I think it's interesting that the MX-5 edged out the Sol on a matter of hundredths of a second, or tenths of a G- it seems like with different drivers, things could have easily gone the other way. I'm sure that the GM engineers were using the Miata as a benchmark, so it makes sense that the numbers would be dead-on.
The Miata looked cool 16 years ago when it came out, but yes, it is quite dull by today's standards. If you want to see something really ugly, check out the interior of a Honda S2000- for as expensive as it is, its controls are simply retarded. Everything is clustered around the gauges a la early-90s style, and controls are big and goofy looking without a lot of thought put into aesthetics. My favorite is the radio, which is intended to be hidden under a fold-down panel, with a second set of audio controls around the gauge cluster. On the left side, there's a button labeled "Audio control." What does it do? Is it a jog dial? A joystick? No! It's a big fat button that only acts as a push-button switch (probably to switch between CD/FM).
I'm a big fan of late 80s/early 90s Japanese sports cars like the Eclipse, GT-3000, MR-2 and Supra, but the miata is too roundly generic for its own good.
