Tall gearing in a naturally-aspirated, manual transmission sports car intended for street driving is a
sin.
OP has a great point about the Miata - its close ratios make a slow car
feel spritely. My '99 only has 5 gears but they're all short - even 5th! I'm quite happy to rev a sporty NA engine to get its power/torque but FFS, give us a close ratio gearbox to work with.