Oh there'll be a convertable, all right. Probably not from Mazda, though. No, I'll bet somewhere in East LA, somebody's welding closed the freestyle doors and getting ready to chop off the top.

Why would Mazda produce a substantially modified version of the RX8 when they already manufacture the world's best selling roadster?

Hard for me to imagine that Miata sales eclipsed 20 years of the Alfa Spider...but then again, the Miata is loving -- and more reliable -- homage to the great Italian & English roadsters. First thing I noticed about the Miata were its suspicious door handles...

- Eric H., Marietta, GA

2004 RX8 titanium
1976 Alfa Romeo Spider (the original Miata? DOHC 4 cyl., two seater, oval door handles, RWD and non-powered conv. top...hmmmm)

 

No, it was Ford -- in 1932

 

Probably wise, although regrettable from our point of view. There are an awful lot of two seaters out there competing for the same dollar. The 8 was meant to have broader appeal. I know if it had two seats, I couldn't even dream of owning one. I gotta have a back seat, period.