2016 Mazda Miata - Automobile
In just 25 years, the world’s favorite sports car has matched the volume of all MGs made from the 1920s to 1980. Mazda has made nearly 950,000 Miatas over three series, the last of which has been with us for 10 years. Whenever I’ve driven one, I’ve enjoyed the Miata not for its acceleration or top speed, but for the pure pleasure of using a machine that responds fluidly to my control inputs, going where I want without stress or undue effort. Roadholding is good, brakes are good, the structure is stiff enough, and the top doesn’t leak. It helps that all have been good-looking, although none quite as good as the first, cleverly cribbed from Ron Hickman’s very pretty little Lotus Elan. We tend to forget that the Miata is a rather big little car—the new one is 9 inches longer and a foot wider than the Elan. And, of course, mandated safety features and desired comfort items—power steering, air conditioning, folding hardtops—mean Mazda can never match the Elan’s sub-1,500-pound curb weight. In today’s context the 2016 Mazda Miata is still light, and it still feels light, which is all important. Source: www.automobilemag.com
