FiestaST
Honorary Master
Saw an ou tannie driving a mint condition NA MX-5. Respect!
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The Mazda MX-5 Thread
- Thread starter FiestaST
- Start date
RaptorSA
Executive Member
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Great condition NA's and even NB's have suddenly become really scarce. I've had two NB 2.5's over the years and was thinking of getting one again after missing that damn car to bits. Finding it really hard to come across something.
On the upside though, anyone looking for a decent NC won't find it too hard. The prices on those have plummeted steadily after the ND came out.
P.S. In other news, check this beauty out... literally my dream car.
https://www.autotrader.co.za/cars-f...th=L2NhcnMtZm9yLXNhbGUvbG90dXM&result-index=4
FiestaST
Honorary Master
A neat S2000 will require a lot more than "spare cash" lol
FiestaST
Honorary Master
What Car? review of the 2019 Mazda MX-5
FiestaST
Honorary Master
The Mazda Miata Gets a Carbon Fiber Removable Hardtop
The 2019 Mazda Miata was, of course, one of the best cars we drove this year. To celebrate this illustrious win, Mazda showed off a new carbon fiber removable hardtop at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon.
Just kidding, Mazda doesn’t care about us. But they do care about choices, and by showing off a removable hardtop for the standard Miata, I’m guessing they’re testing the waters on how big of an impact a hard top option would have on the sleek Miata RF’s sales.
There’s no clear indication of whether or not the hard top will actually be an option anytime soon, but it was shown off alongside a new sportier appearance package for the new Mazda 3 hatchback, which will likely be an option when it goes on sale. Of course, the hardtop could always just end up an option outside of North America. That would be sad!
I have nothing against the Miata RF, despite one time writing that if you buy it, you should keep the roof up permanently for aesthetic purposes. But I think enough people wouldn’t hate a removable hardtop for the normal convertible, and there’s plenty of people who already bought one that may be interested.
https://jalopnik.com/the-mazda-miata-gets-a-carbon-fiber-removable-hardtop-1831210238
The 2019 Mazda Miata was, of course, one of the best cars we drove this year. To celebrate this illustrious win, Mazda showed off a new carbon fiber removable hardtop at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon.
Just kidding, Mazda doesn’t care about us. But they do care about choices, and by showing off a removable hardtop for the standard Miata, I’m guessing they’re testing the waters on how big of an impact a hard top option would have on the sleek Miata RF’s sales.
There’s no clear indication of whether or not the hard top will actually be an option anytime soon, but it was shown off alongside a new sportier appearance package for the new Mazda 3 hatchback, which will likely be an option when it goes on sale. Of course, the hardtop could always just end up an option outside of North America. That would be sad!
I have nothing against the Miata RF, despite one time writing that if you buy it, you should keep the roof up permanently for aesthetic purposes. But I think enough people wouldn’t hate a removable hardtop for the normal convertible, and there’s plenty of people who already bought one that may be interested.
https://jalopnik.com/the-mazda-miata-gets-a-carbon-fiber-removable-hardtop-1831210238
FiestaST
Honorary Master
FiestaST
Honorary Master
Old Fifth Gear insert added today.
MX5 NC vs MX-5 NA
MX5 NC vs MX-5 NA
koos
Well-Known Member
My MX-5NA , bought new in 1991, has power steering and ABS ..
FiestaST
Honorary Master
Mazda MX-5 30th Anniversary
Mazda Motor Corporation unveiled the Mazda MX-5 30th Anniversary Edition at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show.
After 30 years and more than 1 million units sold, Mazda feels that the MX-5 has grown into more than simply its own creation. It now belongs to the fans around the world who have supported the development of the model. To express its gratitude and the high hopes Mazda has for the future of the MX-5, the company developed Racing Orange for the new limited edition, an exclusive body colour that evokes the breaking dawn of an exciting new day.
In addition to Racing Orange, the Mazda MX-5 30th Anniversary Edition features forged aluminium wheels (Rays ZE40 RS30) developed exclusively for the MX-5 in cooperation with Rays Co., Ltd. and a 30th anniversary badge displaying the model's serial number. Sales will be limited to 3,000 units worldwide including both the soft-top and RF retractable hardtop models.
