Mazda MX-5 Miata History, from 1989 to Today

After soliciting design proposals from its Japanese and American operations, Mazda picks the American option, which becomes the production MX-5 Miata. Unlike the Tokyo proposal, which was mid-engine, rear-drive like Toyota’s contemporary MR2, and the front-drive sketch from Hiroshima, the product of Mazda’s American design studio boasts a classic British sports-car layout: It is rear-drive, with its engine in front.

The original Miata, which comes to be known as the NA generation, is officially released as a 1990 model and vaguely resembles a ’60s-era Lotus Elan remastered for the 20th century. Its features are endearing, including pop-up headlights that, when opened, give the MX-5 the appearance of a happy, wide-eyed thing—especially in conjunction with the rounded “mouth” in the bumper.

At launch, the MX-5 Miata is powered by a 116-hp 1.6-liter engine and is available solely with a five-speed manual transmission. Niceties such as power windows and aluminum wheels are optional, and no matter how it’s equipped, the Miata is extremely lightweight by modern standards. Only three colors are offered initially: blue, red, and white; later, Mazda adds a Silver Stone metallic.

Although snug, the Miata’s two-seat cabin limits intrusions on passenger space. For example, the armrests are thin and stuck onto essentially flat door panels, the center console is narrow, and the footwells are surprisingly boxy and roomy. Taller drivers find that the tops of their heads stick up above the windshield header, and there is barely enough trunk space for a weekend getaway for two people (using soft-sided luggage). None of this matters, as the sprightly Miata causes a sensation at dealerships across the country.

Just two model years into the Miata’s existence, Mazda takes the roadster’s British-sports-car theme to its natural zenith with a British Racing Green special edition. The color was Great Britain’s Grand Prix color before sponsors were all the rage, and it looks great on the little Mazda. Just 4000 of these so-called BRG Miatas are made for the U.S. in 1991, and beyond the sweet green paint, they get tan leather seats, a tan tonneau cover (but still a black roof), a Nardi-branded wood shift knob and wood handbrake grip, and a special badge for the center console commemorating its rarity.

In other 1991 Miata news, Mazda adds an automatic transmission and anti-lock brakes to the sports car’s option sheet for the first time.

For 1992, Mazda expands the Miata’s initially quite limited color palette to include a striking Sunburst Yellow hue. Only 1500 MX-5s are painted as such, and the color is only available for one year, making Sunburst Yellow examples quite rare.

Mazda’s special-edition MX-5 Miata for 1993 is dubbed the LE for Limited Edition. That unoriginal name stands in stark contrast to the rather original collection of features that made the LE stand out, namely its blood-red leather interior and black paint job. Also included? A neat set of BBS aluminum wheels, Bilstein dampers, a subtle body kit, red seatbelts, polished aluminum grilles for the door speakers, and the Mazda Sensory Sound System (a hi-fi audio system). Like the Sunburst Yellow and British Racing Green Miatas that came before it, the LE is offered only for a single year.

In a bid to enhance the Miata’s safety, Mazda adds a cross-body brace behind the seats, anti-intrusion beams in the doors, and a passenger’s-side airbag to the roadster. The engine also gets a big upgrade from the original Miata’s 1.6-liter to a new 1.8-liter four-banger making 128 horsepower (a 10 percent bump). Larger brake rotors are also part of the deal, and the optional limited-slip differential goes from a viscous unit to a more durable Torsen diff. Mazda also ditches the “Mazda” sticker on the Miata’s front bumper in favor of its then new corporate badge, which is affixed to the sports car’s nose. It is affectionately known as the “toilet-bowl badge,” given its resemblance to, well, the inside of a toilet bowl as viewed from above.

Next to the Miata’s general freshening for 1994, Mazda adopts a new nomenclature for its special-edition models: the M Edition. This naming convention holds through 1997. The 1994 M Edition wears Montego Blue Mica paint and comes fully loaded by Miata standards with every available option package included, plus polished aluminum wheels, a wooden Nardi shift knob, and special floor mats and badging. Mazda also adds an R package (pictured here) to the Miata’s options sheet, which includes Bilstein dampers, a lower ride height, a subtle body kit, lightweight aluminum wheels, and the Torsen limited-slip differential.

The second MX-5 Miata M Edition differs drastically from the 1994 model, thanks largely to its 15-inch BBS wheels and Merlot Mica paint. Its interior is tan and its seats leather, and it still comes with a Nardi shift knob (this time in leather), a fancier audio system, special doorsill kick plates, and M Edition badges on its fenders and floor mats. Little changes for the regular MX-5 Miata outside of tweaks to its option groupings.

