2019 Mazda Miata Test Drive & Review

Media Day at the Orange County Auto Show was filled with fun and test drives for iDriveSoCal's Professor, Clinton Quan.  In the meantime, yours truly was busy setting up our podcast booth and eagerly awaiting the good Professor's reports. His first test drive was of Mazda's 2019 Miata RF.  You'll notice, in the podcast, that the Professor was referring to the RF as a hardtop... but after I got a closer look at the vehicle I'd call it a targa top.  Check out the pics below while listening to this iDriveSoCal podcast and you be the judge. ***Transcript*** Recorded @ the OC Auto Show, Anaheim, CA Mazda Miata RF - Retractable Fastback Clinton Quan: This is different than the regular Miata, this one has like a coupe-like design that's why it's called a retractable fastback.  It's a fun car. If you want a second vehicle or a vehicle just for the weekends where you can take it up on the mountain roads or go on a scenic drive along Pacific Coast Highway, this is the car. Tom Smith: Welcome to iDriveSoCal the Podcast! All about mobility from the automotive capital of the United States, Southern California! Tom Smith here with the good Professor Mr. Clinton Quan! Say hello Clinton! Clinton Quan: Hi, Tom! Tom Smith: This here podcast we're doing... if you can hear all the background noise that is because we are here at the Orange County Auto Show a.k.a. the OC Auto Show. And we are on the tail end of the media event. So, the auto show is getting its final preparations before the masses start rolling in here. So, you can hear some, some background vacuuming and hopefully, we'll get a little bit of pounding and slamming around of last minute items to just enhance the overall podcast experience. "Retractable fastback, not to be confused with a convertible." Tom Smith: So, the Professor got here a little bit earlier than I did. I've basically come onto the floor show, said hi to the main PR media types and set up. So, the Professor's seen the show. This piece we're going to do is on the test drive of the 2019 Mazda Miata. Clinton Quan: Yes, it's the 2019 Mazda Miata RF and the RF stands for retractable fastback. Tom Smith: Retractable fastback, not to be confused with a convertible. Clinton Quan: Correct. Tom Smith: Because that's basically what it is, right? Clinton Quan: Yes. Tom Smith: Okay. Retractable fastback is kind of a cool twist on convertible, though. Convertible vs. Retractable Fastback Clinton Quan: Yes, but this is different than the regular Miata, which has the... This one has like a coupe-like design that's why it's called a retractable fastback. Tom Smith: So, there is, so there is a convertible Mia... Well, I mean all Miatas are convertibles, are they not? Clinton Quan: Yes. Tom Smith: Okay. So, this one is a different type of convertible and that's why they call it retractable fastback? Clinton Quan: Yes. It looks like a coupe. Tom Smith: Okay. We're going to have pictures of that on the iDriveSoCal post, of course at iDrivesocal.com. But, describe the difference between the what the regular convertible is as opposed to the retractable fastback. Clinton Quan: Well, the retractable fastback, as I mentioned, it looks like a coupe, so there's a small window in the back. And when you scroll through the photos you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. "...it looks like a coupe, so there's a small window in the back." Whereas the regular convertible the top just goes straight down and there's no back window. So, it looks like your typical convertible. Tom Smith: Are they both ... Is the convertible soft top and the retractable fastback hard top?