Burbbble

Mazda Miata... Targa?

Autoblog

Have these new lines crossed the line?

Chris Eastman

Change can be a difficult thing to deal with sometimes. Especially when involving something personally cherished. I nearly flipped my lid when someone added peppers to a batch of our family chili. So my gut reaction to these kinds of things are usually negative. "What were they thinking? How much is it going to weigh now? Why would they mess with the essence of the animal? What is a Miata if it isn't a convertible, a Mazda Del Sol?" These are all gut reaction thoughts I had. After squeezing my novelty Stig stress figure (real thing) and counting back from ten I went back to look at the pictures again.

It truly is a handsome thing. The added lines with the roof up make it look rakish and with the top down the rear sails add drama. I would bet it has quite a lot of presence in person. As a substitute for a full hardtop convertible I genuinely like it. Saves a bunch of space and maybe even weight...maybe? As much as I like it I am not afraid to label this a gimmick. It is flashy for now, having the same kind of top that comes on a 911 Targa for way less, but I'll take my chili without peppers thank you very much. 

Mazda Miata MX5