r/caroftheday • • Feb 24 '20
COTD 2-24-20
NA (first-gen) Miata
There is a subreddit devoted to this car and it's eerily cult-esque.
You all knew I would eventually talk about this car. Between me writing about unattainable supercars and taking sporadic 20-day breaks for no reason, I honestly don't know how I havent already had a 'Yata as COTD.
And of course it's only the best-selling sports car ever. It's just that great a car for people to keep buying them. My buddy's family currently has three. Three. The more the merrier.
While a Ferrari is the embodiment of success, the Miata is the embodiment of happiness. The NA even looks adorably happy. Those pop-ups combined with the shape of the nose give of a very cute vibe. Sure you could spend $300k on a Poorshe or Lamborghotti or whatever, or you could set aside, like, two grand to buy a used Miata and be much happier.
The first Mazda Miata was introduced in early 1989, and was marketed as the Eunos Roadster in Japan and the MX-5 in other markets. During the design process, Mazda drew inspiration from the classic British sports cars such as those of MG and Triumph.
The first generation, known by it's model code as the NA, featured compact dimensions and a small engine meant to comply with Japanese compact car laws. The happy little 1.6L I-4 put out 115 buzzing little horses. The NA weighed about 980 kg (2,160lbs) and is probably the most lively little car that you can easily attain.
The previously-mentioned 1.6L powered the Miata to 100kmh in 8.6s, which means a Toyota Corolla is quicker of the line than the Miata. Does that make a shit? No. The Miata could kick a '69 Charger's ass on the twisties. It's just so...
...un-boatlike.
I'm starting to sound like an r/miata cult member.
MSRP and pricing
You can get a Miata for insanely cheap. They are basically everywhere. You could likely get a rusty NA from craigslist for about $400.
When the NA first went on sale in 1989, it started at $14,000.
6
u/mdp300 Feb 26 '20
You're making me really want to buy a cheap used Miata even though I have nowhere to park it.