Launched at the Chicago Auto Show in 1989, the Mazda Miata, as we know it in North America, the MX-5 in most other markets, was an instant hit. Noted for its sharp, responsive handling, the new rag-top was perfectly balanced, and responsive, and tended to produce manageable oversteer and broad grins. Above all, it was accessible, both in terms of price and power. A decade after its launch, the Miata would outsell the most popular roadster in history and a car that partly inspired its creation, the MGB. By 2016, Mazda had sold over a million of them. The recipient of too many accolades to list here, but perhaps most remarkable, the Miata has made Car and Driver’s annual 10Best list 17 times in its 33-year history.

The Miata has undergone three major updates since it first graced our roads but never strayed from its defining attributes. Namely, a lightweight, two-seater, with the engine mounted on a stiff chassis, amidships (behind the front suspension strut), driving the rear wheels. Mazda designated the original 1.6-liter version as the NA, succeeded by the NB in 1998. The NA’s pop-up headlamps were a victim of safety regulations, but the NB eventually received the slightly more powerful 1.8-liter engine. In addition, a Mazdaspeed model, available through 2004 and 2005, remains the only Miata to get a factory-fitted turbocharger, which developed 178-horsepower. The 2006 NC generation introduced a modern monocoque design, received updated styling, and heralded the first retractable hard-top. It was slightly larger and heavier and also received an updated 2.0-liter engine, producing 170 horsepower.

Introduced in 2016, the current ND model stayed true to the marque’s roadster roots, being slightly lighter and smaller. Mazda also took a new direction with styling. Replacing the cute and smiley visage of the old Miata were menacing shrouded headlamps, flared wheel arches, and a sportier grille. The following year, Mazda released the first retractable fastback (RF) version, arguably the sexiest Miata to date. With the roof up, the RF’s coupé silhouette is stunning from all angles, and with the roof folded down, it's a Miata Targa top.

Sports Performance

The 2022 Mazda Miata RF is available in two trim levels, the Club or our Grand-Touring test model. Although, it would appear, Mazda have stopped taking new orders for Club and their North American website states it is “sold out,” limiting buyer's options to the current dealer inventory. Both trims use Mazda’s 2.0-liter, SKYACTIV-G, DOHC, 16-valve, four-cylinder with variable valve timing, producing 181 peak horsepower at 7,000 RPM and 151 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 RPM. That may not sound like much, but the Miata RF only weighs 2,450 pounds, giving it a similar horsepower to tonne ratio as a Sierra Cosworth or a Lamborghini Jalpa.

Both trims get a torque-sensing limited-slip differential and are available with a short-throw, six-speed manual. The GT has an optional automatic six-speed transmission with paddle shifters. Our test GT has the manual gearbox, which automatically includes sport-tuned suspension with Bilstein dampers (standard on the Club). The only significant update for the 2022 model year is the inclusion of Mazda’s new Kinematic Posture Control (KPC) system. When braking hard into or accelerating through a corner, the Miata’s five-point multi-link rear suspension receives supplementary help thanks to a slight application of the brake on the rear inside wheel. This asynchronous braking compresses the inside rear spring, limiting body roll and, Mazda claims, enhances the limited-slip effect. KPC come as standard equipment on all Miatas from 2022 onwards.

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Exterior Features

Standard on the Club and GT are 17-inch alloy wheels, running on relatively skinny 205/45 tires and all-around LED lights. The GT gets automatic on/off, with high beam control headlights, adaptive cornering lights, and body-colored door handles and mirrors. Exclusive to the Club are a standard splitter and lip-spoiler, finished in black, and the optional Brembo/BBS Package, which includes: Brembo front brakes with red calipers, forged BBS 17-inch alloy wheels, finished in gunmetal, side sill extensions, rear bumper skirt, and heated RECARO sport seats.

Electronics And Driver Aids

Despite being something of a barebones roadster, the Miata has a reasonably full suite of electronics, including cruise control, lane control, and traction control (including off-switch). Features include keyless entry, push-button start, remote trunk lid release, a tilting, telescopic steering column, a 12-volt and two USB sockets, a rear wind blocker, and, on the GT only, an auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink. A nine-speaker Bose audio system includes speakers integrated into the seat’s headrests.

A Lean Machine

I first attempted to test drive the RF back in 2018. I went to my local dealership, where the salesman took one look at me (six-foot-two of me) and said I was wasting my time because I’d never fit inside. It was the first time I had to talk a dealer sales rep into letting me sit in a car. It turned out he was wrong. I did fit in the RF, just about. In 2018, however, the telescopic steering column was not an option, and the only comfortable seating position required an apelike grasp of the steering wheel.

RELATED: 10 Things To Know Before Getting The 2022 Mazda MX-5 MiataAlthough the 2022 RF's cockpit remains unquestionably constricted, with the telescopic steering wheel fully extended and the under-leg support adjusted to its highest position, I can conjure up a comfortable driving position. With the roof up, my head is less than an inch from the headliner resulting in more of the driver's side A-pillar and windshield cross member in my vision than I would like, but it is still a fantastic view, nonetheless. The flared arches frame the sloping hood reminiscent of an old British roadster from the ‘70s.

