Description

Why vent your hood?

This is a key element to improving the cooling system, and is well documented in the MX5 community. Reducing the pressure behind the radiator creates a larger differential between the front and rear of the radiator. The larger the differential, the greater the airflow. Reducing underhood pressure also cuts down on lift under the front of the car – thus improving downforce.

The problem was we didn’t have any well designed vent options available. There are very few aftermarket hoods, and most of them weigh more than the stock hood. We’ve all seen the DIY vent options out there, including grafting on vents from other cars. Most of these are less than ideal and run into problems as they aren’t intended for our hoods. Universal vents aren’t optimized for the NC, and they look like poorly repurposed industrial parts from a hardware store. The MX5 deserves better.

Developed through Testing

We started by investigating the pressure and airflow of the stock hood. Then we started with a general design based around what should work well, then tweaked and tested until we arrived at the final version. The result is a louver system that reduces the pressure under the hood by a staggering 50%. Our louvers work in the lightweight factory aluminum hood to minimize cost and you don’t have to deal with poor fitment of aftermarket hoods, and doesn’t sacrifice hood rigidity so that even the stock hood latch can still be used.

Features of the kit

Our Miata/MX5 louver kits feature an integrated gurney flap design: a vertical fin at the front that creates a low pressure pocket above the length of the vent. Other vents on the market are not designed around actual airflow testing on the car and do not include this feature.

This is a DIY part. That said, we’ve thought about ease of install from the beginning and you get a full vinyl cutting template specific to the NC. The cut template removes all of the guesswork from your install – just stick it on and it shows you where to cut. Also included is rubber trim that fits around the circumference of the holes, making it easy to achieve a clean and finished look.

The louvers ship flat (unbent), you bend the fins when you receive them.

Great install video of this kit by AR Hindrichs:

VERSION 2 UPDATE: All of our Miata/MX5 louver kits come anodized black, but note that the anodize will fade with time and UV/heat. We recommend paint or powdercoat after bending if you want a long lasting finish. Powdercoat will have great longevity, but even simple Rustoleum flat black looks great for a race car. Another great option is to go down to your local NAPA and they can paint match to your car’s color and mix it up in a spray can for a very reasonable price.