First unveiled at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show, the MX-5 was an immediate success. Three decades and four generations on, it still dominates the roadster market. Along the way, the two-seater has always remained true to the original principle of an affordable, lightweight and above all fun-to-drive roadster. And the essence of the Jinba Ittai driver-and-car-as-one philosophy that goes into all Mazda models today.
Racing Orange body colour
The newly developed Racing Orange keynote colour is a precision blend of the pigments to create a special orange with an optimum balance of chroma and brilliance. To better express the MX-5's pure sports car character, the development team used a gloss rather than metallic finish. The vivid orange body contrasts starkly with exterior parts such as the piano black A-pillars, door mirrors and seatback garnishes as well as the dark gunmetal wheels, thereby emphasising the anniversary model's exclusivity.
RAYS forged aluminium wheels (RAYS ZE40 RS30)
These lightweight, high-rigidity wheels were co-developed by Mazda and RAYS Wheels exclusively for this anniversary model with a design based on the RAYS ZE40 forged aluminium wheels used by all Global MX-5 Cup racers. The soft-top version for the Japanese market is fitted with 16-inch wheels, while the RF version for Japan and all models for overseas markets get 17-inch wheels. Highlighting the exhilaration of driving the MX-5, both sizes feature a finely honed spoke design combined with a dark gunmetal finish.
Exclusive colour coordination
Orange is the key element in the anniversary model's colour coordination. Outside, vivid orange front and rear brake callipers stand out against the dark gunmetal wheel spokes, emphasising the special edition's sporty look. Inside, the door trim, instrument panel, shift lever and brake leaver feature eye-catching orange contrast stitching, while orange piping stands out powerfully on the black seats. Altogether, the orange accents in the cabin combine with the Racing Orange body colour on the upper door trim to further enhance the exclusivity of the anniversary edition - and the pride owners are bound to feel.
RECARO seats
The MX-5's exclusive seats, jointly developed by Mazda and RECARO, provide firm support and outstanding hold. For the 30th anniversary model, orange stitching and piping add to the quality feel worthy of a special edition.
Bilstein dampers
These specially tuned dampers achieve smoother vehicle behaviour and an enhanced feeling of unity with the car. Combined with the exclusive forged aluminium wheels by RAYS, the Bilstein dampers provide an even more controlled yet refined ride.
https://www.netcarshow.com/mazda/2019-mx-5_30th_anniversary/
Mazda Motor Corporation unveiled the Mazda MX-5 30th Anniversary Edition at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show.
After 30 years and more than 1 million units sold, Mazda feels that the MX-5 has grown into more than simply its own creation. It now belongs to the fans around the world who have supported the development of the model. To express its gratitude and the high hopes Mazda has for the future of the MX-5, the company developed Racing Orange for the new limited edition, an exclusive body colour that evokes the breaking dawn of an exciting new day.
In addition to Racing Orange, the Mazda MX-5 30th Anniversary Edition features forged aluminium wheels (Rays ZE40 RS30) developed exclusively for the MX-5 in cooperation with Rays Co., Ltd. and a 30th anniversary badge displaying the model's serial number. Sales will be limited to 3,000 units worldwide including both the soft-top and RF retractable hardtop models.
First unveiled at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show, the MX-5 was an immediate success. Three decades and four generations on, it still dominates the roadster market. Along the way, the two-seater has always remained true to the original principle of an affordable, lightweight and above all fun-to-drive roadster. And the essence of the Jinba Ittai driver-and-car-as-one philosophy that goes into all Mazda models today.
Racing Orange body colour
The newly developed Racing Orange keynote colour is a precision blend of the pigments to create a special orange with an optimum balance of chroma and brilliance. To better express the MX-5's pure sports car character, the development team used a gloss rather than metallic finish. The vivid orange body contrasts starkly with exterior parts such as the piano black A-pillars, door mirrors and seatback garnishes as well as the dark gunmetal wheels, thereby emphasising the anniversary model's exclusivity.
