Flyin' Miata, the company responsible for the best Mazda MX-5 upgrades on the market, is now offering a roll bar for the Targa-style RF model. The protective device was added to the catalog as a result of customer requests and makes the MX-5 RF safer at the race track. But there's a catch -- you lose the ability to lower the roof!

While it's far from expensive at only $625, the roll bar comes with a drawback: once installed, it prevents the top from going down. This means you're stuck with the coupe configuration. This might come in handy if you're planning to race the RF at the track, but you'll need to forget about cruising on the highway with the top down.

On the other hand, with the top no longer removable, you benefit from extra luggage room in the area where the roof used to go. I guess it's an upgrade of the "win some, lose some" variety, but only if you really need a roll bar. While this safety feature is necessary if you're a track weekend regular, it doesn't make much sense if you're using the Miata RF to go to work. Still, it's a cool upgrade that you can only get from the folks at Flyin' Miata.

The Mazda MX-5 RF was introduced in 2016 as a Targa-style alternative to the familiar roadster. The design is significantly different above the waist, but everything else is pretty much identical to the standard model. Needless to say, it's the closest thing to a Miata coupe that Mazda doesn't want to build.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2016 Mazda MX-5.

Read our full review on the 2017 Mazda MX-5 RF.

Read more Mazda news.