 I am a Miata fan - had 3 of them in the past but had to let go due to having 3 kids. The RX-8 provides similar driving thrills but with the ability to seat 4 peoples so i can use it to pick/drop kids from school and still have fun driving. Everybody talks about rotary engine issues but Mazda offers 100K miles warranty on engine so don't see much point. Yes it requires topping off oil every 2nd or 3rd fillup but that's not a big deal at all. Infact, you will enjoy it - you will feel more involved with your car. I do miss the convertible part of Miata. Hoping they will build a rotary Miata someday.