# @threepiece.us on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DcgK2OSIA0i
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/69722387-threepieceus-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/de8d0a261d.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-08-26T12:04:23.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** threepieceus (@threepiece.us) — https://gondola.cc/threepiece.us

## Caption

The GR86 is the smarter buy on paper, and paper has never driven a back road at 7 a.m.

Everybody picks the Toyota because the spec sheet wins: 228hp from the FA24, real back seats you'll never use, a trunk that fits a track day. Then you drive an ND2 and realize 181hp in 2,341 lbs with a roof that disappears in four seconds is a completely different drug. The GR86 is quick. The Miata is *alive*. Those aren't the same thing and only one of them still feels special at 45 mph.

Five things to know before you commit:

1. ND2 (2019+) is the one. Mazda rebuilt the 2.0 Skyactiv-G with lighter internals and pushed redline to 7,500. Pre-19 cars make 155hp and run out of breath early. The extra money is not optional.

2. 4x100. Write it on your hand. The GR86 is 5x100, the whole aftermarket is 5x114.3, and you are about to discover that half the wheels you've saved on Instagram for two years do not exist in your pattern.

3. Factory is 17x7 +45 on 205/45. Known-good aggressive territory for a lowered ND lands around 16x8 to 17x8.5 in the +25 to +35 range on a 205 or 225 — go wider and the front fender liner starts a conversation with you at full lock.

4. Budget for a hardtop or a soft top replacement eventually. Rear window and seams are the wear item. Ask how it's been stored, not how many miles it has.

5. Plan the "quick weekend suspension refresh." It's a Saturday morning job. You will finish Sunday night, having borrowed a spring compressor, watched the same 11-minute video four times, and eaten dinner in the driveway. Every ND owner has that photo.

The catch is real: two seats, 4.6 cubic feet of trunk, and zero ability to help a friend move. If that kills it for you, buy the Toyota with a clean conscience. If it doesn't, the Miata is the more honest car and always has been.

Would you daily this or is it weekend-only?

#ThreePieceUS #MX5 #MiataND #GR86 #JDM #WheelFitment #Stance #Roadster #SportsCarBuying #CarBuyingGuide

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 1,504
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## Tags

wheelfitment, jdm, gr86, roadster, carbuyingguide, miatand, stance, sportscarbuying, threepieceus, mx5

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