By Tim Barnes-Clay
MORE THAN twenty years on and the Mazda MX-5 is still going as strong as ever.
The formula is timeless and yet in 1989 everyone thought Mazda was crazy to launch its version of the classic British two-seat roadster. 850,000 sales and endless awards later the MX-5 has more than proved itself.
A glance at today’s MX-5 and you would be hard-pressed to notice anything different. Minor changes to the front and rear ends, beefier wheel arches, new side sills, retuned engines and enhanced equipment levels are about it, though there’s now also the option of an automatic gearbox with paddles.
My 2.0 ‘PowerShift’ model came complete with the F1-style gearshift paddles located behind the steering wheel. Having always been lauded as a 'driver’s car', it is a courageous step for Mazda to offer the MX-5 with an automatic gearbox in the UK. Traditionally a market for manuals, even some super-car manufacturers have struggled to persuade the sports car purchasing public that there is a place for automatic gearboxes in true sports road cars.
Whilst the automatic gearbox cannot live up to the very high standards set by the manual transmission, the 'PowerShift' equipped MX-5 remains a hugely entertaining car to drive. The Japanese pocket rocket even manages a 35 mpg+ average with a 0 to 62 mph time of 8.5 seconds and, where legal, a 119 mph top speed.
My test car also came with a very neat hard top, which at the flick of a switch folded away behind me. Mind you - any open top motoring I attempted didn’t last long considering the time of year! To be honest, I prefer a folding hard top as even though they add weight to what is meant to be a quick, light sports car, they feel safer and stand less chance of getting slashed by jealous vandals like the ‘rag’ tops do.
While on paper the tweaks to the modern day MX-5 are fairly minor, they have had an effect on the car. Inside, the cabin is still cramped and some of the interior plastics are a bit on the cheap side, but the engine feels and sounds slightly more refined than before, making the Mazda easier to live with on a day-to-day basis. The same goes for the ride.
And yet some people who are in the market for a two seater sports car still won’t buy it. They mention hairdressers a lot and chuckle at its lack of masculinity. Then they go off and buy a turbocharged front-wheel drive hot hatch, missing the fact that mechanically, the MX-5 is more pure-bred sports car than many ‘macho’ cars could ever be!
PROS ‘N’ CONS
A blast to drive √
Fab looks √
Loads of grip √
Timeless classic √
Auto not as good as manual X
Cheap interior plastics X
Cramped cabin X
FACTS
Max speed: 119
0-62mph 8.5
Combined MPG: 35.8
Power: 158 bhp
Torque: 139 lb ft
CO2: 188 g/km
Price: £20, 045 (On the road)