We've always thought that the Miata needs to be offered as a coupe as well as a roadster. The Scion FR-S only strengthened our belief, but it turns out that Mazda very nearly made it happen.
In 1996, the Miata M Coupe Concept was presented at the New York Auto Show. It had a 1.8-liter engine with 133 horsepower and was liked by the fans, but a production version was never given the green light.
Of course, you can always turn the Miata into a coupe. Those fiberglass tops are relatively cheap and easy to install. But just like in the case of a Porsche Boxster coupe conversion, the extra panel gaps will trigger your OCD.
On the NC model, they made a multi-part folding metal roof, like a BMW's. And with the current ND generation, Mazda offers the RF, which has a cool targa configuration. But both systems add a lot of weight, whereas a non-folding hardtop would theoretically have the opposite effect.
If you're a Miata fan, this video is a must-watch. Not only were Savage Geese able to get the concept out of mothballs but also brought over the legendary designer Tom Matano.
While Matano worked on the original Miata in the 1980s, together with product planner Bob Hall, he had a whole little family of cars in his head, including a coupe and a speedster. Once the NA became successful, the designer made a full-size model of a Miata coupe, sending it to Japan for approval in 1992.
Infuriatingly, the big bosses didn't want it. Rumor has it that it was only shown in New York four years later simply because Mazda didn't have anything else of interest. Sadly, the M Coupe is not the Miata you dream of. Its admittedly sexy double-bubble roof is fiberglass, not adding rigidity to the car. But it does change the proportions of this car, together with a custom rear window and modified bumper.
Of course, you can always turn the Miata into a coupe. Those fiberglass tops are relatively cheap and easy to install. But just like in the case of a Porsche Boxster coupe conversion, the extra panel gaps will trigger your OCD.
On the NC model, they made a multi-part folding metal roof, like a BMW's. And with the current ND generation, Mazda offers the RF, which has a cool targa configuration. But both systems add a lot of weight, whereas a non-folding hardtop would theoretically have the opposite effect.
If you're a Miata fan, this video is a must-watch. Not only were Savage Geese able to get the concept out of mothballs but also brought over the legendary designer Tom Matano.
While Matano worked on the original Miata in the 1980s, together with product planner Bob Hall, he had a whole little family of cars in his head, including a coupe and a speedster. Once the NA became successful, the designer made a full-size model of a Miata coupe, sending it to Japan for approval in 1992.
Infuriatingly, the big bosses didn't want it. Rumor has it that it was only shown in New York four years later simply because Mazda didn't have anything else of interest. Sadly, the M Coupe is not the Miata you dream of. Its admittedly sexy double-bubble roof is fiberglass, not adding rigidity to the car. But it does change the proportions of this car, together with a custom rear window and modified bumper.