Mazda MX-5 Miata: 25th Anniversary Blowout in the Big Apple

2014 Mazda MX5 (Credit: © Mazda)

Introduced in 1989 at the Chicago Auto Show, the affordable MX-5 Miata has been shown as much loyalty and passion as any Mazda vehicle ever produced. Despite its small dimensions, it offers the emotional “wind in your hair” experience of a convertible combined with an extraordinarily responsive steering and suspension configuration and adequate acceleration, to form an almost addictive driving encounter. The MX-5 Miata turned 25 in 2014 and what better place to celebrate than the 2014 New York International Auto Show to be held from April 16 through 27 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan? Mazda is planning something special and you don’t want to miss it.

The Miata is a rear-wheel drive roadster that will put a smile on you face from the instant that you crack the throttle. Like most cars, the Miata has undergone some changes during the last two-and-a-half-decades; among them the addition of a power retractable hardtop. Although the 1990 model was introduced with a 116-hp 1.6-liter four-cylinder, performance was reasonable due to the relatively light gross vehicle weight and nimble handling (a manual transmission helped, as well). The 2014 model has certainly evolved, with a peppy 2.0-liter four-cylinder that offers 167-hp, with your choice of either a five or six speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic. I would strongly suggest the manual gearbox as it yields improved engine performance.

Mazda plans to display a selection of fifteen MX-5 Miata models, from race cars to concept vehicles, to notable production vehicles. You might even get to take a ride in an original Miata roadster during the media preview taking place on April 16 and 17. President and CEO of Mazda North America Jim O’Sullivan said, “The MX-5 Miata is the quintessential Mazda; with all the whiz-bang technology and comfort amenities increasingly added to modern vehicles, MX-5’s direct connection between car and driver still remains the standard feature that puts smiles on driver’s faces.”