00:00 - Time To Buy A First Generation NA Miata - Part 1
This is part 1 of a 2-part series that explores why you should put an NA Miata on your bucket list. This small, fun, lightweight sports cars from Mazda was first introduced back in 1989 as a 1990 model and these first generation cars are now going up in price. Bargains can still be found though, so now's the time to act if you ever considered owning one.
Mazda introduced the first Miata back on February 9, 1989 at the Chicago Auto Show and since then, more than one million Miatas have been sold, it's still in production today, and it's been named the best selling 2-seat convertible sports car of all time, so it's clear Mazda picked a winner.
01:25 - Four Generations Sold Since the Miata's Introduction in 1990
NA Miata - Model Years 1990 to 1997
Original body style with pop-up headlights, reminiscent of a 1960s Lotus Elan. Split into two generations, the first was the NA6 from 1990-1993. These came with a 1.6-liter, DOHC 4-cylinder engine that made 116-horsepower and 110-lb.ft of torque.
While they looked basically the same, the later NA8 cars from 1994-1997 had a bump in displacement to 1.8-liters and initially made 128-horsepower and 110-lb.ft. of torque. Power was later increased to 133-horsepower and 114-lb.ft. of torque in 1996. The initial 10% increase in horsepower was offset by a 4.5% increase in weight (about 100 lbs.) due to the addition of larger brakes, a passenger airbag and additional body bracing, both for increased side impact protection and handling.
(There was NO 1998 Miata)
NB Miata - Model Years 1999 to 2005
The NB saw a major restyle of the exterior. Pop-up headlights were replaced with exposed headlights and other exterior refinements. The Engine's displacement remained the same at 1.8-liters, but now made 140-horsepower at launch, with a later bump to 142-horsepower in 2001. This generation of Miata also introduced the only MazdaSpeed version ever produced. It was available in 2004 and 2005 and featured a turbocharged 1.8-liter engine making 178-horsepower and 166-lb.ft. of torque.
NC Miata - Model Years 2006 to 2015
The NC Miata grew a bit in all dimensions. It was the heaviest generation of the Miata too, but to help offset that weight increase, it featured the highest horsepower of any normally aspirated Miata to date. The larger displacement 2.0-liter engine made 167-horsepower and 140-lb.ft. of torque. This was also the generation that saw the introduction of the PRHT or Power Retractable Hard Top in late 2006. This hard top retracted and folded in such a way that it did not interfere with trunk space.
ND Miata - Model Years 2016 to Present
The ND Miata is the fourth and current version of Mazda's 2-seat, rear drive convertible sports car. This generation saw a major re-emphasis on weight reduction, with overall weight inching closer to the first generation NA8 cars. The 2.0-liter engine size remained, but the engine's horsepower was set at 155 with 148-ft.lbs of torque. In spite of the horsepower reduction from the NC cars, he overall result was a lighter, faster ND Miata or MX-5 with improved fuel economy. And for 2019, the ND Miata saw a bump in power to 181-horsepower, along with an increase in torque to 151-lb.ft, making this the quickest Miata to date.
04:00 - Why consider getting an NA Miata now?
These cars bottomed out on their depreciation curve a couple of years ago and continue to go up price. I talk about my past experience missing out on two specific cars (the Datsun 240Z and the BMW E30 M3) that I waited too long to buy before the prices went up dramatically. I didn't miss out on the early Miata though, and I suggest that you shouldn't miss your chance either.
07:05 - Dig Into The Details of the Early NA Miatas.
Conceived from the beginning as a lightweight 2-seat convertible sports car with its engine in the front and it’s drive wheels in the back, it had all the right stuff: a low center of gravity, an engine moved as far back as possible for the ideal 50/50 weight distribution, fully-independent double A-arm suspension, 4-wheel disc brakes, a high-revving DOHC 4-cylinder engine with 4-valves per cylinder, a great sounding exhaust note and a transmission that sublimely shifted up and down between the gears. On top of that, it looked great too.
08:30 - Focused On The Joy of Driving, Not Speed
While it was a great sports car, the Miata was never the fastest, best handling sports car available. In fact, 1990 (the same model year the Miata was introduced to the public) also saw the introduction of Acura's NSX Sports Car and Nissan's Z32 300ZX and 300ZX Turbo sports car. Two cars with performance that far surpasses the Miata. But what the Miata tapped into was something more basic… it was the simple pleasure of taking a brisk drive, top down on a sunny day, just for the sheer joy of it.
While it wasn’t particularly fast, it was fast enough and it handled great at 8/10ths. You can toss an early Miata around and make short work of a windy road, getting it to slide a little here and there without hitting speeds that could put you in jail.
10:15 - NA6 (1990-1993) Miata Details, Colors and Option Packages
Again, there were two generations of the early NA Miata. The first half, known as the NA6 Miata had a 1.6-liter engine with 116-horsepower and was available from 1990 to 1993.
In May of 1989 when the Miata was first sold to the public (as a 1990 model), there were only three patriotic colors available: red, white and blue. For 1991, Silver (Silver Stone Metallic) was offered as a paint option.
1991 Also saw the launch of the first special or limited-edition Miata. This first car was called the SE or 'Special Edition'. It was British Racing Green with a tan leather interior and was limited to 4000 cars total.
In 1992, Mazda offered the Miata in a special yellow color, plus they introduced a black Miata for the first time and that car had a tan leather interior.
1993 was the year that Mazda introduced the LE or Limited Edition model. This version of Mazda's lightweight sports car also had a black exterior, but the interior was red leather. It was a stunning combination. The LE also had Bilstein shocks and a suspension setup that was essentially the same one found on the later R-Package models.
Miata.net - Special Edition Detail Page
https://bit.ly/3STNpgX
Mazda Customer Service
800-222-5500
16:05 - NA8 (1994-1997) Miata Details, Colors and Option Packages
In 1994, the NA8 version of the Miata was offered with a larger 1.8-liter engine that now made 128-hp and 110-lb.ft of torque. An airbag was added to the passenger side, cockpit bracing was added behind the seats, some addition subframe bracing, disc brakes got larger and new wheels were lighter, but the weight went up overall.
The NA8 series also saw the introduction of the highly optioned M-Edition cars. Each year go its own M-Edition car and each M-Edition car had its own unique paint color (with the exception of the 1994 M's Motego blue, which was made available on later NA Miatas).
The R-Package Miata was also introduced in 1994. This started as a base-model Miata, but added Bilstein shock absorbers, stiffer suspension, a torsen limited slip differential, front air dam and rear skirt, plus a rear spoiler on the trunk lid This was the lightest, highest performing stock Miata of the NA generation.
In 1997, Mazda also released the Special Touring Option or STO edition Miata. This was a "sort of" M-edition car with tan leather and top, but not exactly as it didn't come with some common M features, including the limited slip differential, ABS and cruise control, premium sound system, electric antenna or factory hardtop.
One last NA8 vehicle considered to be special was the 1994 and 1995 Laguna Blue with Tan leather C-package car. While attractive, this color and feature combo was technically not a limited edition model. However, because Laguna blue with tan leather is rare, buyers tend to like these cars and may pay a premium for them.
25:40 - Wrap Up - Time To Buy A First Generation Miata - Part 1
In Part 2, we will continue to explore what makes these cars great, I'll tell you about my experience with the NA Miata's I've owned and I will tell you what I think you should look for if you are thinking about buying a first generation Miata.
