Personally, I don’t see the appeal of an automatic Miata

Generalizations are lazy.

Don’t forget Modern Autos aren’t as bad as they used to be. also at least with automatics, you don’t have to worry about burnt clutches due to rough drivers.

I understand the manual sentiment, but I can tell you that there is still a lot of fun to be had in the auto Miata, and I’m really glad they offer one so I can enjoy it.  I can’t use the pedals. I have to drive with only my hands, but the car still puts a huge smile on my face.