Mazda really hit the mark by creating a sports car that looks good and doesn’t break your bank.
That excited us the most is that it came with a manual gearbox that truly gave it an exciting edge and allowed you to bring that tail out because of its RWD-only offering.
The new generation MX-5 did not only ditch manual transmission but also the soft top. It now comes with a retractable hardtop. These changes have been met with many mixed reactions, some even claiming that it is less fun with an automatic gearbox.
I can somewhat agree as the gearbox feels a bit sluggish and robs the vehicle of the excitement that has made it famous, even with the paddle shifts, the fun is somewhat underwhelming.
The first thing you notice about the vehicle is that Mazda has left the design unchanged.
It still carries that much-loved long nose and those understated yet slick taillights. The very low profile is also a feature that grabs your attention and if you immediately begin to think “How am I going get into that thing?”, you’re right to ask because manoeuvring in an out of the car takes some getting used to.
Once you get into the interior, there isn’t much to be excited about. Especially when pinned against the all-new Mazda 3, which is one of the best releases of the year, it looks rather monotonous.
The MX-5 isn’t a practical car, the boot space is basically non-existent, it’s not made for the tallest of people even the seating position can barely be adjusted but you know what? I am absolutely in love with the car, the looks, the feel of the car, it gives you are a great sense of freedom, style, fun and beauty.
The feeling I got every time I switched on the engine is indescribable if holiday at
the beach was a car it would definitely be the MX-5.
It really makes sense why the vehicle is so popular and garners a cult-like following. For reference sake, the MX-5 was declared the best-selling two-seat sports car in 2000 by the Guinness Book of World Records with a total production of 531,890 units.
With a 2.0-litre engine that pushes out 118 kW of power and 200 Nm, the small size and weight makes the engine quite enjoyable, the starting price tag of this beauty is from R538 200 and in my opinion, it is an understated price for a beauty like the MX-5.
This article first appeared @whipdt