THEY BANNED MENTHOL CIGARETTES in California. Your author has already run through the supply he smuggled inside the regime’s borders. The closest approximation the gas station sells is “Crisps,” a nonmentholated ciggie that tastes less like a cough drop and more like rotting tree bark. It’s tough out here.
Homogeneous and sanitized for our protection, the car market offers fewer choices too. Sportscar addicts have to look to the past to get their fix of flavor. It’s tough out there.
But all hope is not yet lost—for car enthusiasts, at least. There aren’t many left, but some small, affordable rear-wheel-drive two-doors with manual transmissions and gasoline exploding in their beating hearts still exist. These micromachines may get lost in a sea of swollen SUVs and pickups with beltlines that rise past their roofs, but the feeling and fun they deliver far exceed their exterior dimensions.
The 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata is fresh off a mild rejuvenation, featuring a few styling tweaks, a retuning of the steering rack and limited-slip rear differential, and an electrical-system upgrade that drags its tech into the 21st century. We asked for the hardest-edged variant of the hardtop RF, which also happened to be the most expensive. The RF Club starts at $41,395, but unlike the $33,670 soft-top, this one comes standard with the Brembo BBS Recaro package, which adds—as the name so clearly suggests—Brembo front brakes with fixed four-piston calipers, 17-inch forged-aluminum BBS wheels shod in 205/45R-17 Bridgestone Potenza S001 summer tires, and a pair of Recaro chairs that fit us perfectly. That automotive triumvirate is optional on the ragtop, where it adds a major $4800 to the bottom line. The slick Zircon Sand Metallic paint job tacks on another $450.
Esta historia es de la edición July - August 2024 de Car and Driver.
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Esta historia es de la edición July - August 2024 de Car and Driver.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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Selective Evolution
Now hybrid only, the Toyota Camry features careful tweaks for its ninth generation.
Stress Reliever
IN THE LINCOLN NAUTILUS, the loudest sound you hear at highway speeds is the rhythmic respiration of the massaging seats. With just 66 decibels of interior noise at 70 mph, this slick-looking new Lincoln is on a mission of zen.
Mega Bus
A three-row mid-size SUV trying to look and feel bigger, the latest has size on its side but still lacks charisma.
Going to Extremes
The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT pulls out all the stops in its quest for EV supremacy.
What the Tech?
IT’S NO COMPLAINT TO SAY that given the slow visual evolution of the Mercedes-Benz E-class, many wouldn’t notice that the stately three-box sedan has entered a new generation this year.
Drivelines
Refreshed but Not Revitalized
The Full Monty Carlo
EVERYONE IS NAKED. Just putting that out in the open.
THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
THE MAZDA MX-5 MIATA RF CLUB AND THE SUBARU BRZ IS MAY BE SMALL IN STATURE, BUT THEIR PERSONALITIES ARE LARGER THAN MOST.
Sterrato > Dirt Road
Nothing lost in translation here. Might as well call it what it is: the best Lamborghini Huracán ever.
DEAD OR ALIVE?
Is the new 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser the real deal? We venture into the wilds of Utah to find out.