The RF will start at $31,555 in Club trim with a manual transmission. It's the lowest trim on offer for the hardtop, compared to the cheaper Sport trim for the convertible. Since the soft-top MX-5 Club starts at $28,600, the targa top will add $2,955 to the price. If you're after a bit more comfort, the RF is also offered in Grand Touring trim, for $32,620. That's $2,555 higher than the convertible, which starts at $30,065.

There are very few differences between RF and non-RF models, aside from the retractable roof. RF models receive a full-color information display in the gauge cluster, and the gray paint color is slightly different. Regardless of roof, all 2017 MX-5 models feature standard blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert on the Club trim and up.

The RF goes on sale early next year in the US, with Japanese sales starting later this year. The vehicle just started production in Mazda's Japanese facility, where it is built alongside the Fiat 124 Spider and the soft-top MX-5. Even with the larger hard top, the RF will offer the same cargo capacity (which isn't all that much) as the standard convertible.