RAYS forged aluminium wheels (RAYS ZE40 RS30)
These lightweight, high-rigidity wheels were co-developed by Mazda and RAYS Wheels exclusively for this anniversary model with a design based on the RAYS ZE40 forged aluminium wheels used by all Global MX-5 Cup racers. The soft-top version for the Japanese market is fitted with 16-inch wheels, while the RF version for Japan and all models for overseas markets get 17-inch wheels. Highlighting the exhilaration of driving the MX-5, both sizes feature a finely honed spoke design combined with a dark gunmetal finish.
Exclusive colour coordination
Orange is the key element in the anniversary model's colour coordination. Outside, vivid orange front and rear brake callipers stand out against the dark gunmetal wheel spokes, emphasising the special edition's sporty look. Inside, the door trim, instrument panel, shift lever and brake leaver feature eye-catching orange contrast stitching, while orange piping stands out powerfully on the black seats. Altogether, the orange accents in the cabin combine with the Racing Orange body colour on the upper door trim to further enhance the exclusivity of the anniversary edition - and the pride owners are bound to feel.
RECARO seats
The MX-5's exclusive seats, jointly developed by Mazda and RECARO, provide firm support and outstanding hold. For the 30th anniversary model, orange stitching and piping add to the quality feel worthy of a special edition.
Bilstein dampers
These specially tuned dampers achieve smoother vehicle behaviour and an enhanced feeling of unity with the car. Combined with the exclusive forged aluminium wheels by RAYS, the Bilstein dampers provide an even more controlled yet refined ride.
https://www.netcarshow.com/mazda/2019-mx-5_30th_anniversary/
FiestaST
Honorary Master
FiestaST
Honorary Master
Mazda MX-5 30th Anniversary Edition marks three decades of iconic sports car
Limited-run model arrives with race-inspired additions and colour scheme; 600 examples are headed to the UK
Mazda has revealed a 30th Anniversary Edition MX-5 at the Chicago motor show, exactly three decades after the original two-seat sports car was unveiled at the same event.
The limited-run model arrives with exclusive Racing Orange paint, inspired by the 1989 MX-5 Club Racer, and forged 17in, 10-spoke aluminium Rays alloy wheels based on the ones used in the Global MX-5 Cup racing series. Plus, a 30th Anniversary badge features on the front wing.
The car also receives 15in Brembo front brakes – a first for any UK-market MX-5 – and body-coloured brake callipers. The Anniversary Edition rides on Bilstein dampers and uses the most powerful 181bhp version of Mazda's 2.0-litre Skyactiv-G petrol engine, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.
Mazda has also added orange accents throughout the interior, replaced the standard dashboard trim with Alcantara and upgraded the seats to a sportier Recaro pair. The 7.0in-screen infotainment system includes both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring as standard.
Only 3000 30th Anniversary Edition models will be produced, with the UK receiving 600 of those, split between 400 soft-tops and 200 RF hard-tops, which receive a black two-tone roof.
The regular convertible will cost £28,095, while the RF will cost £29,985. Customer deliveries are scheduled to begin in the summer.
The MX-5 is one of the world's most popular roadsters, with more than a million examples sold since its introduction in 1989.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/...edition-marks-three-decades-iconic-sports-car
Limited-run model arrives with race-inspired additions and colour scheme; 600 examples are headed to the UK
Mazda has revealed a 30th Anniversary Edition MX-5 at the Chicago motor show, exactly three decades after the original two-seat sports car was unveiled at the same event.
The limited-run model arrives with exclusive Racing Orange paint, inspired by the 1989 MX-5 Club Racer, and forged 17in, 10-spoke aluminium Rays alloy wheels based on the ones used in the Global MX-5 Cup racing series. Plus, a 30th Anniversary badge features on the front wing.
The car also receives 15in Brembo front brakes – a first for any UK-market MX-5 – and body-coloured brake callipers. The Anniversary Edition rides on Bilstein dampers and uses the most powerful 181bhp version of Mazda's 2.0-litre Skyactiv-G petrol engine, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.
