1999.5 Mazda Miata 10th Anniversary Edition

1999.5 Mazda Miata 10th Anniversary Edition
CHICAGO - So, let's see if we have this straight: The Mazda Miata was introduced to the world at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show as a 1990 model. At the 1999 Chicago Auto Show the world met the 10th Anniversary Edition of the Miata -- which is a 1999 model. Doesn't that really make it the 9th Anniversary Edition?

While you may not want to depend on Mazda to tell you if the Second Millennium begins on January 1, 2000 or January 1, 2001, you can count on the Ford affiliate to stay true to the premise that saw them reinvent the affordable sports car segment 10 years ago. (Or was it 9?)

Well, almost true to that original premise. The 10th Anniversary Edition -- the latest in a long string of special editions that have helped focus attention on the neo-classic roadster -- is not what you could call a bargain-basement offering. Its price is $27,000 -- or more than twice the price of the original.

Still, Mazda has added equipment that makes this Miata an even more desirable offering than the run-of-the-mill '99s. There is, for example, a new close-ratio six-speed manual. (And, unlike most other six-speeds offered in the U.S., it does not have a skip-shift feature to satisfy CAFE requirements.) The car also comes with a Torsen limited-slip diff, Bilstein shocks and a front strut-tower brace for increased body stiffness.

All anniversary models wear a numbered anniversary badge on the driver-side front fender and Sapphire Blue Mica paint. The softtop and the boot cover are also blue. This is the first time a production Miata offered in the U.S. has had other than a black or tan top. Other exterior differentiators are 15-inch polished alloy wheels, flush-mounted fog lights, a front air dam, rear mudguards and aerodynamic side sills.

Inside, the special model boasts two-tone (black and blue) seat upholstery with a suede-like blue insert surrounded by black leather on the side bolsters and headrests. A NARDI steering wheel and shift knob are in blue and black leather. The shift boot, carpeting and "10th Anniversary Edition" branded floor mats are also blue. A complement of other uplevel gear (cruise control, Bose music system, power locks, etc.) is standard.

Each owner also gets a numbered certificate of ownership, special ignition key with a blue key fob, 1:43-scale die-cast model of the car, 10th Anniversary key ring and his-and-hers anniversary Seiko watches.

Mazda will build 7,500 units of this special model. The United States will get 3,150 of that number, with the rest being split equally between Japan and Europe. This special 10th Anniversary Edition Mazda Miata will go on sale in the States in late March or early April.