senor honda

By Alex Lloyd



Taking a simple concept and turning it into a car enthusiasts' dream that lasts for 25 years – a phenomenon that remains as strong today as it did a quarter of a century ago – is unfathomable. And yet that is exactly what Tom Matano, Bob Hall and their team did back in 1989 with the Mazda MX-5 Miata. In celebration of these achievements, Mazda has brought a 25th anniversary special edition Miata to the New York auto show, a glimpse into the next generation Miata set to arrive within the next 12 months, and an array of 15 iconic Miatas from the past 25 years – including the 1996 M Coupe concept and the only 1998 Miata ever built.
The philosophy of the original Miata was simple: Create a two-seater sports car that evokes a sense of passion; a car that makes you smile. It wasn't about numbers or statistics. Nor was it about following a form book; although it clearly took inspiration from the legendary British roadsters of the 1960s. What was expected to sell in the range of a few hundred a month turned into thousands. Today, around 1 million Miatas have been sold globally, making it the best-selling two seater sports car this world has ever seen.
Over the years, imitators have come and gone – such as the BMW Z3 and the Pontiac Solstice. When GM released its roadster in 2005, Bob Hall, a former car journalists turned product planner at Mazda who was responsible for imagining the original Miata, remembers the time well: "They just didn't get it," he said. "And it was the same with BMW. I couldn't help but laugh. A Miata is not about a number; it's about a feeling."
Tom Matano, the designer of the first Miata, noted that the car initially had no competition. It stood alone in its class – affordable, simple and yet infectious. Matano, the man we must thank for the original's glorious pop-up headlamps, feels confident that the fourth-generation Miata, slated to arrive at next year's Chicago auto show (the location of the original's debut), will be further inline with his original design: "I think our mentality from back then is still very present here at Mazda, and you will see that in the new car."
Chassis of the 2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata

Complementing Matano's statement, Mazda revealed that next Miata, arriving on its SkyActive platform, will be around 220 lbs. lighter than the current model. Don't expect a massive power increase though – as Hall put it, "A Miata is not about power. That's isn't why you buy one." If you can't wait for the upcoming fourth generation roadster, 100 special edition Miatas will be arriving on U.S. shores this spring. The changes are aesthetic and mild, but in another 25 years, they too may be gracing the show floor at the New York auto show; as Mazda Chairman Takashi Yamanouchi said, the Miata has become the company's "brand icon."
With the deep, yet ever-present roots set forth by Hall and Matano, we wouldn't be surprised.

senor honda

Here's the video
https://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motora...162530152.html

senor honda

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By Brandon Turkus



As part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the MX-5 Miata, Mazda has put together a rather large display at its New York Auto Show booth, showing off significant models from the diminutive roadsters history.

The display represents a healthy split of volume models, with cars 14, 15 and 17 sitting alongside cars 500,000 and 700,000. There are also more than a few concept cars in the offering, such as the Super20 Concept we drove a few years back, as well as older offerings, like the Club Racer concept from the 1989 Chicago Auto Show, the M-Speedster from the 1995 Chicago show and the M Coupe from the 1996 New York Auto Show.

We've put together a gallery of images of the historical Miata display, which you can view above. Take a look and then let us know which of Mazda's awesome roadsters is your favorite.

Niburu

I've got one

senor honda

Excellent!

Niburu

also a good local forum to checkout would be www.tampabaymiatas.net

Niburu

important websites for you future Miata builders out there;

949 Racing - 6UL 6ULR wheels - Miata performance - bestest wheels you can get for a Miata, plus some other good stuff
Automotive Suspension Experts | Fat Cat Motorsports - THE suspension gurus of miatadom
Mazda Miata Performance Parts - these guys also carry RX-7 stuff
Boss Frog - Automotive Rollbars and Aftermarket Products for Miatas and MGBs - make it beefy
Flyin' Miata : Chassis : Stiffening - make it moar beefy
Chaser Aerodynamics, LLC. - bodykits, not just for Miatas either

used parts dealers
The Partsgroup - Mazda Miata & RX8 Used Parts - used Miata AND RX-8 parts
Planet-Miata.com Home - Your #1 source for Mazda Miata new and used parts and accessories. - used parts and new in house fabbed Spec Miata gear
Flying Miata sells used parts too


BEHOLD the power of KRYLON

senor honda

That's good info. Thanks for posting it.-Bob