Really, really happy to see Mazda continuing to invest in the MX-5. What a fantastic, compelling little car. And great photos, guys!
“Hello, I’d like a Miata with everything on it.”
“Ah, you’re here for the RF with the GT-S package.”
There’s been plenty of news surrounding the 2019 MX-5. First, more power. A total revamp to the 2.0-liter engine boosts output to 181 horsepower.
Then there’s the more fleshed-out model line. The new GT-S package adds the Club’s limited-slip diff, Bilstein dampers and shock tower brace to the upmarket Grand Sport, meaning the fancy interior appointments. The GT-S is available on both the soft-top and RF models. When paired with the RF, the center of the hardtop is painted black.
So, best of both worlds or too much for one Miata? Read the counterpoint below for more.
More time with this one only made one thing more clear: The new MX-5 is easily one of the best new cars sold in America. Zillion-dollar McLaren? Ferrari whatever? Bentley SUV? Feh.
There’s not much more to say. The RF turns the MX-5 into a quiet, classy highway tourer. The GT-S package then adds in the right mix of comfort and sport for me. No, it’s not the fastest MX-5 variant, but for a daily, it’s nearly perfect. It’s the Miata coupe that turns into a Miata roadster at the touch of a button.
Really, really happy to see Mazda continuing to invest in the MX-5. What a fantastic, compelling little car. And great photos, guys!
Is this a 2018 or 2019 model with that horsepower number? The headline says 2018.
If it's a GT-S, it's a 2019.
I'm seriously conflicted about this car. I like the ND, but not enough to buy one new. But I've really only been in a soft top car. And I don't like older Miatas because I've spent most of my time in soft top NBs. But then I bought a hardtop NA and it's freaking great. And the ND is supposed to be the most NA like car since the NA and the RF has a roof and I drive past 3-6 new RF cars every time I drop my son at high school. Crap.
It's such an obvious package, I wonder why it took them so long to bring it to the US. Basically, take the stuff that makes the Club special, and take the stuff that makes the GT special, and mash them together. And while this may not be the fastest variant due to the extra 93 lbs of the RF, it's worth noting that our 2019 GT-S RF was only 9 lbs heavier than our 2017 GT RF. Also, the GT only weighs 15 lbs more than the "sporty" Club. So you're not paying all that much in terms of performance for the luxe.
I still wish these came in real colors. An adequate red, plus blah washed out metallic blue, plus silver plus silver plus silver plus white plus gray. Blah. Gimme a mariner blue one. A yellow one. An orange one. A BRG one. Gimme SOMETHING that's non-metallic and not rock-toned.
They're metallic because that's what works well on the body shape. Mariner would wipe out all the surface detailing and make the car far less interesting, as would yellow. BRG just sucks on everything ;) This is a shape that rewards metallics, just like the NA was a shape that didn't work well with metallics.
Look to the Lotus Elise color range to see what would work, as they're similar cars from a surface detail standpoint. Non-metallic red looks bad, the Chili Red (metallic red with a gold highlight) is astounding. Magnetic Blue from that line might work. Lexus Ultrasonic Blue would be great.
That's awesome, that the GT only weighs 15lbs more than the club.
Aren't you guys supposed to have trees in front of the car when taking pics?
I'm seriously conflicted about this car. I like the ND, but not enough to buy one new. But I've really only been in a soft top car. And I don't like older Miatas because I've spent most of my time in soft top NBs. But then I bought a hardtop NA and it's freaking great. And the ND is supposed to be the most NA like car since the NA and the RF has a roof and I drive past 3-6 new RF cars every time I drop my son at high school. Crap.
I can pretty well relate to that. A hardtop NA with power is pretty much my ideal miata. Now Mazda sells the modern equivalent to that which seems awesome but is also new car money, for context roughly twice what you paid for a 911 that you fell in love with and will keep forever. I want to take it seriously too, but i've lived in buildings that cost less. New car math is hard, with value being a variable based on intangibles. In the end I don't like it enough to buy one new either, but my armchair estimate is that it will be a slam dunk when it gets down to 12k. 
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