"At the Chicago Auto Show in
1989, MX-5 Miata set the bar for
sports car performance and driving pleasure. Here we are on its
25th birthday still looking up at
that bar."
MX-5's success is that it has not
strayed from its promise to deliver pure driving enjoyment at an
attainable price. Its introduction
in 1989 revived the two-seat roadster segment, and it went on to be
named to Road & Track's "World's
Best Cars" list and was 14-times
one of Car and Driver's "10Best".
Enthusiasts are encouraged to wish
the MX-5 Miata a happy birthday on Twitter using the hashtag
#MX5Turns25.
25 Years of Greatness
A Look Back
Launched in May 1989 with a
starting price of $13,800 MSRP,
the first-generation MX-5 Miata
featured a 1.6-liter four-cylinder
engine with 116 horsepower and
100 lb-ft of torque. A five-speed
manual transmission was standard, but a four-speed automatic
was available as an option. Suspension was by independent double wishbone on all four wheels,
and braking consisted of four
wheel-disc brakes with the front
ventilated. The engineering team
created a three-fold, easy-to-operate soft top