As the Crossfire at heart is a cruising platform, and not a lightweight racer, I'd say matching the Miata is not in the cards. A miata is a smaller car, far lighter, and has incredible aftermarket support. For building a racer, I think you're better off in that realm. That doesn't mean you cannot make a Crossfire quick/fast/well handling. Several of us have done it. However, in competition, you need to start with something competitive out of the box. I like these Crossfires, but they're not ideal against other offerings.