2006 Mazda MX-5 Preview

Melding Kinba Ittai with Zoom Zoom

"Kinba Ittai" (say gin-buy ee-tie) - get used to hearing this Japanese phrase a lot, as it encapsulates the purpose and

Sixteen years after the car's debut at the Chicago Motor Show in 1989, the third generation MX-5 has arrived. (Photo: Mazda Motor of America)

existence of the Mazda MX-5 (Miata). Since day one, Mazda has taken this philosophy - of horse and rider as one - to heart, instilling it in every element of the vehicle's design.

From powerplant to driver seating position to chassis, Kinba Ittai is what has helped the Miata become what it is today - the world's best selling roadster (according to the Guinness Book of World Records). Sixteen years after the car's debut at the Chicago Motor Show in 1989, the third generation MX-5 has arrived.

It's kind of hard to imagine what the sports car scene would be today without the MX-5. Just after it debuted there was an explosion of small, two-seat convertibles, such as the BMW Z3, now the Z4, the Porsche Boxster and

The more mature MX-5 is prepared to tackle the new crop of opposition, and the road ahead. (Photo: Mazda Motor of America)

Mercedes-Benz SLK. Even Chrysler and Nissan have jumped into the roadster fray, with the Crossfire and 350Z drop-tops. While the new MX-5 doesn't aim to out-gun these machines, at least the more expensive lot, it has its fair share of competition from vehicles such as the entry-level 150-horsepower Audi TT Roadster, MG TF (both unavailable in America), the Toyota MR2 Spyder (soon to be discontinued), the Mini Cooper S Convertible, and perhaps its biggest threat, the upcoming Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky, the former priced at with a sticker starting at just under $20,000. But nevertheless, the more mature MX-5 is prepared to tackle the opposition, and the road ahead.