"Tops down, revs up, hug your curves" is the official motto and rallying cry of the Mid America Miata Club, sponsored by Tumminia Mazda at 1551 South Hamilton Circle in Olathe. The club roster lists about 50 bright Miatas and more than 100 Miata enthusiasts.

The peppy Japanese sports car captivated many people in several countries when it was unveiled in 1990. It is manufactured in some basic vivid colors—black, white, red, green, blue, yellow, silver—and shades of those colors. When several Miatas are traveling in a caravan or parked together, they create a scene as eye-catching as a grove of deciduous trees at the height of their fall colors.

"The Miata is a sports car. It's a roadster (convertible), and it's affordable. Other cars are boring." —Club president Dennis Echols
and his wife, Susan.

When asked why one might want to own a Miata, Don Dover, Spring Hill, an enthusiastic club member and owner of a silver 2006 model, replied, "The Miata is good looking. It's tough and holds up well, and is fun to drive, especially on curves."

The club is very active, and the members, according to Dover, "are fun to be with." The members plan about 10 trips a year, with durations of one day to three or four days. The trips are scheduled to places of interest including historical sites. Destinations have included Fort Scott in Kansas, and Eureka Springs, Jamesport, Lake of the Ozarks, Lexington, and the wine country of Hermann, all in Missouri. The longest trip was to North Carolina.

The magnetic draw for Miata owners, according to Dennis Echols, Olathe, is simple: "The Miata is a sports car. It's a roadster (convertible), and it's affordable. Other cars are boring."

Echols, who is president of the club, and his wife, Susan, own a black 1992 and a red 2006. Echols formed the Mid America Miata Club in 2005 from the ashes of an area metropolitan Miata club that was "limp" and inactive. He and Susan keep the members informed by e-mail and at meetings at noon on the third Saturday of every month at Tumminia Mazda in Olathe.

The socialization and the opportunity to share information about the sports car serve as a strong motivator for people to join the group. Sue Kuhl, Spring Hill, a member who owns a blue 2003 Miata, testifies, "I enjoy the Miata Club because of the members. It's a great group of people who, from the beginning, make you feel welcome and a part of the club. Many good friendships are forged. We do a lot of laughing, view beautiful scenery, and have fun driving on the road."

Once a year, the women plan a trip just for themselves. Last year they went to Liberty, Kearney, and Weston, Mo., where they enjoyed lunch.

A description on the Mid America Miata Club's Web site sums up the Miata experience well when it states:

A club for fun times with fun people; a car enthusiast's refuge from daily grinds. Gatherings designed to fulfill the top-down, hair-blowing exhilaration of this two-seater in and around town as well as distant trips. To "Miata" roads, where ever they may be. Laugh out loud and drop the top; let's hit the road … Zoom–Zoom–Zoom!

For more information, visit www.mamiata.com or call 913-780-3500 (Tumminia Mazda).