Hey there guys,

Several of you have been asking about the cars the writers of the StartingGrid use to get around. I decided to start first and do a short feature on my own daily driver, a 1993 first-generation Mazda Miata.

I love this car. I call it the “Roadster”, partly as homage to the Eunos Roadster, and partly because how she makes me feel when I’m driving her. Driving the Roadster is a real tactile experience, and as a driver that’s something that I require out of the machines that I own.

Lightweight, nimble footwork and an engine that really likes to rev high, the Roadster is a car that I can enjoy pedaling around. I’ve taken her to a few autocross events, but the plan in the future year is to attend more, and the occasional HPDE/Lapping day with it.

She’s lightly modified, as I don’t think that I can leave a car stock for very long. Thankfully, I have friends who have helped me bring this car nicely along.

Momo detachable steering wheel for flavor,  Jackson Racing Exhaust for sound, TEIN Springs and KYB Adjustable dampers for footwork. There are some other plans in the works, but the goal is to keep her easy to run and maintain while being as fun to drive as possible.

I’ve always had a thing for Roadsters. I think that they have so much character. The stylish tailights with the pop-up headlights, it’s really like nothing that you see on the road today.  Also, you can see that my helmet is a constant symbol in all my shots, as I really do enjoy going karting and autocrossing whenever possible.

The Roadster is a symbol of what I think a car should be. Fun, easy to run, and have tons of character.

I want to give a quick thanks to Savannah Blake and her mother for taking these photos for the blog. They did a really good job getting these pictures taken and sharpened up. Thanks again, guys!