The latest generation Mazda Miata/MX-5 may be the most high-tech version ever made, but it still follows the same old world recipe that made the NA a success.
Mazda designed the small roadster with the classically British sports car in mind, using a front engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, and concentrating on removing excess weight. The same formula was adopted by the generations that followed, so much so that there aren’t that many differences (as you would expect from a newer model) between the NA and the ND, for example.
Of course the new one is a bit better than the first generation, mainly because it’s more refined and “grown up”, but the gap between the models shrinks dramatically when you realize the NA offers the same experience behind the wheel for a much, much lower price. Especially as the power difference between the two can be insignificant – depending on the versions.
Sure, in this particular video, the 115 hp NA can’t hold a candle to the 2.0-litre 158 hp ND, but it doesn’t disappoint either. In the end, one caters to purist looking for handling fun, while the other is a capable little roadster that will, someday, take the former’s place.