Chicago: Mazda MX-5 Miata Special Edition priced from $31,225

The Miata Special Edition gets a unique color scheme and loads of standard kit.

Some 23 years after the original Miata debuted in the Windy City, Mazda has used the 2012 Chicago Auto Show to reveal the 2012 MX-5 Miata Special Edition, which will be priced from $31,225.

This unique and limited-run roadster comes bearing a black-only Power Retractable Hard Top (PRHT), marking the first time U.S. consumers have had the option to purchase the hard top without a body-color paint scheme. The car also comes in two new exterior colors, exclusive 17-inch black gunmetal alloy wheels, black exterior accents, black heated leather seats and piano black interior finishes to match.

The Special Edition can be had either with a six-speed do-it-yourself transmission complete with a short-throw shifter, or a six-speed sport automatic transmission with paddle shifters mounted to the steering wheel. The latter gearbox raises the price to $31,675.

At its heart, the Special Edition is based on the Grand Touring model from 2011, but the SE comes with both the Premium and Suspension Packages as standard, adding features like Bluetooth connectivity, Sirius satellite radio, Bilstein shocks and a completely sport-tuned suspension system.

Only 450 examples of this special drop-top will be offered for sale in the United States.

If nostalgia is more your thing and you plan to attend the Chicago show, be sure to check out the 1990 Miata (15th to roll off of the assembly line) that debuted back in 1989 at the show, compliments of Mazda, still with just 3,688 original miles.