I want to get one thing out of the way early, the Miata is not the best sounding performance car in the world. The B6 / BP engines just don’t hit quite the same notes that other Honda / Toyota / Nissan 4 cylinders can pull of with a nice exhaust.
That out of the way, here are the best performing, sounding, and looking exhausts for the Mazda Miata. To help support this site, feel free to browse Miata exhausts on Enjuku Racing.
Are NA and NB Exhausts the same?
If you want pure bolt-on ease, no the NA and NB exhausts are not identical.
The flange locations and hanger mounts are different between the two chassis. If you have an exhaust that you love and are changing between generations, you can bolt up the entire manifold back exhaust with a set of somewhat simple hanger changes (welding required).
My pick: Kraken Full 3″ Exhaust
This is the exhaust I picked for my turbo 1.6 NA Maita.
I went with the Kraken exhaust to match up with my 3″ downpipe. It uses v-band clamps for an easy install / disassembly. The stainless construction won’t rust in the wet weather I’m often driving in.
Ground clearance and fit was great, I used it as an opportunity to replace the rubber exhaust hangers.
I added the optional resonator in place of a cat, for race use only.
I like the look of the dual exhaust tips, it fits my bumper cut perfectly.
I’ll get a sound clip recorded once my car is up and running again, but until then, here is one from youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud4c6U0aiRg
Cost: ~$971-1200
Website: https://kraken-mx5.eu/
Best NA Miata Exhaust Systems
This is a list of popular NA catback and manifold back systems, ranked by my preference. You might have slightly different needs depending on turbo or naturally aspirated, but these are all great sounding and looking exhausts. In my experience, you don’t necessarily want the loudest exhaust unless it is a track only car. The Miata interior can be quite loud and it makes extended highway trips at higher RPM quite brutal.
Car Make Corn’s Ver-III Dual Tail Exhaust
This is a stunning and sophisticated looking exhaust from Japan. Available for either 1.6 or 1.8 motor NA’s. 50mm diameter tubing and an inline silencer for just the right amount of volume.
Cost: ~$974.99 Available: REV9
Racing Beat Power Pulse Dual Exhaust
A very popular exhaust for NA Miatas, for good reason. The stunning looks, great sound, and excellent performance make it a real winner. You will have to cut a relief in the rear bumper for your second tip!
Borla Cat-back Miata Exhaust
This is a great sounding exhaust for the 1.6 or 1.8 NA Miata. My friend has it on her 1991, it has a nice deep sound without any annoying drone on the highway. It’s more towards the quiet end, but I find it to be great for a daily driver.
Magnaflow Miata Exhaust
This is the exhaust that came with my Miata. It sounded decent, but was definitely a bit louder and more prone to drone than the Borla. It’s a good looking exhaust and well built.
Fujitsubo Miata Exhaust
This is an aggressive race only exhaust specifically designed for high RPM power and light weight. It is somewhat loud, but with high quality construction and materials.
They also make the more streetable Legalis R, with a much quieter and subdued tone.
Cobalt Cat-back Exhaust
This is a great sport exhaust for daily driving that is available from Moss Miata with a 5 year warranty. Stainless Steel construction with polished finish. This will give you the sporty sound without any annoying drone.
ISR Performance Circuit Spec
This is a great looking 2.5″ exhaust with stainless construction. It has a unique 4″ tip that is easy to spot. I like the unique look and have found it to be a decent sounding exhaust as well.
ND Miata Exhausts
The ND has a wide variety of exhausts specific to this chassis.
HKS Legamax Exhaust
The HKS Legamax is a stainless exhaust with 60mm piping and 105mm blue burnt exhaust tips.
Available from Andy’s Autosport for ~$850.
Cheap Miata Exhausts
These inexpensive exhausts are great for a budget build. They typically have slightly lower quality materials and can sound a bit more aggressive / loud / drone. This is often due to less sound deadening material or baffling in the muffler.
Megan Exhaust for Miata
This is the inexpensive Amazon/Ebay exhaust that you’ll see (or hear) on many Miatas. It is incredibly loud, but also drones at high RPMs.
Cost: ~$263
Available: Enjuku Racing
Manzo Miata Exhaust
This is a very typical ebay / amazon exhaust, see the above Megan Exhaust for photo. You can hear clips of this here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NGkfb8DP7Q
Check out this video for a full review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkeMmszYAfI
Center Exhaust for Miatas
There are very few publicly available center exit exhausts for NA / NB / NC miatas. It is quite simple for a competent exhaust shop to customize your exhaust or build a complete system.
Here is one from Zeromotive, the Straight Dual Center Exhaust. (~$424.99 from REV9)
“Every day that I can work on my Miata, drive my Miata, or even think about my Miata is a good day.”
— Dylan Howell, Only Miata
