The interior basics are standard Miata – a small, well sorted cabin highlighted by a near optimal driving position and ‘lowlighted’ by a luggage-phobic trunk. The well bolstered bucket seats are dressed in red and black, and the Mazdaspeed name brings with it some other spiff-ups: silver gauges, aluminum pedals and stainless scuff plates, among them. A six speaker, Bose 225 watt sound system with six disc changer and speed sensing volume control is standard, too. Outside it’s a subtle package: your choice of Gray or Red metallic, with low-key Mazdaspeed badging. The front view gets a model-specific spoiler and smoked headlight glass. The side shot shows Miata’s first 17” rolling stock, Racing Hart five spoke aluminum alloys wrapped with sticky, Toyo Proxes tread. In back, it’s low profile spoilers top and bottom, and a wide mouth exhaust tip sporting the Mazdaspeed logo.

The Mazdaspeed Miata is a handsome little car, nicely packaging function and fashion. At $26,020 (delivered), it’s also a bona fide performance bargain. It’s able to heckle cars costing thousand more through the canyons (if you are so inclined), and simply a well mannered, sharply dressed roadster (if you are not). It would’ve been easy to overdo this concept and in the process, end up with a car far less affordable or every day drivable. To Mazda’s credit, they didn’t. Mazdaspeed is classic Miata, with a slightly sharper edge.