2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata 35th Anniversary Edition: Tan You Believe the Roadster’s Been Around This Long?

An electrified Mazda MX-5 Miata is, as we say here at MotorTrend, InEVitable. Even though Mazda hasn’t kept its intentions to juice up its signature sports car with electrons a secret, the thought of one of the market’s last remaining driver-focused roadsters losing its gas-only purity is a bittersweet thought. On one hand, Mazda needs to do what it can to keep the Miata relevant—and emissions-compliant—for a future generation of enthusiasts. On the other hand, we’ll mourn the loss of a car that’s maintained lightweight purity in the twilight of the internal combustion era.

Feeling nostalgic yet? Mazda certainly is, as it celebrates three and a half decades of its successful and much-beloved sports car with its latest "AE" anniversary edition. Miata fans often refer to these anniversary models by their year number, followed by the "AE" acronym—there have been 1 AE (a celebratory first-year anniversary edition), 10 AE, and others for the 20th, 25th, and 30th anniversary editions of the model. Unveiled at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the newest Anniversary Edition, the 2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata 35th Anniversary Edition, represents the platonic ideal of top-down motoring. The race is a fitting backdrop for the occasion too; the Miata has been instrumental in the fostering of grassroots motorsports as well as providing a step up into the world of professional racing by way of the Mazda MX-5 Cup.

Unlike the stripped-down and lightened MX-5 Cup cars, the 35th Anniversary Miata focuses on a more sumptuous approach to open-air driving. Mazda poached its Artisan Red Metallic paint color from its SUV flagship, the three-row CX-90. The hue requires a three-layer finish and sparkles with a darker luster than the Soul Red used when the ND-generation MX-5 Miata first arrived. Other exterior accents include a color-matched spoiler, special edition–specific 17-inch wheels, and 35th Anniversary badging displaying the roadster’s production number. A tan manually folding soft top recalls an option that’s been available on and off since the first-generation NA MX-5 Miata.

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Tan Nappa Leather seating with embossed 35th Anniversary logos matches the roof, completing the special model’s retro-inspired colorway. (Throughout the first and second Miata generations, special versions often featured tan roofs and interiors, in addition to rarer red and blue options.) Tan elements extend from just below the black dashboard and Artisan Red Metallic upper door panels down to the carpeting and floor mats, which also receive 35th Anniversary badges. Mazda decorates the area surrounding the AC vents in the same paint color to bring more of the exterior into the cabin. You can take the Miata’s tan goodness to go with an included Nappa leather–wrapped key fob sleeve.

Other aspects of the 2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata 35th Anniversary should be familiar to fans of the roadster. A six-speed manual is the exclusive transmission paired with the sports car’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which develops 181 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque. The 35th Anniversary model is based on the standard car’s Grand Touring trim, and as such it receives all of the same performance features including front shock tower braces, sport-tuned suspension with Bilstein dampers, a track-oriented dynamic stability control system, and a limited slip differential.

Other standard tech shared with the MX-5 Miata Grand Touring includes automatic air conditioning, a frameless auto-dimming rearview mirror, heated seats, and navigation. There’s more active safety tech as well, with features such as an adaptive front-lighting system, automatic high beams, and traffic sign recognition. Other standard features include a nine-speaker audio setup from Bose, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and satellite radio.

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With an even-handed balance of sporting hardware and luxury accouterments, the MX-5 Miata 35th Anniversary Edition encapsulates four generations of Mazda’s roadster’s heritage. In a bid to drum up exclusivity, just 300 models will be offered for purchase. Pricing begins at $37,435 and includes a special owner experience for customers lucky enough to snag one of these limited MX-5 convertibles.

While the era of the Miata’s electrification has yet to come, diehard enthusiasts can savor what is almost certainly the final generation of gas-only MX-5 with the exceedingly well-equipped 35th Anniversary edition. We can only hope that the splendidly styled and rotary-assisted Iconic SP concept car comes to fruition as the next-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata.