03 Mar 05
Geneva might be the most chilled-out motor show on the calendar, smaller and friendlier than the vast events in Frankfurt and Paris, but that doesn't mean there's any less razzle-dazzle. As the press conferences go into overdrive, flashing pyrotechnics compete with booming sound systems, acrobats soar overhead, women gyrate in spangly shorts and men in suits deploy their expensive media training. Most opt for the open-handed trust-me stance, which is rarely convincing, but looks good on a big stage.
This is where the real car guys shine. When the covers came off the new Mazda MX-5, designer Peter Birtwhistle looked endearingly thrilled - he's plainly a bloke that loves his job. And while I think it's a good-looking thing, I wondered whether the new car was too cautious an evolution, not nearly as captivating as the Ibuki concept. "It really is a bit like Porsche's 911," says Birtwhistle. "We looked at alternative designs, but in this car we have an icon and you always have to be careful how you move forward. And we consulted with owners clubs and found a huge loyalty to the look of the MX-5. We also found that people wanted the 'cuteness' of the car to be maintained." And Mazda's design chief Moray Callum bristled at any suggestion that they might have been a bit too cautious with the new car. "We had more radical proposals, but this car really has become an icon," explains Callum. "It's a simple and timeless piece of design, and while those wheel arch flares emphasise the car's width and stance, we didn't want to give the car more testosterone. We have to be sensitive to the fact that our 50 percent of our buyers are female."
Slipping behind the wheel, the Mazda - which will cost about £17,000 when it goes on sale late this year - feels instantly familiar but with the added benefit of 50mm more slide on the seat and one degree more tilt on the seat. That gives more headroom roof-up, and a better driving position. It's a very comfortable cabin, and the manual-only roof can be slung into its well in, literally, a few seconds.
