V-spec stands for v-special. Basically the same car but with uprated suspension and LSD. The interior is also different (tan leather with high back seats) and they generally came in BRG but a few were sold in a high gloss black.
I found this engine comparison:
1.6 or 1.8?
I probably get asked about this more than any other aspect of an MX5 purchase. Lets look at the facts: when new, the 1.6 was good for 114bhp while the 1.8 produced 130bhp, an increase of 15% and had around 10% more torque produced lower down the rev range. However the 1.8 is a little heavier (50-70kg depending on exact model) so performance is not so different – an extra couple of mph on top speed and a couple of tenths of a second quicker to 60mph. Remember all these figures apply to nice shiny new cars: time and useage will have played a big part in how they drive now. In reality, a 1.8 has a little more low down power and seems to cope with motorway cruising a little more easily than a 1.6 but I reckon most people wouldn’t notice the difference. The 1.6 is a sweeter revving engine and a few well chosen modifications will significantly boost bhp and driving fun. In fact the 1.6 cars are the default choice for enthusiasts wishing to undertake serious tuning – fitting either super or turbochargers for example.
The real world answer is forget the engine and just concentrate on finding the nicest car you can. The exception to this is the late model UK 1.6 introduced in 1995: this was detuned to around 88bhp and is noticeably slower than the early 1.6 cars.
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