low mile MR2 would be fun. I miss my S2000, it was ridiculous.

911 or Ferrari... anything else and you are just a boomer, fag, or college girl.

Miata is a convertible (or targa for the RF). True roadsters do not have any roof at all.

Probably not the smartest but Jaguar made the F-type that was available with a manual transmission for a few years. I was actually tracking one on my carmax app this week. I mean, it's a Jaguar but damn those things are fucking sexy. Pretty rare though so OP would have to be patient. There's only several on autotrader nationwide right now.

this

I'm not gonna say he was easy on it, but the car was completely stock. 3rd gear got crunchy in 3 different transmissions, and he had some weird paint peel issues as well. Sucks because he is a big Mazda fan (has an RX7 also) and his experience with his ND really put him off.

What he said.

Get the AP1 and you have a 9000 RPM redline.
AP2 like mine is more refined and still a blast to drive.

MX-5

I have a 75 Olds delta 88 Convertible. It's not especially sporty, but I really like that I can actually carry both people and stuff. I've owned 2 seat trucks before and by the time you have 2 adults and a backpack each, they are getting pretty cramped.

I would suggest you check out some of the bigger or at least 4 seat versions of convertibles. I'm a fan of low and slow rather than ripping around mountain roads, because I find in nice weather I really just want to cruise around rather than rally race.

K5 Blazer with a modern LT/LS and air conditioning.

I roll around in this sometimes and some SPF30.

That’s the one slight hesitation I have about the Miata. I’m just shy of 6’, so I do fit in one, but with the top up, and the seat as low as it will go, I’ve got about one inch of headroom left. Not terrible, but not ideal. It’s been close to 20 years since I last drove a Boxster, so I don’t remember how much space there was. That may end up being a deciding factor though.

You can find a decent Porsche 911 Carrera for under $30K.  I bought one last summer and love it!  Was considering a Boxter but why get a wannabe 911?

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Fiata all day everyday, it's the only answer if you have any sense of style.  (And the only car I have ever owned that attracts women asking about it instead of dudes.)

They were built on the Miata assembly line in the Mazda factory in Hiroshima as part of a JV between Fiat and Mazda.  Miata underpinnings with turbocharged Italian 1.4l Multiair engine and Italian bodywork.

I'm 6'-2" and I fit in it (barely).

mother fuckin Chrysler LeBaron!!

You will get into Corvettes once you buy some denim shorts, a straw hat, and some white New Balance shoes.

Which generation?

My dad is 6' and has no issues with his ND2. The NC is supposedly the roomiest, but I've never actually been in one.

I’ll see your old guy car and raise you your choice of a Cadillac Allante or Buick Reatta.

I picked up a Cooper S convert for the wife a few months ago.  Fun little car, zoomy.  Not really a car to compare to a BMW, Mustang or Camaro, and smaller than a fun to drive Miata.

I'd say find a nice C6 Corvette convertible.  A manual one is probably at the bottom of it's depreciation curve and fun to drive

Here is (kind of) one.  Maybe its not really a 911, but is air cooled!

It was a 2022 I drove last week. That was the first time I’ve ever been in one, and they didn’t have any of the older generations at that dealership for me to look at unfortunately.

S2000 is the answer.

I’ve never seen one of those before. Lol

C5 Corvette

I don't know that they did particularly well here. They're a rebadged Opel design; selling them here seemed almost like an afterthought.

They're also FWD and slower in a line than an ND Miata.

Only speaking to the cars I've personally owned and driven long(ish) term...a 1999 Miata (10 Year Anniversary Edition), a 2001 BMW Z3 3.0 and now a 2011 BMW Z4 35is. Drove my girlfriends MGB for two years in college, and when it ran it was fantastic. When it ran

I'm 6'1, and the roof of the Miata pretty much sat on my head. Not a huge issue if you always plan on driving it top-down, but as I seem to recall it also put the windshield frame kind of in my line of sight. Moreover, it was just very tight. I bought it for my wife, but we had to swap cars occasionally so I sold it about a year down the road, which didn't make her happy.

Z3 isn't on your list, but as a soft-top five speed it's a great roadster. They also made an "M" variant. They're getting up there mileage wise, but if you can find a pristine example I'd jump on it.

