Manufacture

• For 1999, Mazda wanted to make the Miata sportier in performance than ever before, not to mention sportier in appearance. The automaker redesigned the cylinder head and revised its fuel intake system. The result was an in-line four-cylinder engine with 140 horsepower--up from 133 for the previous year, the 1997 Miata. In terms of styling, Mazda used aesthetic cues from its sports car, the RX-7, to give the 1999 Miata a slightly more aerodynamic appearance.
  
  

Fuel Economy

• The 1999 Mazda Miata got a 13-gallon tank, but fuel economy varied according to trim and type of transmission. The base trim with the standard five-speed manual got 25 miles per gallon mpg for city driving and 29 mpg for highway driving. Those with the optional four-speed automatic, however, got 23 and 28 mpg. With a standard six-speed automatic, the 10th Anniversary version of the 1999 Miata was somewhere in the middle, with a fuel economy of 24/29 mpg.
  
  

Acceleration and Speed

• The 10th Anniversary Edition of the 1999 Mazda Miata had better acceleration than the base trim. While the regular version could go from zero to 60 mph in 7.8 seconds, the 10th Anniversary trim could do that in 7.4 seconds. Also, the special model of the 1999 Miata could traverse a quarter-mile in 15.6 seconds, compared with the base trim's 15.7 seconds.
  
  

Reception

• Since the Miata's inception, affordable roadsters significantly grew in popularity. By the time Mazda was ready to start the second cycle of production for the 1999 model year, more than 500,000 vehicles had been sold. With the arrival of the 1999 Miata, car critics hailed the vehicle for the improvements made over the previous generation, as well as noting its affordability and reliability.
  
  

Price

• The base version of the 1999 Mazda Miata had an original manufacturer's retail price of $20,095. The 10th Anniversary Edition had a MSRP that was around $6,000 more--at $26,875. As of 2010, Kelley Blue Book estimated the price value range of the vehicle at around $6,800 to $10,000.