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My off-road Miata slays in the dirt

I recently bought a lifted Miata for slow-speed desert shenanigans. Best. Purchase. Ever.

Emme Hall
I love two-seater, RWD convertibles and own a 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata for pavement fun and a lifted 2001 Miata for pre-running. I race air-cooled Volkswagens in desert races like the Mint 400 and the Baja 1000. I have won the Rebelle Rally, seven-day navigational challenge, twice and I am the only driver to compete in an EV, the Rivian R1T.
Emme Hall
2001 off road Mazda Miata
1 of 13 Emme Hall/Roadshow

After years of talking about a lifted Miata, I finally bought one.

2001 off road Mazda Miata
2 of 13 Emme Hall/Roadshow

With a 3-inch lift and 27-inch tires I have about 8 inches of ground clearance, perfect for clearing rocks and obstacles.

2001 off road Mazda Miata
3 of 13 Emme Hall/Roadshow

However, suspension travel is still stock, so it can be slow going in the whoops.

2001 off road Mazda Miata
4 of 13 Rebecca Donaghe

One thing about a lifted Miata, you can get underneath it a lot easier! 

2001 off road Mazda Miata
5 of 13 Emme Hall/Roadshow

The previous owner fabbed up this awesome spare tire carrier.

2001 off road Mazda Miata
6 of 13 Emme Hall/Roadshow

The 27-inch General Grabber AT2 tires are wrapped around 14-inch BMW bottle-cap wheels.

2001 off road Mazda Miata
7 of 13 Lyn Woodward

With momentum, hills are no problem!

2001 off road Mazda Miata
8 of 13 Emme Hall/Roadshow

I always go prepared with Maxtrax recovery boards and a fancy DMOS shovel. I think a small winch would be a good addition at some point.

2001 off road Mazda Miata
9 of 13 Emme Hall/Roadshow

I'd like to upgrade the gearing to get a bit more acceleration, and swap out the shocks for something a bit better.

2001 off road Mazda Miata
10 of 13 Rebecca Donaghe

I like to think of it as a Japanese Baja bug. 

2001 off road Mazda Miata
11 of 13 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2001 off road Mazda Miata
12 of 13 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2001 off road Mazda Miata
13 of 13 Emme Hall/Roadshow

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