Another facet I hope the H shaped battery would mitigate is the weight. Might have to further wait for viable solid state batteries to match the ICE for cornering. Yes the reving and shifting fun is lost, unless you go like the Ioniq N and just give the driver the toys to feel like they have revving and shifting...
I too would probably be fine with 100 miles for a 'fun' car or even commuter car. Though that's a luxury many households can not afford, a designated car for 'road tripping', so I'm not going to expect too much attention to this scenario...
I think the missing part in that is the "Miata"-ness. A fun little car with a bit of oomph to it and being ok with short range for the sake of a more fun/light drive. That has the light and affordable down, but doesn't really approach the 'fun' part of the miata appeal.