Few cars can ever be perfect. They may come close (Matt would chime in with the BMW 1M here), but few ever truly achieve perfection, and there's a reason for that. Cars are built for different purposes, different times in one's life, different budgets and so on. So, what might be perfect for one is far from it for another. And so the endless search for automotive perfection continues.
For me, that journey ends at a cute little roadster I've had the pleasure of driving quite a few times. Now, some might cringe at the use of the word cute (sorry, Mazda, but it's true!), but it really is. It might be due to its diminutive size, or perhaps the Disney-esque grin in the front, but there's something sweetly comical about the Mazda MX-5 (née MX-5 Miata) that brings it that much closer to perfection.
For over two decades, this two-seater has been gracing our North American roads, and for all those years, the Mazda MX-5 has been heralded as one of the most fun-to-drive two-seaters both on and off the track. And that's where the MX-5's perfection comes in.
I have to go straight to driving this little number because that's really where the Mazda shines brighter than the others. There's something profoundly simple about the MX-5 and that's what makes it so much fun to pilot. So many of today's modern roadsters are decked out with gadgets and gizmos and crash gauge clusters and middle stacks, but not the Mazda MX-5. It's stripped down to the bare necessities, and it works. I never feel like I'm lacking when I'm in the MX-5. I have everything I need: a shift knob, steering wheel, clutch and a great view out the windscreen. Perfection achieved.
The seemingly small 2.0L 4-cylinder engine is good for 167 horses and 140 lb.-ft of torque, which to some might seem small and insignificant. But remember the Mazda MX-5 only weighs a hair over 1,100 kg (2,450 lbs). So, that small-numbered engine and horsepower match-up suddenly becomes larger and so does your love of the car itself when you realize how perfect that combination is.
In 1989, the Mazda MX-5 sported an even smaller engine (1.6L) with an even less-powerful output of 116 hp, and yet '90s-era Miatas are most often seen on the track. Why? Because they are fabulous little cars to drive – they were then, and they still are today.
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| It might be due to its diminutive size, but there's something sweetly comical about the Mazda MX-5 (née MX-5 Miata) that brings it that much closer to perfection. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour/Auto123.com) |
For me, that journey ends at a cute little roadster I've had the pleasure of driving quite a few times. Now, some might cringe at the use of the word cute (sorry, Mazda, but it's true!), but it really is. It might be due to its diminutive size, or perhaps the Disney-esque grin in the front, but there's something sweetly comical about the Mazda MX-5 (née MX-5 Miata) that brings it that much closer to perfection.
For over two decades, this two-seater has been gracing our North American roads, and for all those years, the Mazda MX-5 has been heralded as one of the most fun-to-drive two-seaters both on and off the track. And that's where the MX-5's perfection comes in.
I have to go straight to driving this little number because that's really where the Mazda shines brighter than the others. There's something profoundly simple about the MX-5 and that's what makes it so much fun to pilot. So many of today's modern roadsters are decked out with gadgets and gizmos and crash gauge clusters and middle stacks, but not the Mazda MX-5. It's stripped down to the bare necessities, and it works. I never feel like I'm lacking when I'm in the MX-5. I have everything I need: a shift knob, steering wheel, clutch and a great view out the windscreen. Perfection achieved.
The seemingly small 2.0L 4-cylinder engine is good for 167 horses and 140 lb.-ft of torque, which to some might seem small and insignificant. But remember the Mazda MX-5 only weighs a hair over 1,100 kg (2,450 lbs). So, that small-numbered engine and horsepower match-up suddenly becomes larger and so does your love of the car itself when you realize how perfect that combination is.
In 1989, the Mazda MX-5 sported an even smaller engine (1.6L) with an even less-powerful output of 116 hp, and yet '90s-era Miatas are most often seen on the track. Why? Because they are fabulous little cars to drive – they were then, and they still are today.
 |
| The seemingly small 2.0L 4-cylinder engine is good for 167 horses and 140 lb.-ft of torque. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour/Auto123.com) |