Mazda Miata Documentaries NB | EP3 Slow Evolution 

I love the ND Miata for a lot of reasons, but the NB still has my top pick for best looks. It's simple and straightforward while still being very attractive.

I watched the whole series and ended up with a 2003 Miata. It has less than 45,000 miles. After viewing the series I realized the subtle differences between one model and the next. The NB appealed to me the most. It has a smile and I like that.

So we owe it to this guy who worked at Chrysler and Dodge on the Viper, that we have the infamous NB mini viper lol. Arguably the best looking Miata imo!

How to support the channel: let the 5 minute ads run that started right away while I start reading the comments. Comments are frequently just as interesting and too distracting to read while video is playing.

Thanks for this video series, it's great. I love my NB Miata. I also had a Subaru BRZ at the same time for 3 years. I thought I'd sell the Miata after I got it but I could not bring myself to do it. As much as I loved the BRZ, it is a great drivers car, I traded it for an Impreza and kept the Miata. Even at 20 years old it's still the most fun you can have driving. You can't kill it. I've auto-xed and taught two of my kids how to drive a stick with it. It's still my daily driver in the non snow months.

In terms of styling, the 2nd Gen is my favorite.

Some people think of the NB as mini-Viper. I had no idea the NB designer had worked on the Viper. Very cool! I love my NB (2000 SE)! Found it less than three years ago on a Mazda dealership used car lot with only 43k miles on it in flawless, totally stock form. It now has over 90k on it. You can say I enjoy driving/autocrossing it! Great job, Mark... although my OCD can't see past the open top latches sticking up with the top down. They should be closed! LOL! Looking forward to the rest of the series!

Woke up early this morning in anticipation of this video!!

Love this one! I just got my first Miata, a 2000 NB1 LS, back in July of this year. I've owned a 94 Acura Integra GSR for 19 years now, and the NB1 has almost the exact same power/weight ratio as the DC2 GSR cars. It's been insanely fun to drive, and I've been astounded by how tight the car can turn, and how sharp the steering feels. I've already changed the clutch, replaced all fluids, timing belt and water pump, gaskets and oil seals, replaced the leather seats with nicer condition ones, replaced the soft top, and changed the shocks out for OEM replacements. The car also came with braided stainless brake and clutch lines all around, and the 1.25" Racing Beat front sway bar which makes the car corner like a champ even on OE-type suspension. It's been super fun so far!

I owned two NB's, then a NC RS, sold it and took a break. Missed a fun car and now i have a NB 10AE

Mark nobody touches the quality of your productions. Great job!

NB is the best looking Miata, and the Mazdaspeed NB had the best power-to-weight of any Miata. I think it was also the most reliable Miata generation. But it has the least interesting story to tell.

The redesign to what we currently have is next level.

Very cool video. Would've liked a mention of the Mazdaspeed Miata which does/did compete with the S2000. Plenty of people cross shop those 2 cars even today.

rip pop up headlights :((((((

The NB2 (The model after the car shown on this video) I'd say is probably the best Miata IMO. The 6speed, VVT engine, big brakes and all the chassis bracing makes it an awesome machine to drive. Plus all the components are stronger than previous counter parts which makes it a good platform for turbo platform.

Surprised the trunk volume and layout improvements weren't mentioned. From a practical use standpoint, that was one of the biggest improvements I found with the NB. And the design was able to maintain the compact spare tire unlike the NC.

I like that the designer referred to them as MX-5, that's what I knew them as in Australia, it's a much better name in my opinion. I guess there must have been some market research in the US which caused them to change the name to Miata. Would have been nice if that had been explained in the series.

He said they did away with popup headlights due to pedestrian safety, but they would continue on the Pontiac Firebird to 2002 and the Corvette to 2004, also the lotus Esprit that same year.

I heart the goose for making this series thanks for the christmas gift! Almost as good as the goose we ate on xmas eve...

Watched the full Miata documentary two years ago, now I can say I am a happy NB Miata owner. This documentary awakened in me a big desire for the Miatas. You are doing such a great job with you channel

I'm a NB1 (and NA8) owner and for me, I think the best looking Miata would be NB2 fascia, lights, and trunk with the NA door handles. Screw your fingernails, they look good! And while I'm dreaming, it could have a turbocharged 13B engine and a license plate that reads "Renown".

i loved my NB miata! It fit me like a glove, and really teaches the driver how to properly drive a RWD car (was my first one)

Like others, I prefer the body style of the NB to any of them. (though the NA is close) I'm driving an NB now. Had an NC before, and I like the NB better. It's true what he said about feeling like one is fast without actually GOING fast. What fun is a Mustang GT, if one can't drive it the way it was meant to be driven? Maybe when the NE comes out, I'll be able to afford an ND... I have a WRX for a daily driver, and while it destroys my NB in any performance or practicality standpoint, it isn't as much fun to drive.

The 1990s were the pinacle of Western Civilization and this car proves it. I loved it so much as child. Always thought it kinda looks like a baby Viper.

