So, nobody likes the double hoop bars?

If you can build your own, do it. I basically copied the specmiatacages.com rear section for $120 in tubing in my old white car, and it saved my life one time.

Maxx doesn't fit with a hard top, the standard does.

http://clubroadster.net/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=47452
http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=283170

O rly?

The Maxx does fit. it may rub a bit, but I have heard it actually doesn't rub if you bolt in the hardtop instead of using the latches.

I am using a BF double diagonal. its nice, looks good and i can see clearly. Only issue is if you get racing seats, particularly tall ones, they may lose a lot of travel due to the doming at the top. I don't have problems with it, I fit in my car with the seats just fine. I am about 5'9"

Otherwise, If you want higher you will want to go with something custom...

Blaen and Track, thanks so much. My only reservation about the Maxx was if I eventually got a hardtop, it wouldn't fit. Now I don't have to worry about it. Will order the bar in the next couple of weeks.

For all you guys that drive your miata mainly on the streets, do you feel a roll bar is necessary? Are you ever concerned about getting rear ended and slamming the back of your head on the bar?

padding.

No. I like to sit a bit more upright, and the rollbar is just above and behind the top of my seat. If I get rear ended it's still the seat that will dope slap me in the back of the head.

I've got the padding and the leather cover on it as well .. but having your head slapped into that in an impact would be a bit like being hit in the head by a baseball bat with a little padding and a leather cover. IE - not as bad, but still bad. The SFI rollbar padding is designed with a helmet impact in mind, not a bare skull. It'll still hurt. But definitely better than naked steel.

Besides the rollbar really stiffens up the rear of the car. You've seen all those commercials telling us men how much better our lives will be with a little added stiffness - it's true. Don't deny it. You know you want a stiffer rear.

Thanks for the input Mobius. I figured that padding couldn't really help if your head was slamming into it during a high speed impact. I want it more to stiffen up my car, but now I don't think it's worth the risk.

Just to be clear, my opening "No" was to whether I'm concerned about getting rear-ended and hitting my head on the bar. I'm not worried about that. My car has the taller seats and the rollbar is just above and behind the top of the seat.

In my car, at least, I don't think the rollbar adds any significant risk of injury to my person in the event of an accident on the street. Others disagree. If my vehicle had the shorter seats, I might feel otherwise, since I'm on the tallish side (6'2). But as my seating arrangement sits now I'm comfortable with the presence of the rollbar.

just to be clear, if you are using a soft-top, and are taller than 5' 9" -ish, you can look just slightly to your left and see plenty of metal which you would most certainly come into contact with in a side-impact.

With that said, it would seem to be illogical to dismiss the rollbar as hazard, but not dismiss your soft top.

there ARE many solutions to avoiding or remedying hitting your head on a rollbar.