Category: miata

Apr 26

Mazda Designer on Tiktok’s Most Modified Miatas ‘One of the Downsides to Living in a Free Country’

Bob Hall is an automotive legend, and all around fun guy. He was a Mazda designer and automotive journalist who is responsible for the existence of the MX-5 Miata. He continues to be a sports car fan and the patron saint of the Miata community. But some TikToker’s Miata modifications are too much even for Hall.

Legend has it that there would be no Miata without Bob Hall. His dad was a fan of British roadsters (think Triumphs and MGs), so he pitched a more reliable version of this classic formula to Miata’s company brass. At first, they said they didn’t have a budget for his project. So Hall worked on the B2600 pickup truck from 9-5, then stayed in the office to design the Miata nights and weekends. Miata finally greenlit the project for the 1989 model year and a legend was born.

The folks at Donut Media brought Bob Hall on and had a fantastic idea for a segment: they showed him some of the most wildly modified Miatas in the world and asked for his opinion. And Hall didn’t disappoint with his hilarious takes.

When he saw a stanced pink Miata with an extremely exaggerated camber he said, “Is that after the accident or before?” And the gem, “This is one of the downsides to living in a free country.” Before you say Hall just doesn’t understand the car culture, know he added, “I think there’s stance, but this guy doesn’t understand what stance is.”

Many tuners turbocharge their Miatas. And Hall isn’t against tuning in practice. He actually says, “What we got to make is a really really really fun blank canvas…The last designer of the car is the buyer.” But when he saw a Miata with two turbochargers so large that they covered the grille and headlights the had some quips. “We always thought the races it should be in are ones that have left and right hand curves, because anything else is just a drag.” Puns aside, he added, “Anyone that was predisposed toward straight line stuff, you used a rotary. There are cars you buy for performance, that’s why the RX-7 existed. That was the race car.”

I’ve never heard anyone refer to a proclivity for drag racing like a disease with the word, “predisposed.” But coming from the Miata’s designer, it makes some sense.

My lifted Miata
byu/Due-South4633 inMiata

Hall had some heartfelt comments too. When he first saw a lifted rally spec Miata his response was, “Whoah what is that” and he made some wisecracks about a Miata moon rover and “Some s—h— driving a Miata turned into an SUV.” But then he said, “I’ll be serious for a moment here. It bothers me less than a Miata sitting, rusting away in a junkyard.”

Hall did have some advice for anyone thinking of lifting a Miata: “I’d find one of those (Mazda) 323 painted the weird colors, put 323 four-wheel drive in it, and make that the lift thing.”

Apr 22

Mazda Miata MSRP Crosses $30k Mark, Sales Plummet

Introduced in 1989, the Mazda Miata has been the quintessential affordable sports car for decades. Originally, its soft top configuration and I4/stick shift powertrain made it cheap to make while maintaining good handling in the twisties. But Mazda has been slowly adding features and the cost of building the car has gone up. In the past couple years there have been some big shifts in the Miata’s cost–and sales numbers.

The MX-5 Miata carved out a small but devoted niche of roadster enthusiasts. It’s been a very consistent seller for years. For example, during 2018, 2019, and 2020, Mazda sold about 8,000 Miatas.

The best Miata sales year in recent history was 2021. Back then, folks were stuck in quarantine with only driving as an escape and so car sales went sky high. Mazda sold 10,470 roadsters that year. In 2022, that number dropped to 6,172 cars. When Miata sales climbed back to 8,973 units in 2023, it was a 45% year-over-year increase.

By 2023, manual transmission sales had climbed from their all-time-low below 1% to 1.7%. There seemed to be a resurgence of simples sports cars, so it probably felt like a good time to be Mazda. perhaps this is why the automaker tacked the biggest increase in years on to the Miata’s MSRP.

At the beginning of 2023, the Miata’s MSRP was $28,050. This number climbed a bit with mid-year price bumps. Then for the 2024 model year, Mazda slapped another $935 on to the price of its base trim. The result was a MSRP of $30,150.

Mazda doesn’t sell a ton of its little convertibles in the winter. But this year has been especially bad. Mazda sold 389 Miatas in January 2024 (down from 724 last year), 436 in February (compare that with 783 lat year), and 436 in March (vs 1,083). Last year, March, April, and May were the MX-5’s big months.

We’ll have to wait and see whether the Miata’s Q1 sales numbers are an odd anomaly, part of a downward trend, or just the latest chapter in a roller coaster couple of years.

Jan 18

The Rise of Manual Transmissions: A Stick Shift Revival in Today’s Car Market

The resurgence of manual transmissions is more than just a trend—it’s a revival of driving passion. In 2023, manual transmissions made up 1.7% of all car sales, a significant jump from less than 1% in 2021. This 70% increase reflects a growing appreciation for the driving experience that only a stick shift can provide, despite its relatively small market share.

The six-speed stick shift lever in a manual 2007 BMW M6 V10.
2007 BMW M6 | Cars & Bids

The renewed interest in manuals is fueled by a combination of enthusiast demand and exciting new offerings from automakers. Notable models like the Toyota Supra and Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing have embraced manual gearboxes, rekindling excitement among driving purists. The Mazda Miata, a longstanding symbol of driving enjoyment, continues to be a top choice for manual enthusiasts, with 60% of buyers opting for the traditional gearshift, highlighting the car’s enduring appeal even as it approaches its 35th anniversary.