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Here's my "been meaning to do for way too long" review of the new (2020) Supermiata ND Xidas. Now that I have had the ability to run the setup on a local track (MSR Houston), hopefully I have some perspectives worth sharing.
First off, Emillio and Ed @ SM are both extremely eager to ensure that you are well informed and satisfied with their products. Whether via email or phone, they have been easy to communicate with. I was going back and forth between the Xidas and Ohlins DFV Long stroke. Although, you can’t go wrong either way, I chose to go with SM and the Xidas. Their customer service was excellent, I have a close friend that is familiar with the Xidas for NA and NB's, they develop the entire product specifically for Miatas and have a longer stroke than even the Ohlins LS (Xidas - 180mm R/ 126mm F). Ed was pretty confident in what they achieved with the updated improvements to the shock this past year, that plus my limited interest in toying with damper settings, I went with the single adjustable 600 lb/in front 300 lb/in rear spring rates.
My 2019 ND is not my daily, but I do enjoy street/back roads in addition to tracking it often. Swapping out were the first gen Meister R GT1's at a rate of 400/200. Jerrick and his GT1's are a great product, but in going from 205 to 245 width tires, I decided that I wanted to try stiffer rates and potentially a different product for perspective. Especially ones that use tender/helper springs on the rear. It was expressed to me from several that the rear of the ND can get pretty loose at higher grip and speed levels. Also of note, I still have stock sways (hope to change soon), and 245/40/17 RT660's on 9" Konigs. Current ride height from pinch weld to ground is about 135mm with slight rake. This is the recommended minimum provided from Ed at SM. Also used the OEM top hats and bushings as I was concerned about unwanted NVH. The install is easy enough that swapping in SM's proprietary coaxial billet mounts would be a simple conversion if I wanted to at a later time.
When it comes to the stiffness of the 600/300 spring rates, Emillio states in one of his product videos, "pick one application and build around that". It's hard to have a perfect track/race car that will also ride like a Cadillac in the city. So, I went stiff with the faith that their newly redesigned shocks for improved street ride would be adequate. And I was not disappointed! Very poised without the body roll of a softer-sprung setup and the car recovers from high-speed inputs (cracks, damaged pavement, sharp bumps) without any jarring rattles or repeated oscillations. One of the biggest things was the increased rear stroke travel which keeps the tail planted over big surface undulations more so than the GT1s. It was buttery yet deliberate. The compromise turned out to be much less than I was concerned about. I would say that the ride was more compliant than stock easily. This was at about 16 clicks (from stiff) which was what we felt was ideal for the street and back roads we tested on. Even my NA/NB Xida friend was shocked at how well they handled the wretched Houston streets.
For the track, I wanted to go as soft as I could to maximize grip but stiff enough to avoid excess body movement and increase control. I tried several settings and found that about 13 clicks (from stiff) was ideal with the conditions that day. This was starting from full soft and gradually increasing. I am not 100% sure of this setting as it was a cold track and my tires were slow to warm up on each session, and will have to experiment further. That aside, it was very impressive. Turn in was light and direct, which inspired more confidence. The difference between these and the softer spring rates I chose for the GT1s was clearly apparent. Once warmed up, the extra stiffness and stickier tires handled almost whatever I could throw at it. Little roll yet not too stiff to overcome the tires. In experimenting with my line, I encountered more uneven surfaces and rumble pads and they never hesitated to maintain composure and excellent rebound characteristics. Responsive but never harsh. At about 15 clicks I noticed the rear started coming loose more often. Returning back to 13 and the lap times began to plateau. I had hoped to start playing with front to rear deltas to get it tuned even further, as well as, a few runs full stiff to have a better understanding of the entire sweep, but the day ran long. Honestly, I was having such a good time, it really didn't matter. On the list for next time.
01-10-2022 | 08:23 PM
ND Xidas first hand eval
5
