23 Jun 05
The MX-5 I really want to drive is not this bells-and-whistles six-speed 2.0 Sport which, with all its goodies, will come to the UK in November with a list price not far shy of £20,000. The one I want to steer is a basic 1.8, about £16,000-worth, without air conditioning, electric everything, six gears and fat tyres on 17-inch rims. It will be lighter, inevitably more agile, and you'll not have to drive it so fast to get the most out of it. It won't be as powerful, but I'm not really bothered about that, so long as the engine is enthusiastic and responsive.
The MX-5s I've driven in the past have, in one respect at least, mirrored the experiences I've had with Porsche 911s over the years. The simplest, cheapest ones have always been the best and the moment you start adding weight and cost with needless addenda is the moment you start to lose what made them so good in the first place. It's a trend I fully expect to be continued with this generation of MX-5. For while this range-topper is good and, in the main at least, a worthy recipient of a golden inheritance, I feel in my bones that a basic one might just be great. From an MX-5 we should expect no less.