I was never fond of the 2003-2008 Z4s, mostly because of Chris Bangle's "flame" styling, but they're growing on me. They have one big advantage on the E89 Zs...a soft top. The folding hard top they put on the second gen cars (2009-2016) are heavy, and can become maintenance intensive if the car is left in the elements for long periods (the trunk has a known leak issue, and the hydraulics/controls are located at the lowest point in the trunk). There are multiple Hall sensors and some wiring that isn't as robust as it should have been, too. Mine works great, but it was seriously babied, and still is...

The other issue is space. With the top down there isn't any in the trunk, or not much, anyway. It's worth noting the third (current) gen Z4 went back to a soft top, but it's also very expensive, the promised manual transmission never appeared and IMO they fucked the styling. The last caveat...the E89 is more of a boulevard roadster than a pure sports car. Very powerful (well, mine is, anyway...335 hp, the closest they came to an M. It has more power than is really needed) and comfortable, though there is a teeth-rattle suspension setting. They never produced an "M" variant in large part because the Boxster is a much better pure sports car, if that's important to you.

On the upside, the E89 is freaking beautiful. Ze Germans actually let two women design the car (one exterior, one interior), and they hit a home run. It's getting tipped more and more often now as a future collectable.

IPotato photos of mine
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Our 911 replaced a Z4. It was an awesome car.

Thanks for the great write up! Your car looks great, love the color combination.

Miata
Boxster if you want German
Z4 if you want BMW flavored German

The AP2 models are better in every measurable way. They make more power, the transmissions have better gearing, and are compatible with Flash Pro (06+). There were over 2000 changes made from 03 to 04. The only drawback is the heavier flywheel and delay valve on the clutch slave cylinder, but those are easily fixed.

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FWIW, do NOT buy the MINI. btdt

I voted Jeep TJ

I take the top down to go get coffee on sundays.
I had a convertible Camaro, didn’t like it as much as TJ.

I had previously owned 2 Miatas, a 1994 and then a 2001. To this day one of the best pure sports cars, you can buy. A few years ago, I wanted to get back into another 2-seater, so I looked at the usual suspects: Miata, 370, S2000 and a couple others but no Vettes. I too,never liked Corvettes.

Then I drove one, a base C6. That changed everything. Then a drove a few more Vetts, C5 and 6, base and Z06. Ended up with a C5 Z06 which I moded. Not a car for everyone. But a C6 manual will surprise you with its competence, power, handling and reliability, and sadly, a Miata won't be the same ever again.

Pro tip: Drive a manual C6 Grand Sport.

I just looked up a few in the area and I didn't realize they were holding their value so well. Any years in particular to look at? Guess it wouldn't hurt to test drive one.

I’m not even old enough for a corvette.

Hard to beat an older BMW Z3 from 97-05 or so for pure bang for the buck. Get the manual transmission though.

Whatever you get, garage it. Convertibles that live outside live a rough life.

Miata or S2000.

17-18 7-speed manual C7 with removal top.

They're a lot more fun when you're 35 and not afraid to bang it off the rev limiter than idling into the parking lot for your weekly Denny's discount breakfast run

If you hate interior and storage space, the Elise is your answer. Miatas are fantastic cars in all the generations. BMW did a decent job on the Z4 depending on year, but they're still German engineering for better or worse. S2000s were what they are and had/have they're following, great cars, but they do have an image and be ready to open your checkbook for a 20 year old car. Mustang is always an option, but they're not the same light cars the others are. Minis and Smarts and a few of those are things I don't know much about. Camaro. Corvette.

Or fuck it all, Bentley Continental GTC might fit the bill

I would argue that Miata spec is popular because of the cost of entry and that's about it.  If you could buy a prepped Lotus for what a Miata costs, there would be a dramatic shift.

edit: Speaking of Lotus, why not?  Maybe an Elise to stay closer to that price range.

Well no shit. If I could get a prepped 911 or Ferrari for what a Miata costs there would be a dramatic shift.

Can’t even look at a used Elise for $30k

I bet no one has mentioned a Miata or a Porsche yet....

Running a Miata on track and running a competitive Spec Miata are two very, very different things.

What does your husband think?