Having driven one with a R34 GT-R turbo on it, I wholeheartedly agree.
In stock for MX5's are mint little pieces of kit (Ignore the hairdresser comments, it's a rear wheeler)
With a turbo they are bags of fun and quite fast too.
My housemate is putting a overbored built 1.9 with a 2871R on it into an NA, fully stripped out, full cage, carbon hard top the works.
thing will be an animal.