Alignment is free performance once you've paid a shop for it, and the Miata rewards a purpose-built setup. Street cars want mild negative camber and a touch of toe for stability; autocross cars want more camber and often zero or slight toe-out up front for turn-in.
The factory alignment is a conservative compromise. Dialing it to your use changes tire wear and how the car turns dramatically.
- Street/daily: Roughly -0.5 to -1.5 deg front camber, a small amount of rear camber, and a hair of total toe-in for straight-line stability and even tire wear. Comfortable, predictable, tire-friendly.
- Autocross/track: More front camber (commonly -2 to -3 deg where adjustment allows) to keep the loaded outside tire flat mid-corner. Front toe near zero or slight toe-out for sharper turn-in; a little rear toe-in for stability under power.
- Caster: More positive caster adds straight-line stability and self-centering with minimal downside; take what the chassis offers.
How to actually get there:
- You need adjustability. Stock NA/NB camber adjustment is limited; add camber bolts or adjustable control arms to reach real track numbers.
- Toe-out sharpens, toe-in stabilizes. Front toe-out makes the car dart into corners (great for cones, twitchy on the highway). Rear toe-in is your friend for keeping the tail settled.
- Set ride height first, align second. Corner-balance and ride height change the numbers, so align after any suspension change.
One caution: aggressive camber and toe chew tires and tramline on the street. Pick the setup that matches how you actually drive the car, and don't run an autocross alignment on a daily unless you enjoy buying tires.