When it debuted in 1989, Mazda’s MX-5 Miata was considered a homage to the great proletariat sports cars of the past, cars such as the MGB and Triumph Spitfire. Today however, it is the standard against which all cheap sports car contenders are judged, its acumen and desirability maintained all these years hence. Is that position unassailable, or could another company conceivably usurp the Miata’s throne? Here’s the thing, the Miata has been around a long time, and while now on its third iteration, it remains. . . well, a Miata. Others have tried to knock the crown from its head, whether BMW z3 and 4, or Honda S2000, but none has ever been able to match the value and snick-snick of the little Mazda’s perfectly balanced shifter, no matter how hard they’ve tried. Still, most of us used to browse the Web with something called Netscape Navigator, and Blockbuster Video used to be the single most popular place for blockbusters and cinematic turds alike, but both are now relics of the past. Could the Miata join them, just due to its ubiquity and consumer apathy? We need cheap sports cars, and as the Miata is – in car years – AARP-worthy, what would we do should it go away? What company do you think stands in the best place to jump in and fill that small sports car niche? Could it be Scion or Subaru, with their rear-driven twins? Or maybe Nissan, whose Z-car has been swinging from the ladder one rung up from the Miata these past few years? Or perhaps it will come from somewhere least expected – a new Fiat 124 or X1/9 dropping jaws and panties alike? What do you think, what car maker is positioned to make the Miata a has-been?

Image: [flyinmiata]