By: Denis Droppa
Hiroshima, Japan - Since its debut in 1989 the Mazda MX-5 has become the best-selling two-seat convertible sportscar in history with nearly a million units finding owners around the world.
It has relied on simplicity rather than speed to deliver driving pleasure, and the new fourth-generation version continues the less-is-more approach by shedding 100kg of weight thanks to increased use of aluminium in the body.
The fourth-gen MX-5 also has a sharper design that’s more masculine looking than its somewhat cute-and-cuddly predecessor.
The highly-anticipated car is coming to South Africa in November, in a single two-litre roadster model with a six-speed manual transmission. Later the range will be joined by automatic and hard-top versions.
Mazda sees itself as producing more playful-than-average cars, which it builds according to a “Jinba Ittai” philosophy that translated from Japanese means “oneness between driver and vehicle” by means of optimised visibility, driving position, steering and throttle response.
There’s some substance to the market-speak and the little two-seater ticked all those boxes when I drove it at its media launch in Japan last week.
In the limited handful of laps we were given around Mazda’s ride-and-handling course near Hiroshima, the little two-seater proved to be as playful as a puppy. In the same way as the Toyota 86, the MX-5 relies on responsive rear-wheel-drive handling, rather than top speed, to lay on the driving charm.
NO DRAG-SPRINT HERO
The MX-5’s two-litre normally-aspirated engine is mild by any sporting standards, and the 118kW and 200Nm outputs aren’t going to threaten any turbocharged hot hatches in a straight-line contest – especially at high altitude. Mazda hasn’t yet warmed to the growing trend of downsized turbocharged engines because it believes that naturally-aspirated power still offers better real-world fuel consumption.
The car’s lightweight 1040kg mass helps overcomes the engine’s limitations and gives the MX-5 a reasonably swift burst of pace off the line, although there will be notably less spring in its step in Gauteng’s power-sapping thin air.
The MX-5 has never purported to be a drag-sprint hero, however. The smile-on-the-dial factor is to be found in the car’s zippy handling and generally fun-to-drive nature. For some the ability to peel off the roof and cruise in style along beach boulevards will be sufficient reason to own an MX-5, and the manually-operated soft top is an easy one-handed operation that takes less than five seconds to fold up or down.
For driving enthusiasts with a taste for cornering g-forces it’s all about this roadster’s light weight, 50/50 weight distribution and low centre of gravity.
As per long-held purist tradition the power’s laid down by rear-wheel drive, and it’s assisted by a limited-slip differential to deliver more traction.
JIVING THROUGH CORNERS
The MX-5 jives playfully through corners without resorting to super-stiff suspension. With double wishbones up front and a multi-link rear suspension, the roadster delivered a reasonably comfortable ride on the scarred and bumpy sections of Mazda’s test track. For an open-topped car it feels solid, and cruises over imperfect roads without any noticeable body judder.
For a budget sports-car the interior trimmings are reasonably high grade. There’s no reach-adjustment to the steering (it’s height-adjustable only) which I felt was out of sync with the “Jinba Ittai” philosophy, but I was nevertheless able to find a comfortable driving position for my 1.8-metre frame. There’s also plenty of room in the two-seater cabin.
At near-sea level where the media launch took place, the MX-5 proved thrustful enough to kick the tail out when I gave it full-throttle attacks. Push too far and your enthusiasm’s reined in by the stability-control system, but it can be switched off if you’re feeling frisky and know a thing or two about counter-steering.
Like almost every modern sports-car the steering’s electrically power assisted (rather than hydraulically) but there’s sufficient feel and feedback to guide the car through tight turns with accuracy. The gold star in the MX-5’s driving repertoire goes to the transmission, however, and that six-speed shifter moves through its gate with beautiful precision.
There’s a playful exhaust chortle from the four-cylinder engine; just loud enough to be heard without making a drone that could become annoying on a long trip.
Prices are still to be confirmed but when it arrives here in November the MX-5 is hoped to come in under the R400 000 mark, which is around a quarter of a million less than any other two-seat roadster on the market.
Star Motoring
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