Keep your transmission running cooler so that it lasts longer. As used on our project track ND, and with turbo and up to 300 ft/lbs of torque!
Mazda didn't give us a very strong manual transmission, so keeping it running at ideal operating temperature is crucial to give the transmission the best chance at lasting. Even without any additional horsepower, high performance driving in the MX5 can increase the transmission temperature beyond the ideal range. The way we would solve this for a full-on race car is with a dedicated transmission fluid cooler that involves a pump, fluid lines, cooler, and more but those systems come at significant cost and add complexity, weight, and many hours of installation by a professional. Most folks aren't driving race cars to work, and they need a much simpler solution.
This lightweight aluminium air scoop panel is our answer for the every day enthusiast. It takes just minutes to install and mounts in an existing gap between the factory underbody panels. The scoop brings cool air from under the car to pull heat away from the aluminium case of the transmission, which in turn helps better cool the transmission fluid inside. There are no moving parts, no fluids and therefore nothing that can leak, and no downsides. This scoop should be on every MX5!
Ryan's notes: Even at ideal temperatures, the MX5 transmission is fragile, so using this scoop doesn't guarantee you'll never have issues. Naturally, this isn't as effective as the race car approach of a full fluid cooler, but in testing we've seen temperatures drop by over 20 degrees, at a mere fraction of the cost and complexity of more extreme options. That can be the difference between breaking a transmission or having a fun day with no issues. This scoop is a "no-brainer".
Note: Not compatible with RoadsterSport 4 piece underbody brace kit, because the rear mounting points for this part are lost when you remove the factory cross brace. One could make brackets to attach this scoop plate to the brace, but that would be up to the installer to figure out.
Suits ND 2015-Current For manual transmission only.