A Couple of questions before I decide to buy.
 

I'm looking at getting a 2018 MX-5 RF grand touring as my next car (mostly because my dream supra costs over $50,000 for a car with 200K miles, a Skyline is illegal in the US, etc).

are they fun cars to drive? I already have a laundry list of mods I want for it:

Turbo, cooling upgrades, a full suspension / brake upgrade, wheels / summer tires, etc.

With mods can you drive them in a "reasonable" Memphis winter? (I know for a fact I won't be driving it in a Chicago winter if I feel like living).

I basically want a Drag car and I want to drift sometimes but still have it as my daily driver. I've been working on cars (both mine and others for years) so I'm not new to this.

A MX-5 RD wasn't even on my list of contenders but fit my requirements almost completely (I just wanted a targa top too, but the fold down metal roof if close enough..
Also, Hi!

Wow. you are asking a lot from one car. I would start with a shop that modifies Mazdas to see if what can be accomplished will match your expectations. I am not sure that it will. Mazdas are not drag cars by definition. They are best at races that involve a lot of turns (in my opinion). They are also great for local winding public roads.

Flyin Miata may be a good place to start to figure out what is possible.

Good luck

While a Flying Miata will certainly be quick, ain't no way it would qualify as a drag car.

Shipo: I concede your point. I was thinking that if anyone could make a drag and drift car out of a Miata, it would be Flyin Miata. I think there are far better starting points than a lightweight perfectly balanced and some would say under-powered car for either drifting or drag racing.

By the way, I failed to answer the first question. YES they are fun to drive. I don't get a chance often enough, however, I have driven every generation. Every time I get in a Miata, I feel like I have driven it my entire life. It is perfectly designed around the driver and feels completely natural.

Agreed :)

Drag racing is usually bracket racing (at least where I go) so it doesn't matter how fast your car is. You race the clock, not the other car.

You can't leave us hanging like this. What did you end up with?