It was all because of the 'Speed's screaming little 1.8-liter, 16-valve, DOHC 4-cylinder that puts out 178 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 166 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm engine. Its turbocharger does the trick, complimented by a Denso tube-fin air-to-air intercooler - strong assets. The hyper Mazda offers 38 more horsepower in comparison to the base trimmed Miatas (140 horsepower), that coupled with its rear-wheel drive layout, 6-speed manual transmission with short-throw shifter, and lowered sport-tuned suspension, made it easy to love.
 |
| The 'Speed's screaming little 178-hp 1.8-liter, 16-valve, DOHC 4-cylinder is amazingly fun. (Photo: Mazda Canada) |
While friendly to drive, the MazdaSpeed Miata is still mean on the road. It is friendly because it is easy to operate from the first shift. Yes, the throws are short but the gearbox isn't stiff and neither is the clutch. It's just a very agreeable car to drive. When on the road, however, the handling is mean. What do I "mean" by that? Well, it handles like a charm. The lowered, sport-tuned suspension and rack-and-pinion steering system connected with the leather-wrapped steering wheel to make for accurate and precise steering and handling. It cornered fiercely, yet somehow beautifully when pushed a little. What's more, when executing tight turns of any shape or form there was minimal body roll. The suspension is comfortably stiff, making for a sporty ride. Bottom line, it's awesome.
 |
| The lowered, sport-tuned suspension and rack-and-pinion steering system makes the MazdaSpeed Miata a mean handling little car. (Photo: Mazda Canada) |
Visibility is also splendid, with one minor exception. Because the ground-hugging Miata is so low, seeing out the rear is fantastic. I could actually see perfectly when backing up or parallel parking, with the top up. I had no issues with the passenger side visibility either. When the top is down, it's smooth cruising all the way. What is not so awesome is the visibility from the driver's side blind spot. More than a little tricky, the top's large C-pillars (or do two-door cars only have B-pillars?) are awkwardly large. It makes it hard to check if other motorists are in the next lane when wanting to move over. But that, of course, is when good mirror skills come in handy.