Each time they refreshed the Miata each one had something special to offer the driver personal I like the NC Miata the best it was the last year you could get one without all the information systems and driving nannies. Still more then decent power looked beautiful in silver. The Club Sport would be my pick though.

Freakin awesome job man I love this series :)

I have a 99 10ae. Love the car, hate the cladding, love the ergonomics, love the Lotus Elise seats. Wish it had more power.

I've had an NB 1.8 before, and it truly is the purest, most fun car I ever had. Having driven v8s and i6s all the time, I never regretted giving this car a chance. I found my happiness in it. I was contented. It wasn't particularly fast, but I wasn't expecting it to be. It didn't have to be fast, but it was quick enough for me to say, "it is perfect".

Wait a moment ! you mention the Honda S2000 but not the MAZDASPEED MIATA? The only factory turbocharged MX5 is not mentioned?

I daily drive a 2003 NBFL. It's great!

Don’t skip the ad folks! This deserves better than RU-vid! Seriously great work here and having had 6 Miatas (no ND yet) the NB has been my favorite and will get another. Truly impossible to get out of one of these in a bad mood. Thanks guys!

Hoping to get one of these 😬

where is the nc episodeee!!

It really is to bad these things rust away to quickly

you want to pull completely away from the Pack Mark ? put your review cars on an alignment rack also, and talk about how the factory sets up the car, and how it could be improved............yep, costs money but maybe a sponsor like TIreRack could pay the small bill with a brief shout out to them ........ ?

watching this with a smile on my face while sitting in my 2003 turbo NB :)

Awesome roadster..

Silverado canyon. My home turf!

Do one for the brz/86!

i saw a black ND miata and his personal plate was "ND MX5" lol

WOW.

Love my 2004 NB Miata ! Soo fun to drive!

u gonna review the new audi rs6?

6 Underground - Sneaker Pimps.

Wow Wow Wow

Love this series!

Loving this series! Tremendous work! We're lucky to have such high quality work uploaded for free. When is the NC video going to be uploaded though? I thought it was on 1st Jan but I don't see it for some reason..

Well said, the purity of concept.

Wasn't it the NB where Mazda falsified the HP claims and had to pay restitution and/or buy back the cars?

At 6:59 why was there a Steam message notification sound?

Still the best looking Miata imo!

The NA has great steering, I don't know what you're talkin about.

This man looks like Ted Beneke from Breaking Bad

that first song is an official live version of sneaker pimps' 6 underground from 1997 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AlZNaru79Gw.html (not some unknown tribute band cover)

Pour out a cold one for the Mazdaspeed NB🍻

The quality of these Mazda features is top notch. You can tell a lot of work went into them. I hope to see more of this kind of thing from savagegeese

Outro music cut out two seconds too early, clearly no effort was made for this documentary series. Down-voted and reported to IRS. Absolutely loving these documentaries and I hope to see more of these. Thanks for making these.

I'm on my 4th NA and still toy with the idea of buying one of each gen and parking them side by side in my three car garage. I've measured, and they would fit! Wife thinks I'm nuts... Maybe so.

I just bought myself a well taken care 1999 NB Miata and I’m in love with it. :’)

The NB might be the best looking Miata.

I still remember when the NB first came out. I thought to myself: now that just looks right, much better than the NA. While the NA cars have grown on me with the passing of the years, I still find the NB to be the most attractive Miata. (The less plastic trim applied at the factory the better.) Many people have commented over the years that the NB looks like a mini Viper. I can see it, but it is nothing that distracts from the "Miataness". For me the NB remains the pinnacle of attractive Miata design.

NB so nice! I always though from certain angles it has a slinky Viper-esque look.. cool to know that Ken Saward worked on both. Love that they kept so much simplicity here from first gen!

Wait, the guy who designed the NB also worked on the Viper?! Now, it's all clear! :D

I'd never been particularly interested in the MX-5 / Miata, particularly because I live in the UK and don't understand the love of convertibles in a country with our weather conditions. My mum owned an NA and later an NB, and I pretty much always disliked being a passenger in either of them. Hot hatchbacks and quick estates (station wagons) have always been my preference. I inherited my mum's 46,000 miles 1999 NB 1.8i S earlier this year and within 100 yards of driving it I started to understand why so many people love them. I was also more than a little embarrassed to discover that in her mid 70s my mum was driving a car with a limited slip differential and yet I had never previously owned a car with one fitted. The gear shift action is a thing of absolute mechanical and sensory joy (other manufacturers *really* should take note). Control weights are just about perfect for this type of car. The clutch pedal action is much lighter than my R53 MINI Cooper S and therefore much less irritating and tiresome to use in city traffic. Steering is on the light side but feels right for the car. Steering feel and feedback with the current (old) front tyres is nothing special, but adequate. Throttle response is good and it is surprisingly brisk from a standing start considering there is only 138 bhp to play with, although you do need to rev the engine properly to make progress. Ride quality is supple enough for our terrible road surfaces and the body roll reminds me of my old Mk2 Golf GTI 8V. The limited slip differential works flawlessly every time I quickly pull out of my driveway onto the busy road. I don't enjoy the scuttle shake over poor surfaces (edit: in retrospect it is probably just chassis flex) or the occasionally slightly leaky roof/hood, which I have never bothered to put down. The engine could do with more torque and I wish the car was a coupe and not a convertible. But one can't have everything, especially at this price range in a 20 year old car, and what you do get for the money is an old school, lightweight, British style sports car with the major bonuses of Japanese reliability and American design input. Not just for hairdressers.

