MX-5 Miata

Make
Mazda
Segment
Compact

When we saw that someone had turned a Smart Fortwo into a 6x6 truck we thought that there was no way a custom pickup could get any weirder. Then we came across this: A Mazda MX-5 that had been stretched and given a bed. Like all true automotive oddities it was spotted on Craigslist. If you have $6,000 and live near Sacramento, California, this truck can be yours. The good news is that the owner is open to negotiating the price. The other good news is that this is a five-speed Miata. That's about where the good news ends.

Apparently this "truck" has only 22,000 original miles on it. Whether those miles belong to the engine, to the new stretched body or the original MX-5 which gave its life remain a mystery. The salvage title indicates an accident at some point, the severity of which is not discussed in the Craigslist posting. The post is light on details, perhaps because the seller expects the oddness of an MX-5 truck to carry the day. It certainly got our attention. Sacramento isn't all that far from our office in San Francisco, so perhaps we'll go and take a look at it… As to whether or not this Miata can do truck things, our guess is it can't. The bed is probably nothing more than a glorified trunk. There can't possibly be much in the way of towing ability either.

Whoever buys this thing won't be trying to take it to a construction site. At least we hope not. As custom jobs go this one looks pretty good, with no visible signs of surgery. It's goofy in a fun way and is sure to stand out at any car show it attends. We wouldn't drop $6,000 on it but won't judge someone who does. OK, maybe they'll be judged just a little. Bargain this seller down, damn it!