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As we wound our way along Int. Hwy. 94 from Detroit to Chicago, our eyeskept focusing every few seconds on the trip odometer.

Finally the numbers we`d been waiting for rolled over-100.0.

The Mazda Miata MX-5 had just traveled further in one day without needfor a tune than any British roadster ever built.

It was the second record that day. The first came after the Japanese-built Miata had gone 50 miles without any piece, part or component fallingoff. That eclipsed the previous record for distance traveled by any Italianroadster without stopping to glue it.

The rear-wheel-drive Miata MX-5 two-seat roadster is the latest entry tothe Mazda stable that includes one of the best luxury sedans on the market,the 929, and one of the best mini-vans, the MPV.

Like the MPV, the Miata is built in Japan but was designed by Mazda`s new studio in California to cater to the U.S. market. That studio probably willhave a hand in the design of the two-door utility-vehicle version of the Ford Bronco that Mazda will add to its line in the fall of 1990 as a `91 model.

Why Miata, when cars like the Fiero couldn`t make it?

Fiero is to Miata as Roseanne Barr is to Heather Locklear.

Miata refers to a German term for “reward,“ and that`s basically whatyou get with the car-the reward of a good looking, fun-to-drive machinewithout the squeeks and rattles common to two-seat European roadsters; withoutthe noise of the flimsy ragtop flopping in the breeze; without the sidewaysbuffeting each time an 18-wheeler passes; and without seats so tight andcramped that circulation is in constant jeopardy.

Miata is built on an 89.2-inch wheelbase and is 155.4 inches long,slightly smaller than a Toyota MR2, which, incidentally, gets a major styling overhaul for 1990.

Though dimensions are tiny, interior room isn`t cramped or confining. The only complaint with the interior is that the door armrest sits low and jutsout toward the steering wheel at knee level. If you stretch your left leg, it will catch between armrest and wheel.

Though two people can ride comfortably, they`ll have to send luggageahead by UPS. The trunk will hold a suit carrier or a suitcase, but not both. With the small dimensions, you can sit in the driver`s seat, upzip therear window, unsnap the two fasteners along the windshield, and lower the top by hand.

A detachable plastic hardtop with glass window is a $1,100 option. Itweighs about 40 pounds. It took two of us about 1 minute to attach by slippingit onto three fasteners on each side of the car and snapping them shut.

Miata is offered only in red, white or blue for now. Yellow, black,silver and green are possibilities. The vinyl convertible top is black only.The detachable hardtop comes only in red and you have to have the dealer oryour favorite body shop paint it blue or white if you choose those colors.

Miata is powered by a fuel-injected, 1.6-liter, 16-valve, 4-cylinderengine that develops 116 h.p. and is teamed with a very short throw 5-speedmanual transmission only. No automatic until next spring. Mazda hurried to getthe MX-5 out this summer rather than wait until fall and in doing so had toforesake some options such as automatic.

The 1.6 is tame off the line and at midrange speeds, which helps Miataearn a 25 m.p.g. city/30 m.p.g. highway rating. The engine was tunedspecifically to deliver top performance at higher revolutions per minute. You don`t reach maximum horsepower until 6,500 rpm.

A little rumble from the stainless steel exhaust system makes it sound as if you`re going faster than the speedometer reads. Miata`s top speed is 116miles an hour, despite a speedometer that reaches 140.

From 0 to 60, you can light a cigarette and adjust the radio. From 60 to70 m.p.h. you barely have time to blink as the engine comes to life and only agentle kick of the pedal lets you swing out and p ass one of the numeroustrucks that caravan along I-94.

Miata`s priorities were above-average looks, nimble ride and handling,wind-rustling-the-hair motoring and a price tag $40,000 less than a CadillacAllante.

With Miata, performance is best measured by how you maneuver on twistingroads rather than how quickly you can travel a quarter mile. Better you burnyour dome when the top is down than burn rubber fleeing from the light.

Four-wheel, double-wishbone independent suspension features anti-rollbars and gas-pressurized shocks front and rear to ensure flatter cornering andsmoother ride at low speeds. The rear suspension is designed to provide toe-induring lateral acceleration to increase stability in cornering and rapid lane changes. Four-wheel disc brakes are standard.

Styling is somewhat British. Clean, smooth body highlighted up front by a deep recessed under-bumper air intake opening that Mazda refers to as a“smiley face.“ Two large black metal hooks protruded from that cavity onour test car. Those hooks are tie-downs for transport to dealer by truck. Theycan be left on and used for towing, but we`d advise painting them to match thebody so they don`t look so imposing.

The body is an amalgamation of materials. The nose cap and rear bumperare plastic and the hood aluminum to save on weight. All other body panelsexcept the plastic detachable hardtop are steel. The differences in materials shows up most on Miata in red, where you detect some shading variations.

It will be interesting how body shops handle all the materials-in afront-end collision that spoils the plastic cap, steel fender and aluminumhood someone must match the color on each.

Mazda said it had insurance in mind when it designed the MX-5 becausepremiums have been a nightmare for its RX-7. A driver`s side air bag isstandard. Major systems on the MX-5 are housed between the axles to minimizedamage in a collision. The radio is one of those anti-theft types that doesn`toperate properly if pilfered.

Mazda said it expects favorable insurance premiums on the MX-5, butthere`s no word on what rates the MX-5 will command.

Base price is $13,800. Two option packages are offered-“A“ includespower steering, alloy wheels, leather-wrapped steering wheel and AM/FM stereo with cassette and is priced at $1,145, and “B“ that includes all “A“ itemsplus power windows, cruise control and headrest speakers is $1,730.