It's pretty much Mazda Miata all the time today, but it's a very special day for a very special car. Mazda may have put out their own retrospective on their classic roadster, but Jay Leno decided to take a stab at it too.
Jay Leno got former journalist Bob Hall, father of the Miata, and designer Tom Matano around to his garage to remind us all about the Miata's birth. A treat is some early mockups of Miata proposals that weren't front-engine and rear-drive, including one mid-engined design that looks a lot like a Nissan Pulsar coupe. How different things could've been.
Jay also drives one, though it's one that's been supercharged, so it's not quite like the original. Hall and Matano also give their two cents about the upcoming fourth-generation Miata, both feeling confident that a lighter car will be better and, if Mazda does things right, will keep the nameplate going past its 50th anniversary.