23 Jun 05
Mazda has played safe with the styling, nonetheless creating a car that looks more modern and muscular than its predecessor, and a little less pretty and pure. Overall, the exterior works well, though the cabin is less successful. The centre console looks as if it could have been plucked from any nondescript hatchback, and the combination of the needlessly-detailed calibrations on the instruments and the multi-button steering wheel gives a cluttered appearance to a car that has survived very happily these last fifteen years with a simple, minimalist approach.
The boot is larger than before, but still small by contemporary standards, yet the hood is a triumph of straightforward engineering over electronic wizardry. When the sun comes up, those driving convertible Minis, Peugeot 206s and Vauxhall Tigras may well savour sitting out the seconds while their electric hoods fold themselves neatly away: the MX-5 driver needs simply to raise one hand, unlatch the gimmick-free roof in one movement and throw it over his or her head, whereupon the momentum of the descending structure will lock itself in place behind the seats. If I tried, I could convert the car fully in four seconds.
As with all previous models, these third-generation versions all feature a twin-cam, 16-valve, four-cylinder engine, in either 1.8-litre (125 bhp) or 2.0-litre (158 bhp) form, directing its output to the rear wheels. A five-speed manual gearbox is fitted, with a six-speed 'box available in Sport versions; auto is available in other markets but unlikely to be offered in the UK. Yet as is the way these days, there is much more equipment offered with this model than found in the first-generation MX-5 of 1990. This generation can be had with electric windows, central locking, traction control and electronic stability control, 17-inch wheels, a mighty BOSE sound system and air conditioning.
All of which worried me somewhat. All these goodies add weight and will actively detract from the driving experience of any car; I feared the MX-5 had been turned into an overweight slug in an attempt to satisfy a market where value cannot be expressed in terms of exquisite engineering, but only in the language of things you can show your mates. But my fears were unfounded. For all these extras, Mazda has been incredibly diligent in shaving weight throughout the structure, so the whole thing weighs just 22lb more than before, a huge achievement.
