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An affordable race car? Yep.

It really is affordable. Okay, so it’s not LeMons cheap, but then again, the MX-5 Cup car is a fully vetted, brand-new race car guaranteed to work flawlessly out of the box. Weekend entry fees are $500 (there are 12 races at six events each season). Everything else—parts, tires, gas, hotels, and lots of Red Bull—is on your dime or the race team's. Many of those teams also rent out seats during the series to amortize the costs, thus making Miata racing even more inclusive and easy to join. Compared with dropping 25 grand for a spot in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series, the MX-5 Cup can be swallowed in one gulp. And if you win the annual shootout during the first week of December, Mazda will cover the majority of your season costs.