10 Reasons Confident Guys Should Rock a Mazda Miata
Put away your prejudice and listen about one of the best cars out there.
Image via Complex Original
You've heard a lot of people say that the Mazda MX-5 Miata is a "girl's car." We're here to tell you that those people couldn't be more wrong. Most people who make this follow-the-leader statement know little to nothing about the car, are parroting crap they heard on web forums, and/or drink Keyston Light. The Miata is one of the best damn sports cars money can buy. Need proof? Here are 10 Reasons Confident Guys Should Rock a Mazda Miata.
Lots of Race Car Drivers Got Their Start in Miatas
The SCCA runsa series called Spec Miata, which is where a surprising number of today's pro drivers got their start. Of course, you can't set yourself on the track of becoming a badass race car driver via Spec Miata without a Miata.
Autocross is the Only Kind of Motorsport you Can Afford/Survive
You might like to day dream about winning the Indy 500 or the Monaco Gran Prix, but, in reality, you're way too broke to get there and way too sloppy to survive the experience. That's what autocross is for. The only thing you can crash into is a cone, and cones aren't expensive or life-threatening.
You should go buy a Miata, because you can afford one, and in the 2009 SCCA Solo 2 Nationals (a big autocross championship), the top 27 of the 33 entries were Miatas.
You Can Make it Into a Real Beast
In its stock form, the Miata is quick, but it sure isn't fast. Luckily, there are innumerable tuners that specialize making Miatas into whatever you want.
900hp drag Miata? Yes
Ferrari-beating track Miata? Yes
Insane RWD rally Miata? Yes
It's a Sports Car That You Can Afford
We know that the convertible you'd rather have is a McLaren MP4-12C Spider, but you don't have $268,250. You also can't muster $105,500 for a Mercedes SL-Class, or even $50,400 for a Porsche Boxster.
You can get a good used Miata for less than $10,000 or a brand new one for just $23,720. Alternatively, you could spend that on a Toyota Camry; it's your call.
It Still Sports a Proper Transmission
It's getting harder and harder to find a manual transmission, which is still the ultimate in automotive fun and driver engagement. Ferrari doesn't even offer a manual on any of its cars anymore, and it looks like the BMW manual is endangered.
Luckily, the Miata has always come standard with a manual. Sure, you can pay more to 'upgrade' to an automatic, but that's like paying to replace Kate Upton's breasts with Rush Limbaugh's.
It's Both Fun and Reliable
Let's face it, sports cars aren't really known for their reliability. Some are more reliable than others, but few can match the quality and dependability of a boring sedan. The Miata, on the other hand, is more reliable than most boring sedans; it has a five-star dependability rating from JD Power & Associates.
It's Damn Near Dynamically Perfect
The weight distribution is perfect, the transmission and engine are very responsive, and it's rear-wheel-drive. What this means is that a good driver will have no problem getting a Miata to do exactly what he wants it to. If you can't control a Miata, you simply don't know what you're doing. That's why so many racing schools use them.
It's a Convertible
You know you want a convertible. It's just sexier to ride with the top down, with a warm summer breeze in your hair and a sexy woman in passenger seat. It's one of motoring's quinessential experiences, and you need to go enjoy it. And no, your '02 Golf's sun roof doesn't count.
It's the Modern Successor to the Classic British Roadster
If one were to study the lineage of sports cars, one of the most important classes of car would be the British roadster. The MGBs of yore were small, very lightweight, not terribly powerful, and tons of fun. Cars like the Lotus Elan (which the earlier Miatas look suspiciously similar to) might not have beat a Mustang on a drag strip, but they did decimate American muscle once corners were involved.
The problem is that all of those old British cars are wired with nothing but wishful thinking, so Mazda made a faux-British roadster with Japanese reliability and build quality. It was an instant classic.
Girls Love It
Lots of guys get a car thinking it will help with the ladies but really aren't on the right track. A '70 Mustang Mach 1 will attract lots and lots of 14-year-old-boys who want to hear you rev it and middle-aged men who want to talk about carburetors.
Something small and cute with no roof like the Miata is a car that most girls might actually be interested in, and be interested in talking about with you. You then have a chance to show her how funny and charming you are ... see where this is going?