As the world is well aware, Miata is always the answer. It doesn’t matter what the question is as long as it contains the phrases “sports car” and “affordable.” Sure, there are other entrants into that category, but none quite do it like the legendary Mazda roadster. However, the Mazda Miata Roadster Coupe is quite the opposite of affordable.

NB Mazda Roadster Coupe is one of the rarest Miata variants out there

You don’t hear about a Miata coupe all that often. The reason is, of course, that not many of them exist. In fact, you’ll find that not many people know they exist. However, Mazda built fixed-roof Miatas for the Japanese market in the early 2000s, and they are exceptionally rare according to Carbuzz.

This one in particular, though, is the rarest of them all. This “Type A” variant of the Roadster Coupe (yes, that name does seem a bit oxymoronic) is one of only 200 in the world. The Type A Roadster Coupe is, according to Mazda, reminiscent of classic sports cars in style. It’s instantly identifiable by its multi-split headlight ensemble, whereas the other Roadster Coupe variants wear standard NB Miata headlights.

The original Mazda release states that only 200 examples of the Type A Roadster Coupe exist. Additionally, they were available only in Lightning Yellow and Velocity Red. Power comes from the standard 1.8-liter inline four-cylinder DOHC engine found in the standard NB Miata, too. The Type A gets a six-speed manual transmission, as well.

This particular example wears a coat of Lightning Yellow paint and has only about 26,260 miles on it. Additionally, the Type A uses the variable valve timing variant of the 1.8 engine. So, it comes with 160 horsepower. That’s more than enough for a car that weighs only 2,300 pounds.

Originally, the Type A cost around 3.1 million Japanese Yen. At the time, that worked out to around $22,000 U.S. dollars. As of now, the auction house expects to see around $30,000 USD for this particular example.

That seems like a pretty good deal for a collector’s car, right? If you’re considering bidding, there’s some bad news.

Mazda Miata Roadster Coupe isn’t legal in the U.S.

Oh, how the car world hates you, 25-year import law. Alas, that’s what this lovely little Roadster Coupe falls victim to.
For those unfamiliar, the U.S. prevents the import of any vehicle that does not meet its emissions or crash safety standards until the vehicle is 25 years old. Though there are some exceptions thanks to the Show and Display law. Unfortunately, the Mazda Roadster Coupe does not fall under that exception.

So, while $30,000 is already a lot of money, there’s a good chance that these super rare vehicles will someday be worth a fortune. Unfortunately, they won’t be eligible for U.S. import until 2028 at the earliest. However, there are services in Japan that allow you to buy a car and store it until it’s legal to import it. Considering the rarity of these beauties, that may be worth considering!