Mazda has also added orange accents throughout the interior, replaced the standard dashboard trim with Alcantara and upgraded the seats to a sportier Recaro pair. The 7.0in-screen infotainment system includes both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring as standard.
Only 3000 30th Anniversary Edition models will be produced, with the UK receiving 600 of those, split between 400 soft-tops and 200 RF hard-tops, which receive a black two-tone roof.
The regular convertible will cost £28,095, while the RF will cost £29,985. Customer deliveries are scheduled to begin in the summer.
The MX-5 is one of the world's most popular roadsters, with more than a million examples sold since its introduction in 1989.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/...edition-marks-three-decades-iconic-sports-car
FiestaST
Honorary Master
Used car buying guide: Mk2 Mazda MX-5
A second-gen Mazda MX-5 is more fun to drive than a Mk3 and you can pick up a runner with an MOT for just £350
If the prospect of owning a good Mazda MX-5 Mk1 is fading as prices rise, how about a Mk2 one instead? True, it’s not as pretty and it has an even worse reputation for rust, but as the years roll by, it seems less bland, while a wire brush and lashings of Dinitrol anti-rust proofing should keep the worst of it at bay.
If Volkswagen ever thought launching a new Golf was tough, launching a new MX-5 must have been harder still for Mazda’s dutiful executives, still reeling from the success of the original. Of course, it could never be a straight copy but, even so, the absence of the Mk1’s pop-up lights – a move forced on Mazda by US safety officials – was a blow. A bit like when BL was forced to replace the MG B’s traditional chrome bumpers with ugly rubber affairs.
Still, what else were you going to buy back in 1998, especially since word was that the car possessed the same sweet, rear-drive handling, delicate steering and crisp gearchange (plus some extra kit including a heated glass rear window) that had made the Mk1 such a winner?
Twenty-one years later, these very qualities continue to attract second-hand buyers, especially now that prices for Mk2s begin from as little as £350 for runners with an MOT. In fact, they don’t really go any higher than £3500 for the best cars. In part, they’re held back by the Mk3, which kicks off at around £2250 but also by demand for clean Mk1s. You’ll easily pay £6000 for a good one of those.
Condition and not age or specification or size of engine is key to valuing a Mk2. You’re just as likely to find a tatty but late-plate 2004 1.8i Sport for a few pounds as you are an early but bright 1998 1.6 for a few thousand. Those two engines are your lot. The 140bhp 1.8 Sport had a Torsen limited-slip differential and 15in alloy wheels.
Cars dating from the facelift of 2001 are known as Mk2.5s. It was a mild affair, the biggest change being the headlights, which now had three bulb chambers. The front bumper also gained a couple of foglights, or mesh grilles if the trim level didn’t permit them. An automatic gearbox slipped onto the price list but missed the point and is rare today. The 1.8i S gained larger, 16in alloys.
Being an MX-5, there are a few special editions to disentangle. Two that caught our eye were a 2001 Y-reg 1.8 Jasper Conran 1.8 with 75,000 miles, a new belt and a good service record for £1795, and a 2003 53-reg 1.8 Angels, inspired by the film Charlie’s Angels, with 79,000 miles for £2190.
However, standard, Sport or special edition, it doesn’t matter. Condition is king and until you’ve crawled around the car testing the sills with a magnet and lifting the carpets checking for damp, there’s no point getting excited about the specification. But by all means get excited about how it drives.
How to get one in your garage
An expert’s view
Ashley Martin, The MX-5 Restorer: “I know Mk2 MX-5s inside out, literally so, due to the cavity rust issues afflicting them and Mk1s. We do a really thorough repair job on the cars. I own a Mk1 and a Mk2, both 1.8s, and love them. I’ve driven a few Mk3s but there’s something about the earlier cars. They just want you to have fun. There’s a huge and growing following for both, with the Mk1 still the most popular. The trouble with the Mk2 is that it’s not a question of if it will rust but when. They are cheap, though.” Buyer beware…
■ Engine: Cambelt should be changed at 60k miles. With luck, the water pump will have been changed at the same time. Check for oil leaks from the cam cover (not serious) and listen for misfires caused by the coil packs. (There are two.) HT leads routinely break down.
