2013 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club Is The Happiest Car On Sale Today [AUTO REVIEW]

Let's begin the discussion with Mazda's greatest achievement. The official Mazda Motorsports Media of USA introduced itself with the following:

On any given weekend, there are more Mazdas on the road-race tracks of America than any other brand of vehicle. At the track, you'll see MX-5 Miata, RX-8, MAZDA3, MAZDA6, RX-7 and other vintage Mazda models competing, because every Mazda has the Soul of a Sports Car. In fact, the largest road-racing class in the U.S. is the SCCA'sSpec Miata class, with nearly 1,500 first- and second-generation Miatas tearing up America's racetracks, making it the most-raced production car in the world.

Despite the industry attention directed towards fuel efficiency and safety lately, motorsports will always possess a special allure. Automakers celebrate racing-inspired sports cars while factory GT class race teams point similarities of its racing cars to its pedestrian counterparts.

However, in the case of the Mazda MX-5 Miata, the boundaries between road and track are blurred. By simply throwing in a roll cage, a harness, and a set of sticky tires, the MX-5 is ready for a perfect track day.

What makes the Miata so delightfully unique? We test drive the new 2013 'NC' Mazda MX-5 Miata Club PRHT (Power Retractable Hard Top) at the lovely ribbons of road in upstate New York to find out.

First, the performance figures: an honest, naturally aspirated 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine is mated to a short-throw 6-speed manual gearbox to transfer 167 hp at 7,000 rpm (7,200 rpm red line) to the rear wheels.

I know exactly what the skeptics are thinking. The numbers are far from supercar territory. In fact, even the 2013 Dodge Caravan minivan boasts an extra 100 hp over the rather tiny Japanese roadster.

However, such is the magic that lies underneath the Miata. For a quarter of a century, the Mazda Miata established a legendary reputation, not based on what it had, but it did not have. A Miata is about being simple, straightforward, lightweight, and extremely nimble. As for the Mazda MX-5 Miata Club, the same great philosophy of "less is more" applies... but the Club offers more of it... if that makes any sense.

Flinging the MX-5 Miata Club around the mountain roads of upstate New York, the quintessential modern roadster is as fun and lively as ever. While fans of the Miata most often praise the sports car (yes, it is truly a sports car) for its handling, there's so much more to the roadster than that.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata Club does everything great. It boasts generous outward visibility, sharp throttle response, incredibly short and sweet shift throws, confident brakes, exceptional road comfort, as well as rewarding handling feel. The brilliance of the Miata's Bridgestone Potenza RE050A is not high levels of grip, but rather its high levels of communication sent to the seat of your pants and your fingertips. When the Miata is driven with brio, the lively and lightweight chassis returns its affection as it move its tail and dances around corners. Unlike higher powered machines, drivers get to experience pure delight at the limit, not fear.

The modern Miata MX5 now features halogen headlights and foglights, power windows, keyless entry, steering-wheel-mounted audio cruise control, trip computer, audio system, and air conditioning. At an additional weight cost of 70 lbs, the MX-5 Miata even has an optional black power retractable hard top. Remarkably, despite 24 years of evolution, including larger dimensions, additional convenience packages, and modern safety features including air bags (dual front and side) and ABS, the current 2013 'NC' has gained less than 350 lbs (soft top) over the original 'NA,' the pioneering grandfather that debuted in 1989.

Generations of model bloat has seriously plagued the overall auto industry, yet the pure and lithe MX-5 Miata has the all-consuming dedication of its Mazda engineers to thank. Since inception, the Miata was fundamentally designed around '人馬一体' (Jinba Ittai), which loosely translates as "rider and horse as one body."

There are five core principles of design that make up Jinba Ittai: the car must be as compact and light as possible while meeting global safety requirements; The cockpit must comfortably fit two full-stature occupants without wasted space; the platform must be front-midship, rear-wheel-drive with near 50:50 weight distribution; the suspension may only use wishbone or multi-link systems for ideal handling dynamics; and the power-plant frame must have a solid connection between the engine and rear-mounted differential for sharpened throttle response.

Taking Jinbai Ittai to the next level, the Mazda MX-5 Miata Club features special 17-inch alloys wrapped in a nice set of 205/45 Bridgestone Potenza RE050A. The Club also boasts a shock tower brace, a sport suspension and Bilstein shocks, a rear diffuser, and a limited-slip differential for significant handling improvements. Finally, the Club features subtle blacked-out trim pieces and obligatory club model badging on the fenders to differentiate itself from the standard MX-5.

Perhaps the biggest compliment of all for the new 2013 'NC' Mazda MX-5 Miata Club is how closely it follows the 'NA.' In fact, I believe that the Mazda MX-5 Miata is not designed, manufactured, and assembled like other vehicles. The Miata is bred. The 2013 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club celebrates the joy of simplicity and the ability to produce genuine, care-free laughter runs in the family.

Over the past 25 years, the Mazda MX-5 Miata's starting price of just under $14,000 in 1989 has steadily risen to $23,720. As tested, our 2013 Mazda MX5 Miata Club PRHT (power retractable hard top) is priced at $29,690, including SiriusXM satellite radio and destination fees.

Competitively priced, the 2013 MX-5 Miata is still remarkably affordable. The standard model undercuts the Ford Mustang V6 Convertible, Chevrolet Camaro Convertible, Mini Cooper Convertible, and Volkswagen Beetle Convertible. In fact, the Fiat 500c, starting at $19,500, is the only compact droptop in North America starting below the Japanese roadster.

But how does the Fiat 500c Abarth compare to the Miata Club? Stay tuned.