Our product picks are editor-tested, expert-approved. We may earn a commission through links on our site. Jack Hughes
The Misguided Mythology of Ayrton Senna
The award-winning documentary Senna (2010) shows French racer Alain Prost as the Brazilian driver s cartoon-ish archnemesis. Their relationship wasn t that simple. Jan 28, 2021
Ayrton Senna is the reason I’ve seen no fewer than three fights break out at my local kart track. Each time, the stakes couldn’t have been lower: Sunday morning, rental karts, beer guts tucked into budget racing suits. And yet, there they were, adult men trading fists.
This story originally appeared in Volume 2 of Road & Track.
Smaller and lighter than the NC, the ND chassis MX-5 is commonly compared with the original NA. In reality, the ND is more like an NB built with the most refined approach Mazda could muster. It s not as roly-poly playful as the original Miata, and in later models is actually quite a serious little sportscar.
Which is not to say it isn t incredibly good fun. Apart from the electric power steering being less talkative than in previous Miatas, the ND is lean, athletic, and poised. The suspension is slightly soft, which can teach a novice driver a great deal about weight transfer, and is very approachable. Add a few minor suspension tweaks, and it s a wee scalpel of a thing.
Mazda MX-5 Miata: Guide to Every Generation Brendan McAleer
Overview
When it debuted at the 1989 Chicago Motor Show, few could have foreseen what a huge impact the little Mazda MX-5 Miata was going to have. Through more than three decades, there have been sports cars that are lighter, more agile, and certainly more powerful. But in terms of driving delight, the Miata has always punched above its weight.
In part, some of that credit isn t so much about a tried-and-tested recipe of light weight and rear-wheel-drive, but because of the Miata s sheer ubiquity: Mazda has sold more than a million MX-5s. You can find them everywhere, from Florida to Alaska, with battered Craigslist specials available in every state and province. The financial barrier to owning a Miata is a low gate, easily hopped, and there s a lot of fun to be had on the other side.