■ Gearbox: On the overrun, a sound like marbles rattling in a tin is gear lash caused by the gearbox being misaligned when being refitted after, for example, clutch removal. Many garages don’t realise it has to be aligned. Later cars got a rubber damper. The later, six-speed gearchange is not as quick as the five-speed. Listen for failing propshaft joints (they’ll squeak), especially in reverse.
■ Suspension, steering and brakes: Check for uneven tyre wear, suggesting incorrect four-wheel geometry. All four should be set up independently of each other. Suspension bushes will look terrible but they rarely fail. Check for seized brake caliper pistons and springs broken by speed humps.
■ Body: Regarding rust, later Mk2s fare worse than early ones. Rotting rear wheel arches are easy to spot but the sills, which rust from the inside out, will require much closer examination. Front chassis rails suffer badly. Unlike the Mk1’s, they’re a double-skinned box section for additional impact strength but this traps moisture and they corrode. Surface rust blights the underside, rear subframes and wishbones. Check for bonnet corrosion caused by stone-chipping.
■ Interior: Expect worn seats and collapsed armrests. Also worth knowing The first thing to do when you get your Mk2 home is brush and then rustproof the underside with something like Dinitrol. It’ll stop things like subframes becoming terminal. Then go online and find out where all the entry holes are and flood the cavities to delay rot from the inside out.
How much to spend
£350-£1249: All ages and mileages and in running order but verging on the tatty, such as a 2003 1.6 with rotten sills for £1150.
£1250-£1999: Huge choice of better-looking cars, many with full or near-full service histories but check for filler in places such as sills and wheel arches.
£2000-£3500: More of the same, including a promising 2002/52 1.6 with 60k miles and an excellent Mazda service record for £2299. Also, a nice, one-owner, 1998 S 1.8 Sport with 22k miles and full Mazda service history for £3000.
One we found
Mazda MX-5 1.8 Sport, 1999/V, 64K miles, £1999: ‘Full service history!’ exclaims the ad before admitting that it has had 11 services… No worries. Your biggest concern will be body rot but this is an early Mk2 and these were better protected, so fingers crossed.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/used-car-buying-guides/used-car-buying-guide-mk2-mazda-mx-5
A second-gen Mazda MX-5 is more fun to drive than a Mk3 and you can pick up a runner with an MOT for just £350
If the prospect of owning a good Mazda MX-5 Mk1 is fading as prices rise, how about a Mk2 one instead? True, it’s not as pretty and it has an even worse reputation for rust, but as the years roll by, it seems less bland, while a wire brush and lashings of Dinitrol anti-rust proofing should keep the worst of it at bay.
If Volkswagen ever thought launching a new Golf was tough, launching a new MX-5 must have been harder still for Mazda’s dutiful executives, still reeling from the success of the original. Of course, it could never be a straight copy but, even so, the absence of the Mk1’s pop-up lights – a move forced on Mazda by US safety officials – was a blow. A bit like when BL was forced to replace the MG B’s traditional chrome bumpers with ugly rubber affairs.
Still, what else were you going to buy back in 1998, especially since word was that the car possessed the same sweet, rear-drive handling, delicate steering and crisp gearchange (plus some extra kit including a heated glass rear window) that had made the Mk1 such a winner?
Twenty-one years later, these very qualities continue to attract second-hand buyers, especially now that prices for Mk2s begin from as little as £350 for runners with an MOT. In fact, they don’t really go any higher than £3500 for the best cars. In part, they’re held back by the Mk3, which kicks off at around £2250 but also by demand for clean Mk1s. You’ll easily pay £6000 for a good one of those.
Condition and not age or specification or size of engine is key to valuing a Mk2. You’re just as likely to find a tatty but late-plate 2004 1.8i Sport for a few pounds as you are an early but bright 1998 1.6 for a few thousand. Those two engines are your lot. The 140bhp 1.8 Sport had a Torsen limited-slip differential and 15in alloy wheels.
