Mazda MX-5 Miata
Lightweight, rear-drive, manual roadster. The blueprint nobody else has the discipline to ship.
Lighter than the NB. Same brief, sharper execution, the right engine after the ND2 update.
The ND is Mazda admitting the NC was a wrong turn. Where the NC went bigger, plusher, ~200 lb heavier, the ND went the other way — smaller than the NA, lighter than the NB, return-to-roots interior philosophy. Mazda framed it as Gram Strategy: every component re-justified, weight stripped wherever possible.
The result drives like a refined NA. Front-mid layout, low polar moment, 50/50 weight distribution by design rather than marketing. The chassis is sweet at lower speeds in a way most modern sports cars aren't — no need to be on a track at 90% to enjoy what it's doing.
The ND1 vs ND2 split matters. Original ND1 (2015-2018) made 155 hp and revved to 6800 — fine, but soft on top. The 2019 update (ND2) shipped a meaningfully revised engine: forged internals, higher-flow ports, 181 hp, 7500 rpm. Character changed — it now wants to be wrung out. If you're shopping ND, the ND2 engine is the meaningful upgrade.
The Club trim is the enthusiast pick — Bilstein suspension, BBS wheels, Brembos, and most importantly the helical LSD (without it, hard cornering lifts the inside wheel). The RF (Retractable Fastback) is ~125 lb heavier than the soft-top — purists pick soft-top + Club; everyday owners often pick RF.
The 30th Anniversary edition (2019, ~3,000 worldwide, Racing Orange + Recaros + Brembo + Bilstein) is the spec to chase if you find one.
- 30th Anniversary2019 (3,000 worldwide); Racing Orange paint, Recaros, Brembo brake package, Bilstein dampers, BBS forged wheels
- 100th Anniversary2020; classic burgundy roof + cherry interior commemorating Mazda's centenary
ND1 (2015-2018) engine is the underrated one — lower redline (6800 vs 7500 on ND2) and softer top-end, but with the rotational sweetness people romanticise. The ND2 update (2019) added forged internals, raised the redline, and pushed power from 155 to 181 hp without changing the displacement. Cloth top has a small wind-noise gap above ~80 mph; many owners add a header bar. RF (Retractable Fastback) is ~125 lb heavier than the soft-top and changes the chassis dynamics noticeably — purists pick soft-top; everyday owners often prefer RF.
