One of the greatest driver’s cars Japan has ever produced shows its adorable side.
A cold snap in east Japan this week brought with it the Tokyo area’s first significant snowfall of 2019, and obviously different residents responded to it in different ways. Office workers wrinkled their brows and frowned as they had to make their way to the office in the chilly conditions, while kids were all smiles as they played in the freshly fallen powder.
But the most unexpected reaction of all actually came from a car, which responded to the snow with an adorable look of demure shyness. Don’t believe us? Just take a look at the video evidence, in which the car, perhaps feeling self-conscious while it’s being filmed, blushes.
Underneath that frosty blanket is Japanese Twitter user @FerrariRyota111’s beloved ride. Despite his name, though, it’s not a Ferrari, but a Mazda Miata, or Roadster, as the model is called in the Japanese domestic market.
But wait, how come the car looks different in the video and the still photos above? Because from 1989 to 1997, the Miata came with pop-up headlights, much like its corporate sibling Mazda RX-7 and several other Japanese sports cars of the era. When the headlights are turned on, their housing rotates up from the hood, resembling a pair of wide, expressive eyes. Meanwhile, the turn signals/hazard lights are located directly below the headlights, and as they blink in @FerrariRyota111’s video, their light shines through the layer of snow covering them, creating the effect of blood rushing to the car’s cheeks.
▼ A Miata with pop-up lights not covered in snow
@FerrariRyota111’s video rapidly racked up over two million views, and earned comments such as:
“It’s so shy and cute❤️”
“The cuteness of the first-generation Miata is a national treasure.”
“The Miata really is great.”
“A cute and beautiful design.”
Then there were the reaction GIFs:
And finally, multiple commenters chimed in to share their own Roadster reminiscences/Miata memories.
“A long time ago I had an original body-style Miata. I want to own one again someday.”
“I shouldn’t have gotten rid of my Miata. I miss that car every day.”
“So happy to see someone still driving one of the first-gen Miatas. I had one 27 years ago.”
▼ A snow shot of @FerrariRyota111 from a year ago, with its raised windshield wipers looking like surprised eyebrows
But while @FerrariRyota111’s Miata still gets plenty of loving care (note the beautiful reflection of the sky in its paint in the above photos), it’s going into a retirement of sorts. On January 20, he took it to the track for the last time, and says that from now on he’ll be using it in a less aggressive/competitive fashion, so that he can continue driving it forever. Lucky for him, the Miata is the sort of car that you don’t have to be driving out of its skin in order to have a smile on your face, and as @FerrariRyota111’s video shows, it’s also perfectly capable of showing you a blushing grin of its own.
Source: Twitter/@FerrariRyota111
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Follow Casey on Twitter, where he’s proud to have a Miata with both pop-up headlights and roll-up windows.