MOTORS: Mazda MX-5 allows us to enjoy driving again
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There’s one thing wrong with modern cars – they’re just too good.
To clarify, they’re clever and sophisticated, which is fine if you want an easy life behind the wheel.
The problem with all the technology which keeps us safe and comfortable as we clock up the miles, is we can lose touch with what driving is all about and that’s being in control of the car rather than the other way round.
For a few years now, I’ve felt we have the automotive version of the tail wagging the dog where the car has become cleverer than the driver. That’s all very well when it comes to safety features like lane departure, blind spot monitors and collision avoidance but there’s the chance that such things can actually create dangers rather than help avoid them by drivers becoming complacent knowing that whatever happens, the car will protect them.
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In effect we’re becoming detached from the responsibility we all have when we take to the road and that’s being firmly in control.
At the same time, we seem to have lost some of the enjoyment of driving – feeling the road through the seat of the pants and the wind through our hair.
Fortunately there is one car which still allows us to experience those things and that’s the great little MX-5 from Mazda.
In the 35 years since the first-generation model was revealed at the 1989 Chicago Motor Show, more than one-and-a-quarter-million have been produced at Mazda’s plant in Hiroshima. More than 135,000 of these have been sold in the UK, and the car holds a special place in the hearts of sportscar fans who love the traditional feel of rear-wheel-drive to make it the closest thing to an MG Midget or Austin Healey Sprite.
The latest model has been updated with some design changes for the first time since the launch of the current generation in 2015.
The engine line-up of 1.5 and 2.0 litre units remains the same across the model grades but there’s now a new asymmetric limited slip differential for the larger-engined models.
The other changes are pretty subtle with a new LED headlight design that incorporates the daytime running lights, while the rear LED lights have also been redesigned.
A distinctive new aero grey paint colour which was on the featured test car has been added to the £570 bodywork options along with a kind of khaki zircon sand, jet black and deep crystal blue on top of the standard Arctic white.
There are eight models in the range with four Roadsters and four RFs, or retractable fastback models and a choice of Prime-Line, Exclusive-Line and Homura trim grades.
The true sportscar feel in the 2.0-litre cars comes thanks to a front strut brace, limited slip differential and Bilstein dampers which are standard. But the new differential features a cam mechanism which has been added to the lightweight, compact and durable conical clutch and the new set-up of engine, suspension and tyre characteristics enhances stability and ensures the purity of handling balance for which the MX-5 is famed.
I love the feel of the car on the road which is a combination of forgiving and confident while letting you remain in charge of everything that’s going on.
In the cockpit, there’s a larger central 8.8-inch touchscreen display along with an updated instrument panel and in the two upper grades there’s now a frameless rear-view mirror.
For the adventurous, they also have a new track driving mode for a more dynamic drive experience with first-time track drivers in mind. The response of the accelerator has been improved while the electric power steering has been adjusted and steering rack friction reduced for a more fluid response.
One thing that’s unchanged is the 13-second balletic folding of the three-piece roof in the RF which with the car’s Japanese pedigree is a kind of motorised automotive origami.
VITAL STATS
CAR: Mazda MX-5 RF 2.0 Exclusive-Line
PRICE: £34,300 (£34,870 as tested)
ENGINE: 1998cc Skyactiv-G petrol 4 cyl inline 6-speed manual
POWER: 184 PS
TORQUE: 205 Nm
TOP SPEED: 137mph
0-62mph: 6.8 secs
ECONOMY: 41 mpg combined
CO2 EMISSIONS: 153 g/km
