The Current iteration of the Mx-5 (née Miata) is not a perfect car. For starters, as gorgeous as the RF is, a proper hardtop is unavailable.

That’s pretty much it, actually.

It has a history of being the butt-of-the-joke for people who think a lack of aggression is laugh-worthy, and its original design did kinda maybe resemble a suppository, but as a purpose-built, rear-wheel drive, two-seater, it succeeds admirably. It takes advantage of its small size and light weight to deliver the most of its 155HP.

The MX-5 is the axiom ‘drive a slow car fast’ manifest. It allows you to drift into driveways and out of parking lots at a law-abiding speed, providing excellent communication between the road and the driver.

So, what then, of Mazda’s announcement that the 2019 Model will have a power-bump up to 181HP? Could it upset the delicate balance of the current model, compromising a good thing with the offer of more?

Nah, probably not? Instead, you’ll still be able to do all that suburban drifting, but faster.

The new model also offers some new tech, like Advanced Smart City Brake Support, Drive Attention Alert, Traffic Sign Recognition and a Rear View Camera, all of which sound incredibly stupid and add needless complexity and weight. Hopefully, these are all options that can be roundly rejected.

While the MX-5 may not be perfect, this is another step in the right direction. Offer a proper coupe, and they just might get all the way there.