So here we have it. One year later, the Porsche is gone, replaced by a Miata named after an anime character. What happened? What is going to happen? And will I ever fix my broken fog lights? A full rundown as I log my SOTU for this year.
#MokotoNB

Well to be honest, not a lot has changed about the car since I bought it earlier this year. I have been daily-driving her full time since I picked her up in San Antonio. Even after crossing over into 245,000 miles, she pulls strong, drives well, and is just a blast to drive. The only thing I have done in terms of modification so far is replace the awful stock shift knob with a lovely COBB Tuning piece that I fell in love with when I had their Ecoboost Mustang for review. Combine that with me replacing the tires in the coming days, and that pretty much sums up what’s in store for the Miata so far.

I still have plenty to do though. There are a few bearings that should be replaced if I want to continue to have the mad handling that I desire. I have a check engine light that I’ve been chasing since I bought the car. Likely story is that I have an O2 sensor that’s given up the ghost rather than a bigger issue. Hopefully.
Also, I need to check all of my seals because I’ve found a tiny bit of moisture in the trunk after a heavy rain. And speaking of heavy rains, I need tires. As fun as skidding about is, being 100% on edge whenever the road is slightly wet is not a fun place to be.
Beyond that, here’s what I have planned for Mokoto now that we’re finally getting out of the honeymoon phase.
Not much.
I would like to grab a roll-bar so I can start taking her out to the track more often. I need to keep her mostly comfortable and streetable because she is my only car. The dream would be a full Mazdaspeed swap to get some extra power and fuel economy, but swaps are expensive, and your humble writer needs to eat before buying car parts.

Mokoto has been an amazing experience so far, and reminds me why the little two seater convertible is the most potent form of driving pleasure. I implore you to drive one of these cars before you die, as it’s a near religious experience for those of us that love driving.
And that’s coming from someone who was a Miata cynic up until I bought this car.