I bought an NB a couple of months ago and I love the thing. It's so much fun.

mmmyeah, sneaker pimps

That smiley front end is legendary.

Miata: a road-legal go kart.

Awesome series, love my NB - think it looks the best of the lot (thanks to similarities I see between it and an FD RX-7).

I felt like this one was too short. 🤣 Great docu!

I need to report a crime. You kidnapped me and took me with you on a drive in a Miata on a sunny road. That is not the crime. The crime is that this video ended and I don't own that Miata.

The NA is awesome, but I became aware of car culture during the NB era and I absolutely *love* them!

I have to stop watching these, my wife’s going to kill me when I run out and buy a Miata

I always liked the way the NB looked.

The front and headlights look a lot like a MX3 which was released back in 1992

Nothing about the glass window in the convertible top? That to me is the greatest improvement over the NA. When the top on my NA was worn out I had it replaced with a NB top.

Oh, the Viper designer worked on it. Explains why the front looks like a baby Viper to me. Great paint color, BTW. A total rebel compared to today's typical offers. And also fits the interior well, with its pleasant light-brownish tones. 6:51 Man, that camera view is seen so rarely that it feels unreal. The worst part of the video was the mention of the S2000 which twisted the knife in my wound again, as always.

prob the only generation id get....but it would NEEd a hardtop for the canadian winters. Like my one friend who bought a brand new challenger srt8 scat pack. "i didnt just pay 45K to watch my car rot away in a garage for 7/12 months in a year. id rather drive it year round and create memories and enjoy it." wich is smart. I never understood ppl who buy cars and just put them in a garage to rot and be proud/happy about it....im sorry but if i just paid 80k for a vehicle i would drive it all year round i wouldn't care if it was a ferrari or muscle car.

According to my dad, the wider stance, 1.8 torque, and updated airbags made the NB an ideal two-seater to gift my son as his first car.

NB and the ND are my favourites!

Mazda could have messed up the design transition from pop-up headlights to fixed headlights but they totally hit the nail on the head with this one. It is just as pretty as the first gen but more mature overall.

The guy designs one of the best sports car in the world; "yeah, the biggest challenges we faced were the headlights and the door handles"

No reference to the MazdaSpeed NB? Hm.... Did they not have one you could drive?

The front of this car immediately made me think of Viper, even while those cars are so far away in many concepts. The exterior design of the front is so similar though, barring the massive hood to accomodate the V10 obviously.

Savagegeese really drove by my house and didn't even wave. How savage.

Judging from the wheels, this car didn't have the suspension package which makes a big difference. Also missing were the white speedometer and tachometer. I loved my NB, but the headlights didn't produce enough light or maybe were directed too low, making nighttime driving a real danger. Still it was the funnest car I've owned.

Thanks for not glossing over the NB. Still an important MX5 which often gets overlooked. Loving the series!

As much as I love pop-up headlights on the NA, the NB just looks sharper and more modern while keeping the old school look. I really do think it's the best looking Miata which is probably why I prefer a PS13 over a 180SX

Just love my 2011 nc2 mx5, 2lt manual... brilliant car. John

I have had my NB for over a year now and I just love driving it every single day. It never fails to put a smile on my face. Thank you Mazda

Hey Geese, just wanna know which road you filming and drive for these miatas, I own the 30th ND2 and live around Irvine, wanna take it to the road in the film someday!

Dude, Sneaker Pimps. ♥

I bought my NB in Nov 1999 and daily drove it for the next 18 years up here in the snowy Great White North. I cannot say enough good things about that car. It was so much fun to drive, and so reliable and inexpensive too. It never failed to put a smile on my face. I traded it in on a 6MT Mazda6 sedan, which I also enjoy, but I wouldn't be surprised if I buy another MX-5 Miata in the future.

How much is a fair price for these nowadays? They're getting old but I assume they should hold up with a manual trans. Any known issues to look out for? The NA Miatas seem to pretty common on craiglist.

Back in 89 went buy one and they were marked 4k over msrp, I passed and grabbed a used alfa romeo graduate, then life got in the way. This past week I got my hands on an 03 silver with 33k in mint condition! It was worth the wait, I look back when I walk away and nothing but smiles!

This series should be played on a loop in every Mazda dealership! Top notch work. Just wish they were a little longer (maybe 20 minutes).

It explains a lot about the design language when I heard he was involved in the viper development. Back in the days when I bought mine, there was a front bumper available to make it look like a mini Viper.

Gracias por los vidios , el nb está cojiendo fuerza tanto como el na, y son queridos tambien en España , entre los jovenes.

I love my NB!! I sold my Mustang GT so I could buy a Miata. It's a pleasure to drive every time I get behind the wheel. Most fun I've had in a car with my clothes on.