Improved Drivability

Over a decade has passed since owning a 1.8-liter NB model when I lived in the UK, where a summer shower would turn London’s diesel-slicked streets into an ice rink. Always the best time to take the Miata out for a spirited drive when conditions require quick hands to keep the nose pointing in the right direction. On the dry, dusty streets of southern California, our 2022 RF, with its traction control, is not nearly so frantic, but it is indisputably more thrilling. While sustained acceleration is not eye-popping, the additional power makes for a better overall experience.

The increase in torque accounts for the most noticeable improvement in the Miata’s driveability. When you’re not pushing the envelope, the 2.0-liter engine is happy to accelerate from 1,500 RPM in fourth gear. Even on a meandering road, it's possible to zip along, rarely changing gear or touching the brakes, without the slightest protest from the skinny tires or the inline-four. On the highway, in sixth, the Miata is barely turning over at regular speeds. The ND generation doesn’t require nearly as much input as the earlier generations did–unless you go looking for it.

A Fast Slow Car

Although the ND Miata is more accepting of laid back driving, it's still a car that invites you to push it; at least once in a while. On those glorious days when your favorite country road is inexplicably empty, the Miata is the perfect tool to take full advantage. Because, although it isn’t that fast, it feels fast. Sitting low down, in a low car, built around a stiff chassis, firm suspension and rack-and-pinion steering providing unfiltered feedback, and a manual gearbox to mash at will; these are the dreams of gear-heads. Despite the additional hardware required for the retractable roof, the RF still maintains a near-perfect 50:50 weight distribution, and it takes a significant error in judgment to produce any discernible understeer.

RELATED: This Is Why You Need A Fastback For Your Mazda MiataWhen you turn off the traction control and put that limited-slip differential to full use, the Miata is apt to make you feel like Ayton Senna at Monaco, rather than an amateur on the edge of oblivion. Oversteer is joyously predictable, and dart-like changes in direction follow each steering input. To get the most from the SKYACTIV-G engine requires keeping the tach needle in the 3,500 to 4,500 RPM range, and although it starts to scream when you work it, you need only remember that this is a sports car, and that’s what they do.

Planted And Poised

Although I expect some will want a switch to turn it off, in practice, the KPC system does a good job of stabilizing the car at speed through a corner. Body roll on our sporty, Bilstein-damped setup is all but negligible. When accelerating hard through a turn engages the KPC system, a slight but noticeable drag is apparent, eliciting a similar sensation to that of a torque vectoring system, sucking the car into the corner. I suspect the benefits of KPC are yet more effective for limiting body roll on the softer sprung, automatic transmission trim.

Some RF reviews suggest that the cockpit is overly loud with the roof down. I don’t share that view. With the windows up, it is surprisingly quiet, even at highway speeds. With the windows down there is some inevitable buffeting, but little of the back swirl common to Targa tops. We did use the rear wind-blocker, which helped, but ultimately cabin noise is not an issue with the roof up or down. What did become irritating was the squeaking sound of the fully extended seatback rubbing against the bulkhead. I have yet to test a theory that a well placed microfiber towel might deal with the issue.

Take The Brembo/BBS Option

The only letdown on an otherwise perfect driver’s car were the brakes, although we didn’t get to test the Brembo/BBS option available on the Club; if I were in the market for an RF, it would be my first choice. Although there is enough bite with the standard brakes, it takes too much pressure to get there, and the feeling, particularly after heavy use, becomes spongy. To be fair to Mazda, it's only when you’re pushing it that the brakes are noticeably lacking and, for general use, they are adequate.

Almost Everything You Could Wish For

The RF handles beautifully and is the recipient of a gorgeous design, and Mazda deserves the many new accolades bestowed upon it, adding to the Miata’s unrivaled success. A stunning combination of flowing lines, and aggressive angles, with some classic touches, like the circular rear lights. Nonetheless, when I first heard that Miata was planning a fastback version, I found myself hoping they would produce something like Pininfarina’s fabulous MGB GT. A pioneer of the hatchback and arguably one of the prettiest MGs built. It was also a car that opened up a new market for the MGB, people who wanted to carry stuff.

Stowage for the retractable roof leaves the RF with only four and a half cubic feet of trunk space, enough, in airline parlance, to accommodate a carry-on bag and a personal item. There are going to be times owners will want to load more in their Miata, and while, for many, it may be just a weekend toy, for plenty of others, it's their sole transport. With the shape already designed, what would it take for Miata to build a true, two-seater hatchback coupé? A car that would surely open the marque up to a new clientele.

The 2022 Miata RF Club base model has an MSRP of $38,550, and while building your own isn’t currently an option, a quick online search reveals that dealerships do have inventory, including examples with the Brembo/BBS option. The Grand Touring base trim has an MSRP of $35,350 and is available to order in five color schemes; Jet Black Mica and Platinum Quartz Metallic are standard options. Premium colors include Machine Gray Metallic ($595), Snowflake White Pearl Mica ($395), and our test car’s Soul Red Crystal Metallic ($595).