Can Anyone Take On The MX-5 In The Future?

Whatever the reason, the Miata looks to be marching into the future unchallenged and still your best bet for affordable driving fun.

Consider the following. When Mazda released the first MX-5 Miata to the world, Alfa Romeo still sold the Spider in the United States. By 1993 the Alfa two seater bowed out with its replacement not making it to US shores. Meanwhile, the Miata had shown up on Car and Driver's 10 Best List from 1990-1992. Arguably the last of the classic two seater roadsters bowed out four years after the revival of the two seat roadster.

The Miata has been a collection of paradoxes. Born in a time when cars and trucks were getting bigger and bigger, when the minivan and the SUV started to rule the land, when Camaros and Mustangs started offering 300hp, the Miata came in with just over 100 hp and a wheelbase below 90 inches.

Even the Mini hasn't been able to stay small since its release, but in thirty years the Miata has grown less than three inches. Over time some nods to comfort and convenience have wormed their way into the simple two seater but what hasn't changed is the small power plant up front driving two wheels in the back with two seats and a drop top.  These days power output has almost doubled for the top of the line at 181hp with base models still putting out 129hp.

Resilient

via thedrive.com

In those thirty years, the Miata has fought its 'girl car' reputation, an image easily shred by anyone with any interest in driving and especially competition. Attend any grassroots motorsport that takes production cars and you'll see a fleet of Miatas. When it comes to amateur racing, the saying goes, the answer is the MX-5 whatever the question. From autocross to rallycross, the simplicity, balance, and affordability of the Miata has made it an essential element of race weekend.

Because of the popularity of the car, there are plenty of examples out there for people to grab up for little money, spend little more, and take racing. For junk car racing series like Le Mons and CHUMPCAR, the Miatas have become de facto classes unto themselves.

With a car managing to be so successful with such an easy formula, one has to wonder why has Mazda had this segment to itself for so long?

Challengers Come And Go

via miata.net

To be sure, there have been challengers. When the Miata came to be Toyota had a market all to itself after besting Pontiac in the affordable mid-engine sports car category. Their second iteration of the MR-2 lasted until 1999 when it finally bowed out, only to come back as a Spider but retaining the mid-engine layout of its predecessors.

Likewise, Honda revive its old badge from it's early roadster days with the S2000 and it's notoriously high revving engine.

Over in Europe, Germans released a trio of roadsters that reflected the standards of their accompanying brands. Porsche released another mid-engine creation meant to evoke the old 550 Spyder, BMW created the Z3 as a throwback to their old roadsters, and Mercedes Benz came in with the folding hardtop SLK.

In America GM tried a two pronged attack with the Pontiac Solstice and the Saturn Sky.

With the exception of the Benz that bows out this model year, the Germans are still chugging along through new models, but the Japanese contenders have faded away. The parent companies of America's efforts don't exist anymore. Even the Miata derived cousin in the Fiat 124 has started to pack things up.

The S2000 and the German roadsters all at their best started at where the Miata ends if you check all of the option boxes.

This means that the only serious challenger for price and segment was the MR-S with its love it or hate it looks.

Last Car Standing

via scda1.com

Yet still, thirty years and counting, no one has managed to put together the simple package of a cheap two seater that's as trackable as it is drivable. Dodge balked at an attempt at toppling the Miata when they didn't go into production with their Dodge Demon concept, instead putting all their chips on the revival of the muscle car that has worked out for them at the moment.

In an industry that will chase fads at the drop of the hate, the fact that the Miata has remained unchallenged is astonishing. There might, however,  be an answer as to why.

The influence of the original Miata is fairly obvious. Bearing more than a passing resemblance to the Lotus Elan, the Miata despite current weight gains has abides by Colin Chapman's creed: Add lightness.

The Miata is what the best roadsters always were, small and simple. In that way, the Miata can almost not even compete with itself. With every new thing added to the Miata it risks becoming too bloated, to distracted from what it should be. As soon as a car enters the Miata's market offering more then sacrifices the Miata's greatest draw, its price tag. A Z4 might be more powerful and advanced, but not as cheap. It's possible that Mazda has permanently won the segment simply by getting there first, even before the final death of the segment it revived.

Whatever the reason, the Miata looks to be marching into the future unchallenged and still your best bet for affordable driving fun.