Mazda's Miata roadster sings sweet tune
2012 MX-5 Miata. Credit: Handout
The car of my dreams arrived in my driveway this week.
Mazda's Miata, a white roadster with the black top and wheels looked very much like the one I bonded with at an age when driving was just a distant dream. That MG Midget was the possession of our fortunate neighbor, a cool guy with a taste for jazz and Shelley Berman comedy records. Until then, I never realized that adults could own toy cars, too!
Also known as the MX-5, the 2012 Miata has been dressed up in special-edition white pearlescent paint with a black retractable hardtop and 17-inch black alloy wheels that make this little two-seater a stunner.
This one's a little pricier than the more affordable Miatas at $31,225. But it's meant for the cognoscenti among us and/or those who just want to enhance their appeal to the opposite sex.
Where does the name "Miata" come from? Despite its Italian sound, it actually derives from an Old High German word for "reward." Or so my research indicates.
Since the Miata's introduction in 1989, Mazda has sold more than 900,000 copies, making it the most popular roadster in the world. With an eye on the American market, Mazda revived the roadster genre in the tradition of the Triumph Spitfire, Austin-Healey Sprite, MG and Lotus Elan. Miata inspired imitators such as the Honda S2000, Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky, none of which are still in production.
One of the most surprising features of the Miata was its price tag, which was actually affordable for the kind of buyer whose spirit thrives in a top-down environment. Today, the least expensive MX-5 Miata is $27,250, which is a bit more daunting than the prices of the early days.
After major updates for 2009 and further tweaks for 2010, MX-5 Miata remains largely unchanged for the 2012 model year. There's not much that could or should be done to this car.
However, in addition to the original ragtop, the new roadster can be equipped with a retractable hardtop that releases with a one-handed twist and push of a button that takes it down in 12 seconds.
Miata's is considered the fastest power-retractable top in the market. Like the soft top, the power hardtop descends into a storage well behind the seats, leaving the trunk area untouched. In fact, I cringed when I realized I had loaded groceries -- including a carton of eggs -- in the trunk, then absentmindedly lowered the top. When I got home, the groceries were all intact. The top hadn't touched them.
This is not a car that gets by on looks alone. The high-winding 2-liter, 167 horsepower 4-cylinder engine hitched to a six-speed stick rewards those who like to touch the torque.
Classic sports car harmonics come with the acceleration. The original 1.6-liter 1990 model was tuned to mimic the sound of dual-carbureted sports cars of the '60s. The 2012 models with six-speed manual transmissions are equipped with an Induction Sound Enhancer made up of a series of tuned pipes and a passive resonance membrane. This engine sings.
Under the small top, the T-shaped instrument panel accompanies a black center stack that is quite unobtrusive. Small quarter windows block drafts between the windshield pillars and door mirrors into the cockpit.
Standard equipment includes dual exhausts, cloth upholstery, power-adjusted door mirrors, power accessories, and six-speaker audio system with speed-sensing volume control.
The trim with sport automatic transmission includes steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, cruise control, fog lamps, power door locks, remote keyless entry with retractable key, steering wheel-mounted audio and cruise controls.
With combined city-highway fuel economy of 24 miles per gallon, the lightweight MX-5 Miata is nothing to feel guilty about. Enjoy the breeze.
TYPE: Front-drive, retractable hardtop roadster.
WHERE BUILT: Hiroshima, Japan.
WHEELBASE: 91.7 inches.
POWER: 2-liter, 16-valve, 167 horsepower, 4-cylinder engine; six-speed manual transmission.
FUEL ECONOMY: 21 city, 28 highway, 24 combined mpg; estimated annual fuel cost $2,450.
