Hooniverse Asks: Will There Ever Be Another Miata?

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata and 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata
As we all know, the answer to almost every automotive question these days is invariably “Miata.” What’s a good car for a recent college grad? Miata. What car will best quell a mid-life crisis but without also a mid-life trip to the poorhouse? Miata there too. What about if I want to dip my toes into the racing pool? Well, you’re damn right a Miata will fit the bill there as well.
Mazda may have channeled a slew of sports cars from history past, everything from the MBG to the Lotus Elan, but they managed to distill their essence in a ride that is almost universally beloved. And – since there’s almost 30 years worth of production under the belt – one that’ll fit nearly any budget. You little girls with your lemonade stand being the exception. Don’t worry, your time will come.
The question for today is, what else will come. I mean, do you think there will ever be a car like the Miata, one that fits so many enthusiast’s niches? Or, are we experiencing a unique and wonderful run by a car that will never have an equal?
Image: Car and Driver

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  1. Tiberiuswise Avatar

    I will say with absolute certainty that there will never ever be another Miata. Never. Gonna. Happen.
    (See what I’m doing?)

  2. JayP Avatar
    JayP

    Solstice could have with a 2nd gen, not rushed to market.
    The Miata hit that sweet zone. Perfect timing for it’s introduction.

  3. engineerd Avatar
    engineerd

    There’s been attempts…Solstice/Sky, S2000, etc. Even the Z3 could fall in the same category. The problem is, the Miata has done the job so well for so long at a reasonable price that it’s hard to compete.

    1. Rover 1 Avatar
      Rover 1

      Except that the Z3 was a case study of exactly how not to do a Miata, (Or nearly, but not quite, do it right and in doing so, to miss by a mile.)

  4. tonyola Avatar
    tonyola

    I’d bet that the next generation Miata will probably be some sort of hybrid. Between that and the ever-increasing amount of safety gear, I feel that the present Miami will be the last uncompromised one,

  5. Cameron Vanderhorst Avatar
    Cameron Vanderhorst

    I hope for another car like the Miata, E30, or EG-series Civic…an easily modified and maintained enthusiast car that doubles as reliable daily transportation.

    1. Roody Avatar

      There’s modern equivalents, though they cost considerably more to purchase and also to modify. 5.0 Mustangs, Camaro SS, BR-Z/FR-S, and the Wrangler to name a few…

  6. The Real Number_Six Avatar
    The Real Number_Six

    30 years of essentially the same envelope? Only the Corvette has come close. During the same period the Porsche 911 has morphed from antiquated but lovely old sportscar into a plush GT for overfed dentists; Ferrari’s 3xx has become a brain-melting supercar; the once-brilliant BWM 3-series is an overweight money-sucking pisstake; and Mustang has shifted from poverty-spec econobox to plush and sophisticated GT for overfed Gen-xers having a crisis. It’s just weird that of all the players, Mazda is the one to stick to a singular vision and carry it out consistently, regardless of market forces. So, uh, no.

    1. outback_ute Avatar
      outback_ute

      Agreed, basically everything has gone down the bigger/better/faster/more path, so that getting anywhere near the limits on a public road involves insane speed. Even the Wrangler has grown a lot and become more mainstream over 30-40 years.
      Even hot hatches; a 225 tyre gives so much more grip than the 185 they had 30 years ago, and horsepower has doubled and the cars are a lot heavier. Much better as an overall car, but less fun in the moment.
      One thing that hasn’t changed is the commercial Land Cruisers, even the change from 40 to 70 series didn’t really affect that much and they are still as hardcore as ever today.

  7. Maymar Avatar
    Maymar

    I mean, we’ve already got the BRZ and FRS – if (big if here) they get more generations and continuous development and eventually a 25 year supply of old ones, then they could just as easily be The Answer.
    Mind you, we also have the Mustang. Or if clipping apexes isn’t your thing, the Wrangler.

      1. Maymar Avatar
        Maymar

        Eh, the Toyobaru isn’t that bad. They really need to smooth out the powerband, and a high-po option would be nice (although the Miatas gets away without it), but it’s nice just to have the option.
        Like I said, it needs work, but it’s got potential.

    1. Jeepster Avatar
      Jeepster

      But the idiots at Chrysler-FIAT will not let us have the J8 military type VM turbodiesel, dana 60’s , etc…. idiots.

      1. ptschett Avatar
        ptschett

        A diesel engine, pickup version, and axle improvements are all expected on the next generation to debut next year.
        http://www.allpar.com/SUVs/jeep/wrangler/2017.html
        Meanwhile they’ve had hotter fires to fight, and they can still sell just about every Wrangler they can make.

      2. Maymar Avatar
        Maymar

        I guess if we’re working with the Miata as an analogue, I don’t think they’ve ever really offered a Miata more hardcore at track duty than the Wrangler Rubicon is offroad.

    2. hove102 Avatar
      hove102

      Thank you for saying what I’ve been thinking since I started driving my Wrangler. In a rare moment of clairvoyance a while back, I realized that a Wrangler is essentially the truck/4×4 version of a Miata. Sort of impractical, both are convertible, both are best enjoyed with a manual, and both are designed with singularity of purpose in mind and no compromises made to achieve that goal. I guess both have grown larger and more “comfortable” over time, but at the end of the day they’re both still designed to be good at their respective tasks for relatively low cost, especially when compared to their peers (which are few). Oh, and both are designed for fun and both turn you into a certain kind of person once you get hooked on them.
      Of course, this could be me just rambling because I’m still lusting after a Miata, but my Wrangler comes close enough…

      1. Maymar Avatar
        Maymar

        “Jeep is America’s only real sports car.” – Enzo Ferrari

        1. hove102 Avatar
          hove102

          Is this legit? Only Il Commendatore would have the stones to say this

  8. Sjalabais Avatar
    Sjalabais

    I’m one for stupid holdouts, so my vote is on a Kia-financed new Lotus for the masses that may never ever see the light. It is a bit strange that no British name would reclaim this territory – whoever finances it, there’s a wealth of history to surf on.

  9. Rust-MyEnemy Avatar

    Why do we need a New Miata?
    We still have the old one, don’t we?

  10. JBsC6 Avatar
    JBsC6

    Fiat 124 and abarth 124 will literally be another mx5.
    I bought a 1994 mint black mx5 with 60k miles. I had the flyin miata butterfly brace and frame rails installed and it improved chassis rigidity but after a couple of drives in the latest generation mx5….and the end of the summer I sold the mx5 after 4 months and 4k miles…
    I felt the new mx5 was nice although I did feel it had too much body roll.
    Test drove a newly new Porsche boxster s with PDK sport chronos and a total of an 83 grand MSRP for 55 and almost pulled the trigger but in the end I couldn’t justify spending that kind of cash on a slower sports car than my z51 LS3 m6 corvette. I ended up just buying an extra set of snow tires and wheels for my corvette especially after hearing what the Porsche dealer offered…LOL..I’ve been daily driving my corvettes for almost a decade….I bought the pretty little mx5 as my “winter beater” and it was a nice sports car. I just stopped enjoying the mx5 once the roof had to stay up….
    The mx5 was fun for a few months but when the differences wore off….it was time to sell.
    I did sell it for 50 percent more than I paid for it and sold it the first day I advertised it to the first guy who came to see it. I thought maybe the abarth fiat 124 with a 1.7 liter turbo and a DCT might make a cool everyday driver….until I saw the base 124…..the looks weren’t for me.
    Still it definitely is another miata.