I haven't done too much in the way of modification to the 91 BRG. I wanted to keep it stock for a while, just so I can enjoy the peppiness of a nearly new Miata. The BRG only has 55,000 miles on it as of today, so beyond maintenance stuff and a Borla cat-back exhaust, she's bone stock.
One of the things I did not like about the Miata interior, however, was the center console. The stock console is nicely laid out, to a point. The arm-rest is high enough to be comfy on a trip, but not so high that it gets in the way. It has a small amount of storage, good enough to hold an iPod, sunglasses, and some assorted odds and ends. One thing it did poorly, however, was place the ash try or cup holder directly in front of the shifter.
The problem with this configuration is that the cups or bottles in the holder get in the way when you want or need to do some serious shifting of gears. You have to bend your wrist back to get around the obstruction, and while that is ok when gently shifting up or down on a cruise, it is a nightmare if you need to shift rapidly.
Enter the I.L. Motorsports console.
I bought this console as part of a group buy of 40 initial orders. The guys over at R Speed got a buy together and imported a few of these new consoles from Europe. It's sold over there by IL Motorsports and retails anywhere from around 300 to 400 dollars.
Before I get into what I really like about this console, I want to get the one thing I do not like out of the way. That would be the cup holders. The thing that they did RIGHT in the design of this console is move the cup holders over onto the passenger side and forward so they sit beside the shifter. This gets them out of the way of your arm while driving. The thing that they did WRONG, however, was make the cup holders about 1/2 inch too small.
You can fit anything that is the diameter of a 12oz can in them. This includes 12oz cans, some drink bottles, and most of the 12-16 ounce coffee cups with tapered bottoms. Some restaurant cups will also fit, but you can forget about the standard 20oz bottle and larger restaurant cups. This is a bit of an annoyance, as the relocated cup holders were the primary reason I ordered this in the first place.
Be that as it may, however, I think I can work around it. I have plenty of the tapered coffee mugs that I use in cold weather to hold my beloved steaming hot caffeinated beverages. I also have some drink bottles that will fit that I can use. I'll just have to train myself to not use the larger bottles and cups, and I have a feeling that I'll end up designing an adapter to add to them for larger containers.
Beyond that, however, I absolutely love everything else about this console. Out of the box, it is sturdy. It's made of a very hard plastic and weighs slightly more than the stock console. It feels very strong and solid. The hinged door over the storage compartment works quietly and fits really well. The storage area itself seems just a little deeper and about twice as long as the stock area, meaning you can store a whole lot more in it.
The pocket along the driver side is deep enough to hold your cell phone, iPod, and other such things as change and pens that you may need ready access to. The elongated storage area also makes for an even better arm rest than the stock unit as well.
The console is designed as a direct drop in replacement. Installation is a breeze and should take no more than about 15 - 30 minutes overall. It's designed to use the factory console lock, window switches and shift boot. The one thing it does not have is a place for the little light that illuminates the ash tray, so you'll have to leave that with your factory console, unless you decide to modify the IL console to accept this light somewhere.
Removal of the factory console is simple. Remove a screw from each side, just forward of the shifter. Then two screws in the storage compartment come out. Finally, there's a fifth screw located under the ash tray or cup holders. Then unplug the wiring and lift it out.
Simply remove the lock, boot and window switches from your old console, put them on the new one, and installation of your new console is just the opposite of removing the old one. The one difference is that the IL console only uses the two forward and two rearward screws. There is no place for the fifth screw.
Once you get it in, you're ready to go. The new console looks sharp, feels good, and is a much better layout than the original design from Mazda.
Overall, I have to say I am very happy with this. The issue with the cup holders does make me question the 300 dollars I paid for it, but only slightly. In reality, just moving the cup holders to the side makes a world of difference. The extended storage is a definite benefit, and the pocket on the side is perfect for keeping the things I need ready access to.
You can find out more information about the console here:
R Speed order page
IL Motorsport
Das Aggregator!