Nominated for Tiger Chariot, junior Kai Sallin and his 2019 Mazda Miata MX5 RF, the RF standing for “retractable fastback”. This wicked car has a beautiful automatic 6-speed transmission. Hiding under the hood is an inline 2.0L DOHC 16-valve I-4. With a steady rear wheel drive that makes this baby capable of sliding. Along with a whopping 181 horsepower, the car has strong take-off and achieved a 5.7-second 0-60 MPH time compared to a 6.0-second average time on other Miata models.
“It’s automatic sadly. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I would prefer it to be a manual. It would be more fun,” Sallin said in response to what kind of transmission he has in there. Hand in hand with the transmission are the luxurious bolstered leather trimmed seats making the two-seater comfort at an all-time high.
The way that a car runs is undeniably the best part of any automotive experience. Sallin describes driving this car as the most fun a kid can have. “Of course going under the speed limit,” Sallin said. “But since it’s light you can go around corners really fast, and it’s really fun to drive whether it’s in rain or sun.”
The origin of where a car comes from is what makes any vehicle remarkable. Referring to where it’s mainly marketed at or where you bought it from, the question for him remained, whose Miata is it?
“My mom had bought it in 2019, and I’ve been wanting to drive it around ever since I got my driver’s license. I’m treating it as my test driver to see if I actually want to buy a Miata for myself. If I’m sold on it, I plan to buy a 94’ Miata once I sell my 2016 Ram 1500 Longhorn,” Sallin said. Which is his daily driver whenever he isn’t driving the Miata.
Future plans on any vehicle are always a daydream. Sallin explained that the Miata is “bone stock” but with a little time, he plans to give the whip a very satisfying rumble from a new exhaust that he plans to put in later down the road, attempting to take the project car journey slow. Commuting in this thing gives a steady 29 miles per gallon, this gets Sallin and his Miata far, making heads turn with its faultless ambiance.
