Was it a first, second or third generation MX5?
With each generation, the chassis stifness has been improved, alas it has also gained some weight, but not a lot! It's a very decent car, and you can buy some NA's and NB's for super cheap! A great car to learn to drive a stick and you can really toss the ass around.
It also feels very fast because you're sitting quite low. The near 50/50 weight distribution and handling means this car has often outrun other considerably more powerful vehicles on the track, and there's some outrageous mods for it. V8 engine swaps, superchargers and turbos, and of course some people who strip it dry to shave precious kilos off the car
And the MX5 is one of the most reliable cars you can find (constantly at the top of the list of most reliable vehicles ever). There's just very little that can go wrong with this car.
Good luck if you buy one! Most MX5 owners suggest getting a 99-2000 "second version" car, since they have 140hp and are lighter then the ones which came in the following year. Usually the best model to go for is the 10th Anniversary Edition, which comes with a fabulous blue exterior paint job, and a nice alcantara style dual color blue/black interior. They can be had for less then $10,000 with less then 50,000miles on the clock.
Tips for buying a used Miata:
http://www.miata.net/faq/usedmx5.html
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