A sports car that stays affordable and achieves its performance by being lightweight and minimalist? I think Mazda beat em to the punch by like...25 years.
The Miata has always been a lone roadster. The 86 stands for a new era of roadracers, in a time where people just still aren't feeling good about sports cars.
Lightweight minimalist? That's pretty much any car up to the mid/late 70s? '67 2000GT. '70 Celica/Carina, Chaser. '83 AE86 (not really a sportscar but obviously able to post a 1.01 at Tsukuba more than 30 years later shows it has great potential when tuned)
Also, pic related. Mazda's real lightweight, minimal, sportscar. '67.
Well that's fair, I was just referring to modern cars, since the Miata is still being produced. I like the idea of the 86, it's what I've always wanted in a sports car, I just think the execution lacks the character that it needs to really be something special.