Mazda MX-5 Miata NB - 2nd Gen

If the NA proved the concept, the NB polished it. Arriving for 1999, the second-generation Miata kept the same basic formula (1.8-liter BP four, rear-wheel drive, roughly 2,400 pounds) but wrapped it in a stiffer chassis, tidied up the suspension geometry, and swapped the beloved pop-up headlights for fixed units that made the car look wider and a touch more aggressive. Enthusiasts mourned the pop-ups. They drove the NB and got over it.

The standard car made 140 horsepower, enough to keep the experience honest at real-world speeds, and for buyers who wanted more, Mazda delivered the Mazdaspeed variant in 2004 with a turbocharged 1.8 making 178 horsepower. It's the only factory-turbo Miata ever sold in the US, and clean examples have quietly become quite collectible.

The NB also brought some genuinely interesting limited editions. The 10th Anniversary car in Sapphire Blue Mica is a known quantity, and the six-speed manual that debuted with it eventually spread to other trims. Look for the Torsen limited-slip differential on 1999–2002 manual cars, which turns an already playful chassis into a proper corner weapon. Values remain reasonable, making the NB the quiet bargain of the Miata family. It does everything the NA does with a bit more refinement and a lot less rust.