Miata. Roadster. MX-5. Whatever you might want to call it, it’s timeless. When the original MX-5 Miata made its world debut on a frigid morning at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show, few could have imagined its importance—and staying power—for the automotive industry and Mazda. It was so simple in concept: a lightweight roadster that enveloped its driver and passenger in their surroundings rather than shrouding them. With two latches undone and the top pushed back, the original MX-5 used the sky as its roof to help provide driving joy.

DIFFERENT TAKE ON A CLASSIC: MX-5 MIATA RF

Following the success of the third-generation MX-5 PRHT (power retractable hardtop), Mazda went a very different direction with the design of its power-folding fourth-generation. Called the MX-5 RF—for retractable fastback—the latest version of Mazda’s longstanding sports car was seen as the tuxedo complement to the roadster’s tracksuit. Its top takes all of 13 seconds to go from closed to open, or vice versa. While MX-5 RF can be seen as a more sophisticated take on the classic MX-5 roadster concept, it retains familiar, engaging driving dynamics. Like the soft top, it is more than 150 lbs. lighter than its predecessor, employing Mazda’s holistic “Gram Strategy” to optimize every part.

Here’s an at-a-glance list of what’s new about the 2018 Mazda MX-5 Miata

• Standard heated, cloth seats with three settings for MX-5 Club models
• Newly available exterior paint colour options: Soul Red Crystal, Snowflake White Pearl Mica and Eternal Blue
• Mazda Advanced Keyless Entry is now standard on all models
• MX-5 Club Brembo/BBS Package adds heated leather-trimmed seats
• Revised MAZDA CONNECTTM screen and sun visors

PURITY THROUGH PURPOSE

It’s a daily driver, a weekend toy and a multiple-time, championship-winning race car, alike. Lightweight, nimble and fun to-drive, the fourth-generation MX-5 draws inspiration from MX-5s that came before it. But it also carves a path that is thoroughly modern and uncharted for Mazda’s flagship roadster. While the purity philosophy behind MX-5 has remained through the years, the fourth-generation MX-5 has adapted SKYACTIV Technology, to help make it faster and more efficient, and KODO—Soul of Motion design for its striking looks.

Mazda’s i-ACTIVSENSE suite includes several active safety technologies that support safe driving by helping the driver to recognize potential hazards and avert collisions or reduce their severity in situations where they cannot be avoided. The 2018 Mazda MX-5 Miata’s i-ACTIVSENSE suite of safety features include

• Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert in all MX-5 Club and Grand Touring models
• Lane Departure Warning System in MX-5 Grand Touring models
• High Beam Control in MX-5 Grand Touring models
• Adaptive Front-lighting System in MX-5 Grand Touring models
• Rain-sensing windshield wipers in MX-5 Grand Touring models

Come and experience the purity and brilliance of the MX-5 MF for yourself. Click the TEST DRIVE Button below to schedule a complete guided tour and road test of a legendary, global icon -just be prepared to have your hair tussled in the wind.