Mazda once again ups the MX-5 Miata’s horsepower for 1996, this time to 133 ponies. The 1.8-liter four also switches from OBD-I to OBD-II controls (per the federal mandate), the computer standard still used industrywide.

Mazda again offers the M Edition, this time wearing Starlight Mica (blue) paint. It gets remote keyless entry, Mazda’s upgraded audio system with a CD player and speakers in the headrests, M badging throughout, and a Nardi wood shift knob.

For the first-generation MX-5 Miata’s final year before its redesign, Mazda goes all in on special-edition models, generating two: the STO and another M Edition (pictured here). The former, which stands for Special Touring Option, has Twilight Blue paint, 15-inch five-spoke Enkei wheels, a tan interior and top, and STO badging. Only 1500 are produced for 1997. As for the latter, the M Edition, it gets Marina Green Mica paint, polished six-spoke wheels, a tan interior and top, Mazda’s upgraded audio system with headrest speakers in the seats, and a Nardi wood shift knob.

Sporting all-new bodywork and a fresh interior over largely carryover structural bits, the 1999 MX-5 Miata takes the breed into its second generation. Code-named NB, the roadster no longer features flip-up headlights or looks as dainty. Instead, it wears fixed, wide-eyed headlights, and the body is curvier and more substantial-looking.

Updates to the 1.8-liter engine bring output up 7 horsepower to 140. The transmission choices remain a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic; a six-speed stick is reserved for top-level models. Changes to the interior are evolutionary, with a few new curves and softer edges throughout. Every MX-5 save for the base model receives the three-spoke Nardi-branded steering wheel you see here; for 1999 only, the base Miata receives an odd four-spoke steering wheel borrowed from mainstream Mazda models.

The same year Mazda redesigns the MX-5 for the first time, it introduces the 10th Anniversary Edition. Celebrating the Miata’s decade of existence, the special edition comes only in Sapphire Blue Mica with eye-catching polished wheels and an aggressive body kit. The interior is no less flashy, with a bold two-tone blue-and-black color scheme. Mazda also gives the 10th Anniversary model a six-speed manual transmission (a feature that would come to define nicer versions of the NB-generation Miata), a Bose audio system, stainless-steel door-sill plates, and a Nardi three-spoke steering wheel.

Ten years after it introduced the first MX-5 Miata BRG model, Mazda again offers a limited-edition Miata with British Racing Green paint. The 2001 special edition gets the same equipment as the uplevel Miata LS trim, as well as polished 16-inch aluminum wheels, a wood-rimmed Nardi steering wheel, a six-speed manual transmission, chrome gauge trim, and a tan interior and top.

Also in 2001, Mazda freshens the MX-5 Miata’s headlights and taillights, adds variable intake-valve timing for the 1.8-liter (bringing horsepower up to 155 ponies), and makes 15-inch wheels standard.

Next to a handful of minor equipment changes, the 2002 MX-5 Miata lineup sees its special edition arrive with the rare (by Mazda standards) choice of two colors: Blazing Yellow Mica and Titanium Gray metallic. Both offer essentially the same equipment—a Torsen limited-slip differential, a six-speed manual transmission, white-faced gauges, and special Enkei-branded 16-inch wheels—but receive their own interior colors. The yellow car has a black interior, while the gray model wears a classy brown hue.

Mazda goes bonkers with special-edition MX-5 Miatas for 2003, introducing three: the Special Edition, the Shinsen Version, and the Club Sport package. The first two are pictured above (the blue model is the SE, and the gray one is the Shinsen). Special five-spoke 16-inch wheels, Strato Blue Mica paint, and a gray interior and top distinguish the SE, while the Shinsen is styled the opposite, with Titanium Gray metallic paint and a blue top and interior. The Club Sport package is extremely rare: Only 50 cars are made, all of them intended for racing. None comes with a radio, air conditioning, or power steering; a hardtop is available.

For the first time, the Mazda MX-5 Miata gets forced induction from the factory. (Third parties for years had been offering turbocharging and supercharging kits for the Miata—as well as V-8 engine conversions.) Mazda’s performance arm, Mazdaspeed, installs a turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 178 horsepower, a torque-sensing limited-slip differential, 17-inch Racing Hart wheels with performance tires, and a stiffer and lowered suspension. It is notably quicker than regular Miatas, reaching 60 mph in our testing in 6.7 seconds.