Originally a variant of the previous NB Miata (don't forget, the Miata successor is no longer called Miata, but MX-5), it was only available in the Japanese home market. Rumors now persist though that a new coupe version of the NC (the latest Miata/MX-5) will be developed once again, and coinciding with a 2010 refresh for the model, will see our shores.

Our take? We'll buck the trend and say that it won't happen. Mazda already has a coupe-cum-convertible in its folding hard top roadster, so the benefits of a separate hard top model are no longer there as with the cloth top only previous generation.

It does not make sense for Mazda to develop a new variant of the MX-5 that will offer little advantages over previous offerings, especially when other rumors persist that RX-7 -like offerings (finally!) will be coming from the marque as