Mazda celebrates the Miata's past, present, future (pictures)

Miata production numbers 14 and 15 are two of three actual cars which sat on the stage when the roadster made its global debut at the 1989 Chicago auto show.

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The third production Miata on hand at the Chicago debut was production number 17. The first Miata to ever become a racecar, it was also the first of its kind to win an SCCA race.

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The Club Racer concept was also there at the 1989 Chicago  show with an even lower suspension, flush headlamps in place of the pop-ups, and wider fender flares. According to Mazda, it's still wearing the original tires that it debuted on.

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Six years later, Mazda returned to the Chicago auto show with the supercharged M-Speedster concept, boasting 200 horsepower and a race-ready chassis.

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The M-Speedster featured a chopped windscreen and twin-cowls behind the headrests that integrated storage for a pair of racing helmets.

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The legendary Mazda M Coupe was debuted at the 1996 New York auto show.

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The underpinnings were similar to the M-Speedster, but the fixed hardtop was inspired by the automaker's RX-7 sports coupe.

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This is the only 1998 Mazda Miata in the world. Falling between the end of the first-generation and the beginning of the second, it was built by Mazda's design to test the look of the upcoming 1999 model.

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By the time its second generation debuted, the Mazda Miata had gained a reputation as a great platform for building a racecar -- an interesting contrast to its other reputation as a secretary's car.

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The 500,000th Mazda Miata rolled off of the assembly line as a 1999 model.

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The 700,000th Miata ever built was a 2004 Mazdaspeed MX-5. This high-performance special edition dropped the Miata moniker in favor of a turbocharged and intercooled 1.8-liter engine, 180 horsepower, and a host of chassis and handling upgrades.

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I was there at the 2011 SEMA show when the Super20 was unveiled. This third-generation MX-5's bright orange paint and orange contrasting interior are eye-catching, but the 250 horsepower, supercharged engine was the real show-stealer.

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After completing multiple endurance races, this MX-5 Miata "retired" to a life of service as one of the official pace cars of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

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Mazda built this MX-5, nicknamed "Halfie," to illustrate the similarities and differences between a stock and race-prepped Miata.

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That's not a Photoshop job. The driver's half of this car has been race-prepped and roll-caged while the passenger side remains bone stock. The difference is a stark one.

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With 25 years under its belt, the MX-5 Miata celebrates with a limited 25th Anniversary edition, unveiled at the 2014 New York auto show.

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The special edition is coated in Soul Red Metallic premium paint that looks delicious in person.

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The wheel wells are filled with 17-inch Dark Gunmetal 10-spoke aluminum alloy wheels, which are wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza RE05A tires.

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The power retractable hard top is finished in a contrasting Brilliant Black. Personally, I'd have preferred the cloth top.

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The interior is finished in a Piano Black theme with red contrasts. Interestingly, the instrument panel is finished with a black-to-red gradient that is hand-painted. No two 25th Anniversary models will be exactly alike.

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Bilstein dampers are standard on six-speed manual transmission-equipped examples. In a perfect world, there would only be six-speed manual transmission-equipped examples.

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Only 100 examples of the 2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata 25th Anniversary Edition will be available for sale in the United States via preorder on MazdaUSA.com.

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Each example will feature unique, serialized 25th Anniversary badging.

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The 25th Anniversary Edition is both a celebration of the Miata's heritage and a farewell to the current third-generation model.

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Looking forward, Mazda showcased its Skyactiv Chassis, which will underpin the fourth-generation MX-5 Miata. The new chassis shaves 220 pounds off of the current model's weight,
 sits lower, and features a more efficient Skyactiv power-train. Long live the Miata.

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