Dont know how fast your trying to go, but to beat the miatas handling you have to remember the miata is as light as a feather, you get a t9 or t5, 4 speed is fine, but i like more options, drop the pinto on the ground, 2 inch drop spindles and new springs, i have landrum springs on all four corners, 650 rates in the front and 150s in the rear, when you do that get different wheels, cant run 13s unless you space them in the front, or they will hit the ball mounts, good old mustang wheels on 1 inch spacers will do the trick, 15x7s with 225 50 15s, good shocks are a must, afcos will act like drag shocks after a while, pro stock shock are awsome and then get swaybars, run a light swaybar on the rear or none at all, you will love the rear steer, for speed, 2.3 and the sky is the limit with that thing, thats my setup and i take corners faster than all my friends, they drive m3s, crxs, cameros and s2ks, and they cant touch me in the turns, staight aways are different storys thoe