Mazda Miata Turns 35, Celebrates in Style

Mazda’s little roadster became the most popular sports car on the planet a long time ago—not long after the first generation hit the market, in fact. Whether you prefer to call it Miata or MX-5, the car has been working its magic on drivers for 35 years now. That’s something to celebrate, isn’t it?

Just like it does every five years, the Japanese company recently unveiled an anniversary edition to mark the occasion. It all took place on the eve of the 24 Hours of Daytona during a special event featuring a car corral brimming with customer vehicles and a curated collection of some of the world’s finest MX-5s, straight from Mazda’s private collection.

Sublime Looks

This new Mazda MX-5 35th Anniversary Edition could certainly have made our list of stunning car designs to fall in love with in 2025. The sexy, low-slung body is made even more gorgeous with sultry Artisan Red Metallic paintwork (shared with the CX-90 midsize crossover), which is the result of a bespoke paint process called takuminuri that produces a three-layer finish. It is paired with a body-coloured rear spoiler, a beige soft top and bright-finish, 17-inch alloy wheels.

And how can you not like the contrasting interior? There are matching tan carpeting and floor mats along with tan Nappa leather seats featuring an embossed “35th Anniversary” logo on the headrests. Parts of the door panels and dashboard come in a tan colour, too. Meanwhile, the upper door panels are colour-matched to the exterior. Take a closer look and you’ll see the same thing with the trim around the AC vents.

Exclusive Package

Unsurprisingly, Mazda based its 35th Anniversary Edition on the top-of-the-line MX-5 GT model, which means the car is fully loaded. Goodies include a premium Bose audio system and Alexa Built-in. All of this is paired with dynamic enhancements including an asymmetric limited-slip differential, shock tower bracing and sport-tuned Bilstein dampers.

The only configuration available comes with a soft top—no retractable hard top, here—and a six-speed manual transmission for maximum driving excitement. 

Will you be one of the lucky 230 customers to get their hands on a 35th Anniversary Edition? That’s how many units will be allocated for the Canadian market, representing less than a quarter of total MX-5 sales in the country last year. By the way, each one will feature a serialized badge on the front fender. Or perhaps you’re waiting for the fifth generation, due by the end of the decade? Speaking of which, what do you think the Miata is going to be like at 40?