Miataland

Easter 2022. I have an MX-5 NC 1.8 convertible, with newly approved 215/40 R17 tires on Sparco Assetto Gara wheels. Braided hoses, a lightened flywheel, an LSD in the back... all fresh upgrades.

We set off for the Mecca of MX-5s: Miataland.

It's described as a "luxury resort," but if the name suggests a playground, it certainly is for Mazda enthusiasts! In fact, included in the overnight stay in one of the themed rooms (named after the colors of the Miatas), there's the chance to take a spin in one of the Miatas that Andrea Mancini rotates from his collection for guests to enjoy on a rental basis. That's right, because the resort not only has a memorabilia lounge, but there's also a warehouse housing Andrea's entire collection of over 40 Mazdas. He'll give you a real museum tour, as if you were at the Louvre, telling you the story of his collection. There are some rare pieces, like the NA M2 1001 or an American NB Mazdaspeed Turbo; an NA V8 tested by G. Fisichella and an NC cup.

But let's take a step back: we start from Biella, heading towards Portofino, where parked yachts and the deep blue sea await us. The ultimate expression of the Italian Dolce Vita.

Then we head towards the Tuscan villages that breathe of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Volterra, Monteriggioni, Montepulciano, San Gimignano, Pienza, Val d'Orcia, and its cypress trees.

The roads become white, our stomachs are full of delicacies, the car body gets dusty, and the top stays down.

Finally, Perugia, Collazzone, the final destination of the sacred pilgrimage. For the tour through the hills, my partner leaned towards an MX-5 ND 30th anniversary, "the orange one" with Rays.

But then I chose the NA yellow sunburst 1.6.

Enjoy some photos and take your own convertible road trip