into the background. Then with a slight tap of the accelerator, the engine purrs like a big cat rolling over in it’s slumber. This is the steady state that I enjoy. Not driving fast or competing with anyone. Me, the car and the occasional purring sound.
This steady state can change quite abruptly when an empty stretch of road beckons. Change down a gear and kick the rhino! As the revs climb from 2500rpm to 4500rpm the sensation feels like that of a rhino thundering across the plain. Your heart beats faster and the adrenaline starts flowing. As the revs climb higher towards 6000rpm and off the meter, the rhino metamorphosise into a cheetah running at full stride. You are lifted out of the thunderous roar and ascend into the pleasing sound of a race engine. Your eyes widen, pupils dilate, your heart racing, adrenaline now coursing through every part of your body. You feel alive!
There have been many occasions where I feel I’m not up to taking this sort of stressed excitement on my body. However like a drug, I feel I just need another hit of the ITB drug.
When I’m not driving the car I have a longing to go for a drive. Even though on paper the car isn’t leaps and bounds faster than before, there is also a sense of trepidation with each drive. It’s not that I feel unsafe in the car, there’s something psychological about this whole package. It’ll likely take me a bit longer than last time for me to fully appreciate this car.
Like a good movie, with good music and sound the viewer’s experience is elevated. I now have the best sound system for my car! Thank You BBR Team for the Music.
– Hien
