Mazda to celebrate Miata MX-5's 25th birthday in New York

Everyone's favorite autocrosser, the Mazda Miata MX-5, is celebrating its 25th birthday in 2014. It made its global debut way back in 1989 at the Chicago Auto Show. This year, at the New York auto show, the company is going to host its biggest birthday party yet.

Mazda will showcase 15 of its favorite MX-5 vehicles, ranging from auto show concepts to race cars and production models.

"The MX-5 Miata is the quintessential Mazda," said Jim O'Sullivan, president and CEO of Mazda North America. "And after 25 years, every vehicle in the lineup continues to feature some characteristic of MX-5: a fluid shifter, lightness on its feet, quickness around a corner, a fun-to-drive DNA. With all the whiz-bang technology and comfort amenities increasingly added to modern vehicles, MX-5's direct connection between car and driver still remains the standard feature that puts smiles on drivers' faces."

We won't see the new Mazda until next year, we think, and its platform-sharing Alfa Spider brother could take even longer, if it happens at all. We saw some photos of the pair last July, when the company announced the pairing.

We don't know too much more. The Alfa and Mazda will share windshields and frames, front bulkhead and engine compartments, and front and rear axles. About 40 percent of the parts are common.

The roadsters will weight about 2,200 pounds, and deliver about 170 hp. Check out our breakdown of the new car from late last year.

By Jake Lingeman