Miata Mailing List: August 1994, Message #142
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   From: Piet.Ruyssinck@rug.ac.be (Piet Ruyssinck)
Subject: Re: MX-5 horsepower?
   Date: Fri, 5 Aug 1994 03:43:09 -0400


> An embarrassing question: what is the horsepower of a "stock" base
> model '90 MX-5 (Swiss)?  My friend thought it was 108HP, but I thought
> I heard somewhere that it is 140HP.  As far as I can tell, the HP is
> not listed in the French/German manual.  I also checked the FAQ, but
> did not find any info there.

It is 116 HP (or the equivalent 85 kWatt)

> Over here in France/Switzerland, engine power is measured differently
> (the French CV = "Chevaux" system) and is based on some complex
> formula presumably related to the power in different gears averaged in
> some fashion (so I've been told).  My '90 MX-5 is 8.13 CV, according
> to the Swiss.  CV rating here is important because one pays more car
> insurance if one's car has a higher CV.  Still, insurance rates do not
> seem to be too bad, at least in comparison to some of the rates in
> certain U.S. states.

Here is Belgium, we also got these "Fiscal Horses".  They're indeed computed
via a complex formula which is different for petrol cars or diesel cars.
The miata has 9 Belgian fiscal HP.
They had better given it an other name than HP or CV or PK ("Paardekracht in
Flemish")
 
> I think I have determined the engine size (1.597 liters), but my
> manual is in French and German so I am a little uncertain.  This
> agrees with the 1.6 liters mentioned in the faq.

It's a 1.6 indeed.
 
> I am wondering all of this because my friends keep asking and all I
> can do is blush and mumble that I don't know.  While I know that the
> MX-5 is not a "muscle car" (I keep seeing references to it being
> slightly "underpowered"), the engine-power-to-car-weight ratio seems
> to be pretty good.

My previous car was an 1.8 VW Golf GTI ('83) with 112 HP.
Yet it accelerated faster than my miata.  That's because of the lower
torque (miata : 135Nm, Golf GTI 153Nm)
 
Piet Ruyssinck
Red '93 with 25800 kms