In 1989,
Mazda resuscitated the two-seater, convertible sports car market with the
Miata. From the first one out the door, it delivered what the long-gone and only lightly lamented English sports cars had never quite managed, a delightful, fun, supremely capable, well-engineered car that started every time and ran forever.
Over the intervening years, the Miata has worn well. It's a daily commuter in environments as disparate as Southern California and Detroit, Michigan. There are more Miatas on racetracks every weekend around the country than any other car. However, its carefully serviced freshness and vaunted vitality has been fading lately. Direct competition is looming in the form of the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky, not to mention more expensive entries from BMW, Audi, Porsche, and Mercedes.
Thus we have the all-new, 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata. It's longer and wider, but taller. It's more powerful, but gets better gas mileage and is cleaner. Its looks are sharper, more assertive, but faithful to the heritage. It's also more fun to drive, and not just because it's more responsive to the driver's needs and wants, but also because it's safer, with improved crash protection from side impacts.