Exploring Hawaii in the Mazda MX-5
Celebrating 30 Years of the MX-5 Miata begins with celebrating our fans and their stories. We asked owners and enthusiasts from around the country to submit their MX-5 stories to celebrate the debut of the 30th Anniversary MX-5 Miata at the Chicago Auto Show.
Coming from a family of domestic hot rod enthusiasts, it wasn’t until much later in his life that David Maire was introduced to Mazda.
“My mom and brother are traditional hot rod people who like domestic cars,” David explained. “My mom’s into old Buicks and my brother’s into old Camaros and Chevys. So I wasn’t introduced to anything like a Mazda for a long time.”
After his truck was stolen at a repair shop, David was in the market for a new vehicle, which is when he came across the MX-5 Miata. David was initially worried about whether the car was going to be practical or economical. He also noticed that it was a smaller car.
“But I was really pleasantly surprised that it had ample trunk space for all of my needs, as a student and as an educator, to move around art and school supplies” David explained. “I’ve even hauled lumber with it, with the top down. So, I was quite surprised.”
As a resident of Hawaii, a state that boasts some of the nation’s highest gas prices, the efficiency of the MX-5’s efficient engine was one of the first things that drew David in and kickstarted his passion and love for it.
However, before he even considered the car’s impressive gas mileage, what made the MX-5 a love-at-first-drive experience was when he took the car out with the top down on one of the windier, scenic routes on the Big Island.
“There’s just nothing like it,” David recalled. “I could tell right away the MX-5 was different than other cars.”
David has taken his MX-5 all over Hawaii to explore its varied scenery and climates of the island. Some of his favorite experiences include spending a day driving all the way around the island and stopping at various lookout spots, navigating the hills and sharp corners on the gulches of the Hamakua coast, exploring the Mars-like terrain of Saddle Road, which connects the east and west sides of the island, and taking the top down for a snowy drive up the mountain Mauna Kea.
“There are so many different climate zones here — everything from Arctic tundra to tropical rainforests,” David explained. “Driving around, you can get all types of scenery, making Hawaii a pretty fun place to be. I just love listening to the engine and the exhaust.”
David has always loved making his cars uniquely his own by modifying and customizing them.
“I was not only blown away by the immense aftermarket availability of parts, but also the factory direct Mazda performance parts that were available, which was pretty cool,” David said. “Not a lot of companies have that.”
One of the modifications he made to his MX-5 the removal of the speakers and stereo.
“As it is right now,” he said, “I’m happy just listening to the sound of the engine and enjoy my drive.”
