Does the Mazda MX-5 2.0 Roadster Coupé reflect the very essence of Mazda's zoom-zoom thrill-of-movement spirit?

Although the next MX-5 will be market ready in the next few months, the current MX-5 is still small roadster-coupé fun in the sun.

It was one overcast grey chilly winter afternoon.  Even though it was Sunday, we saw no sun.  In the parking bay stood a small yellow 2-seat roadster... with a full tank of fuel.  Just me and my partner, alone at home.  Hmmm?  What shall we do?  How about we get in the car and go look for some Sunday sun?

Being bright yellow and being a small roadster clearly has a positive effect on onlookers.  Wherever we drove that sunless Sunday afternoon, the MX-5 was catching people's eyes.  On the open road, through small towns, along the twisty bends, chilling next to the road in the countryside, or parked at the restaurant… people looked and came closer to have a better look at this little ray of light on a dreary sunless Sunday.

The Mazda MX-5’s electrically-storing hardtop was quickly stowed away, to feel the open crisp air.  The current MX-5 didn’t initially launch as a Roadster-Coupé, but as a soft-top Roadster, and the option of a removable hardtop.  You can’t remove the removable hardtop next to the road, though with the hardtop up it does give a coupé cockpit feel – so then, the best of both worlds is to turn the soft-top or soft-top + removable hardtop into 1 simple folding hard-top.  Wish all small roadster were done this way.  Also, the hardtop is lightweight, so it doesn’t distract in the least from the direct light-car driving experience.  More brilliant is the fold-away solution – no boot space is used up by the roof (as in other small roadsters/convertibles) as it tucks away neatly and compactly under a flip-up cover behind the rear seats. 

Your Sunflower Yellow and friendly presence cheered people’s Sunday up… but the most cheered-up were the pair of us, dressed in thick jackets, scarves… on a mission to seek some sun.  Such fun!

It was snug inside, as the wind didn't disturb even at highway velocity, warming the snug cabin from the bottom with seat heaters on, and at the top through the heater set at high.  Proof that you can drive your roadster even in winter.

The hallmark of a true roadster is a man-machine one-ness.  We know the original (even smaller) MX-5 did this so well.  Can this one still pull it off?  As true roadsters are built for the thrill of driving, the MX-5 compact cabin, short wheelbase, and very low seating positioning to make it a man-machine interface that only a smaller car can achieve.  These dimensions make up the roadster:  long bonnet, short rump, gear lever falling perfectly to hand, with crisp precise gear selection such a joy that I clicked the joy-stick through all 6 gears just for... joy.  Direct steering and the low-low squat makes this roadster pure fun on roads.

Roadster engines are also about driving fun.  Peak rev limit was upped to 7500 r/min, which opens up the joy of giving it some revs – part of the thrill.  It needn’t be mega-powerful either – this 2-litre manages a healthy 118kW in a 1095kg light car.  Exhaust sound is also a must-have for the roadster experience – here the MX-5 delights with a good spread of bass, metallic spew and "let's go!" zing at the top rev band.

This kind of car is not about a list of features, though welcome items are xenon headlamps (surprise) and airbags for the steering wheel, occupant, and on both sides.  A few mod-cons added are plugs for auxiliary audio and for 12V power.

The Mazda MX-5 has the playground all to itself – the only other small roadster on the market is the MINI Roadster, but with a folding pram-style soft-top.  The MX-5 also has a price advantage – its R366k for the 2.0 (only local engine available) competes against the MINI Cooper 1.6 Roadster at R342k and Cooper S Roadster (1.6 turbo) selling for R404k. MINI also has a hot John Cooper Works model at R461k, and offers automatic gearing on all 3 models for R16900 extra.  

Look out for the 25th Anniversary Edition of MX-5 which will sell for R388k, to be launched under the newly-formed Mazda South Africa, trading from 01 October 2014.

Mazda tells us about "Jinba ittai" – rider and horse as one.  That man-car connection.  Very few cars can do this.  Want a real driver's tool?  This is a car that reflects the very essence of Mazda's zoom-zoom thrill-of-movement spirit.  Fun in the sun… or even without sun.