You don’t have to be in the throes of a mid-life crisis to want a sexier, more exciting car. If you’ve got a craving for muscle and driver-focused design, you’re in luck.

The 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata and the 2021 Toyota GR Supra are two-seater sports cars that combine head-turning design with pulse-racing performance. Which sporty coupe is your dream car? That depends on what your priorities are.

Ragtop or Hardtop?

If you dream of feeling the wind through your hair, you’ll want to head to a Mazda dealer. The Miata comes standard as a convertible, though a hardtop is an available option. And if you move up to the Miata RF, you’ll get a power hardtop that retracts into the trunk in seconds.

The GR Supra is only available as a hardtop, but the “double-bubble” roof provides more interior headroom. So, if you’re on the tall side, you may prefer that to the Mazda, on days when you need a roof over your head.

Everything in Balance

If you’ve been trying to cut back on your caffeine intake, you’ll find plenty in these cars to give you that morning rush. Both are designed with a near 50/50 weight balance, making them exceptionally agile when you hit those tight turns downtown or explore winding highways on the weekends.

Make Your Inner Child Happy

If you mimicked racecar engine noises while peddling your Big Wheel as a kid, the Toyota GR Supra’s beefy 3.0L turbo inline-six fulfills your childhood fantasy. Its 382 horses gallop from 0-60 in a little over four seconds. A 2-liter, 4-cylinder turbo is available. It shaves several thousand off the price while still delivering 255 horsepower.

With a standard 2.0L SKYACTIV 4-cylinder powerplant, the 181-horsepower MX-5 Miata is not exactly a slowpoke. Cranking 151 pound-feet of torque, this roadster produces plenty of oomph to zip through mountain passes or put distance between you and slower traffic.

Wait. They Still Make Stick Shifts?

You bet they do! And you can get a six-speed manual transmission in the Mazda MX-5 Miata. For those who have mastered hand-foot coordination, there’s no better connection between the driver and the car. If that’s not how you roll, choose the six-speed automatic with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

Unfortunately for standard shift purists, the GR Supra is only available with an eight-speed automatic transmission with Manual Mode. There are no immediate plans for Toyota to offer a purely manual transmission.

The Performance/Value Proposition

Toyota partnered with BMW to reintroduce the Supra to North America. And while you see that partnership reflected in the sports car’s engineering and interior features, you’ll also see it reflected in the price. The 2.0 trim comes in at just over $43k, and when you move up to the 3.0 and 3.0 Premium, the price jumps to well over $50k.The Mazda MX-5 Miata remains one of the best value sports cars available. Starting at under $27k, you get a roadster with a ton of features. Even when you choose the premium RF Grand Touring trim, you’ll still pay nearly $10k less than the 2.0 Supra.

Choose Your Journey

Both sports cars come with plenty of premium features and track-tested DNA. If you prefer a racecar-like driving experience, the GR Supra should be on your test-drive list. If it’s pure escapism you’re after when you get behind the wheel, the MX-5 Miata is the roadster for you.