Just wondering what the maximum speed of an unmodded MX5 is?
I tend to never go over 85mph in our 5 (2011 2.0l NC). And to be honest I doubt I’d feel safe in most older cars when pushed to their maximum. As time rolls on I suspect there are too many things waiting to fail under duress.
But is anyone willing to admit what it’s like driving at the maximum? I’m assuming track days can get you there?
I’ve no idea if a standard 2011 NC will go past 110mph………??
I’ve had my NB at 105mph - not saying where or if on roads or a track - felt it could do more, but didn’t want to push it too much, and watching the fuel gauge drop with the current price is scarier than the speed - oh I had the top down as well
I had 130mph on the clock once in my NC 2.0 litre.
Depends how hight the cliff is.
Not wise to push it above 60mph…
around a bend where the following hot hatch has to slow to 45.
You will nowhere near top speed on a race track. You can potentially get to the top end going into the Foxhole at the Ring on the slower cars. On a “normal” circuit you will barely get into 5th even on the likes of Hangar Straight.
This is about as much as you are going to see on the speedo of a standard MK2, A MK3 won’t be a lot more.
Hi Team
Many years ago soon after buying my first N.D 1 litre approx in 2016 i wanted to see what it could do,so let it have its head for a few miles with the roof down,and very slowly can not really say if there may of been a gentle down hill or not,but basically a flat road it built up to show approx 143 on the speedo def over 140,i say approx because my car was not very happy at this speed and was vibrating etc,i thought it was amazing quite thrilling at the time although after the event bloody daft,since then i have brought a N.D 2 and now travel at much more steady pace,more enjoyable with the occasional spurt.,and i have become older.
All best Simon
Ment to say Nd 1 2 litre ,obviously not a 1 litre. Simon
I’ve had a PAX I must stress in an F1’d Mk.2.5 with the HT fitted when it was going past 130mph, and despite it being thoroughly pristine & “sorted”, including top drawer rubber etc, I have to say it was a decidedly bad experience and I asked the pilot to back off slowly…no sudden engine braking. It just felt unsafe, unstable and even with some fandango aero up front…“floaty”. It’s not what they are really about. When it got down to 80/90 mph it was bob on, stable, no fuss, planted. I guess aerodynamics are not linear, but I know nothing of that. We had to lower the side windows a bit to depressurise the cabin as the HT felt like it was doing it’s best to peel off from the headrail. Nasty.
As for my Mk1 I never do over 80mph these last 15 years. Zero passive /rollover safety is one reason, the other is it felt it wanted to do a Donald Campbell when I tried being naughty when I first got it! Actually, these days since the long legged O/d 3k @70mph slushbox is out and 3.6k@70 x 5 manual cogs in, I tend to average 60mph + or - in motorways with bursts to stay out the way off, or quickly dispense with, HGVs. It would probably do about 115mph ( very crisp 1840cc ) or close but I’ll not be in it.
Err indoors keeps tabs on the speedo when on the M ways, no chance even creeping over 70 by accident.
over 120 no probs
On a trip to the Black Forest I managed to get our NC1 2.0l sport up to a little over 120mph on the Autobahn with two up, roof down 
Then had to move over to allow a builders pick-up truck (complete with ladder, broom and bucket) to pass 
Once it passed I couldn’t keep up with it
Got my standard NC 2.0 up to 103mph measured by an app called laptrophy which presumably works on satellite info, on the back straight at Snetterton. Clock was showing about 111mph.
~150mph apparently…
had mine up to about 125 but it started to get a little floaty on the handling!
up to 120, it handled fine tho
at 110 it felt no different than doing 70!!
Very early 2000s at about 8pm on an almost empty M25 heading downhill towards J9 from J8 my old Astra was effectively coasting in top at an easy 80+ in the left lane, and a very big Norbert Dentressangle truck and trailer shot past with all brake discs glowing bright red. He must have been doing closer to a hundred.
I was impressed.
We might have had a tail wind, but I never needed any throttle on that bit.
1.6 NA owner, using the speedo (it is out by 3mph) and waze, speedo showing 120mph, waze stops showing your speed at 107mph I think, I believe I was roughly at 115pmh but there was more if I was willing to to push, heck no! 
I had 140 plus showing on the speedo of a supercharged MK2.5, in fact it is the one from the picture above. The biggest fear is nothing to do with stability or any of those issues but that the bonnet moves a fair bit and while highly likely to be OK, as it was then, you can’t help but think how strong the bonnet catch is.
Dunno about mk3, but once had a turbo mk2.5 at 152mph on entry to t1 at Phillip Island. Apparently the quick bikes arrive there at 220! On only two wheels.
