We’d like to take this opportunity to quickly introduce you to the best thing you never knew existed: a homebrew project car known as the “RingBanana.”
The RingBanana is a first-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata, appropriately yellow in color, which is being prepared on-the-cheap to post a sub-9-minute lap time on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. It’s a labor of love spearheaded by the car’s owner, Gabriele Piana, who originally bought the car with no particular desire to track it. Instead, he says, the Miata was intended to be a fun, economical replacement for his Lotus for everyday use.
We’re glad he went this route, instead.
We’re giddy about it for two reasons. First, everyone loves an underdog, and the RingBanana MX-5 Miata is just that. Gabriele claims that the car makes only 90 horsepower, making it far too anemic to stack-up against any contemporary sportscar – even despite its low curb weight.
But second, Gabriele and his nameless, bearded colleague are tremendously entertaining to watch, and they’ve managed to find a project just as wacky and wonderful as they are. Whether or not the humble, yellow RingBanana ever manages to sling around the Nürburgring in under 9 minutes, it’s sure to be a hilarious story to watch unfold.
To watch the RingBanana’s previous video, in which it takes to the prestigious Nordschleife for the first time, follow this link.
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