I had a big smile on my face when I picked up the MX-5 GT as it brought back many happy memories for me. You see, I once owned one of the original Mazda Miata's and I absolutely loved it. Ok, Ok, I'll be honest, it was in fact my wife's summer car, to which I would steal the keys whenever she wasn't looking as it was so much fun to drive.

To give you a little idea how much fun these cars are, let me tell you a true story.

Before we (ok, she) purchased the Miata, we went to a classic car event to which the Miata club had been invited. Oh yes, not only is there a club, but this enthusiasts' club was actually formed before the cars even arrived in the dealerships. Anyway, at this event there were loads of them. I spoke to one guy and told him that we were thinking about buying one. He asked what color. "Oh, a red one, my wife's is red" he replied. A little while later a similar thing happened, then again. Before the end of the day, I had discovered four couples where each one had their very own Miata.

It's not often that you find a husband and wife both driving exactly the same vehicle, so this had me somewhat puzzled. Until - my wife got hers.

I would steal the keys of that car at every opportunity, even though I had my own XJS Jag to drive. I would even volunteer to go and get the papers on the weekend just to drive it. It was that much fun.