2007 Mazda Miata

We here at Gaywheels.com have a soft spot for the Miata...I mean, the MX-5. In fact, the new 2006 MX-5 was the first test car we drove after relocating to Atlanta. It is a fun-to-drive, relatively practical and affordable roadster that some thought couldn't get much better. Well, we are here to tell you that the engineers at Mazda have outdone themselves with the Power Retractable Hard Top (PRHT) option.

Retractable hard top vehicles are suddenly popping up everywhere in our market. Like other technologies, it started at the high-end (Cadillac XLR, Mercedes-Benz SL500) and is slowly moving its way down market (Volvo C70, VW Eos, Pontiac G6). Now, with the MX-5 PRHT, you can play both ways without breaking the bank. Starting at $24,350 the MX-5 PRHT is the least expensive hard-top convertible on the market.

Price isn't the only thing that differentiates this vehicle from its peers. It is also the fastest acting retractable hard top on the market. It goes through its dance in 12 seconds. All you have to do is unlatch the top and press a button, 12 seconds later you are al fresco and ready to enjoy the impeccable driving dynamics of the MX-5. You can see a short video below featuring our test car. Our apologies for the quality.

Not too shabby, is it? You may not be able to tell from the video but there is yet another feature that makes this vehicle so interesting. On other convertibles with retractable hard tops, the roof ends up in the trunk when all is said and done. That means there isn't much space for much else in the trunk when the top is down. Our friends at Mazda thought that taking away the trunk was not an option and they designed the hard top to fit in the exact space as the soft top version. So, even with the top down, the MX-5 has a trunk with enough room for a few duffle bags or few day's worth of groceries.

As a friend who has owned many Miata's said "they made the best even better".

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