Cars dating from the facelift of 2001 are known as Mk2.5s. It was a mild affair, the biggest change being the headlights, which now had three bulb chambers. The front bumper also gained a couple of foglights, or mesh grilles if the trim level didn’t permit them. An automatic gearbox slipped onto the price list but missed the point and is rare today. The 1.8i S gained larger, 16in alloys.
Being an MX-5, there are a few special editions to disentangle. Two that caught our eye were a 2001 Y-reg 1.8 Jasper Conran 1.8 with 75,000 miles, a new belt and a good service record for £1795, and a 2003 53-reg 1.8 Angels, inspired by the film Charlie’s Angels, with 79,000 miles for £2190.
However, standard, Sport or special edition, it doesn’t matter. Condition is king and until you’ve crawled around the car testing the sills with a magnet and lifting the carpets checking for damp, there’s no point getting excited about the specification. But by all means get excited about how it drives.
How to get one in your garage
An expert’s view
Ashley Martin, The MX-5 Restorer: “I know Mk2 MX-5s inside out, literally so, due to the cavity rust issues afflicting them and Mk1s. We do a really thorough repair job on the cars. I own a Mk1 and a Mk2, both 1.8s, and love them. I’ve driven a few Mk3s but there’s something about the earlier cars. They just want you to have fun. There’s a huge and growing following for both, with the Mk1 still the most popular. The trouble with the Mk2 is that it’s not a question of if it will rust but when. They are cheap, though.” Buyer beware…
■ Engine: Cambelt should be changed at 60k miles. With luck, the water pump will have been changed at the same time. Check for oil leaks from the cam cover (not serious) and listen for misfires caused by the coil packs. (There are two.) HT leads routinely break down.
■ Gearbox: On the overrun, a sound like marbles rattling in a tin is gear lash caused by the gearbox being misaligned when being refitted after, for example, clutch removal. Many garages don’t realise it has to be aligned. Later cars got a rubber damper. The later, six-speed gearchange is not as quick as the five-speed. Listen for failing propshaft joints (they’ll squeak), especially in reverse.
■ Suspension, steering and brakes: Check for uneven tyre wear, suggesting incorrect four-wheel geometry. All four should be set up independently of each other. Suspension bushes will look terrible but they rarely fail. Check for seized brake caliper pistons and springs broken by speed humps.
■ Body: Regarding rust, later Mk2s fare worse than early ones. Rotting rear wheel arches are easy to spot but the sills, which rust from the inside out, will require much closer examination. Front chassis rails suffer badly. Unlike the Mk1’s, they’re a double-skinned box section for additional impact strength but this traps moisture and they corrode. Surface rust blights the underside, rear subframes and wishbones. Check for bonnet corrosion caused by stone-chipping.
■ Interior: Expect worn seats and collapsed armrests. Also worth knowing The first thing to do when you get your Mk2 home is brush and then rustproof the underside with something like Dinitrol. It’ll stop things like subframes becoming terminal. Then go online and find out where all the entry holes are and flood the cavities to delay rot from the inside out.
How much to spend
£350-£1249: All ages and mileages and in running order but verging on the tatty, such as a 2003 1.6 with rotten sills for £1150.
£1250-£1999: Huge choice of better-looking cars, many with full or near-full service histories but check for filler in places such as sills and wheel arches.
£2000-£3500: More of the same, including a promising 2002/52 1.6 with 60k miles and an excellent Mazda service record for £2299. Also, a nice, one-owner, 1998 S 1.8 Sport with 22k miles and full Mazda service history for £3000.
One we found
Mazda MX-5 1.8 Sport, 1999/V, 64K miles, £1999: ‘Full service history!’ exclaims the ad before admitting that it has had 11 services… No worries. Your biggest concern will be body rot but this is an early Mk2 and these were better protected, so fingers crossed.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/used-car-buying-guides/used-car-buying-guide-mk2-mazda-mx-5
FiestaST
Honorary Master
Icon of icons: Autocar Awards Readers' Champion - Mazda MX-5
Is the Mazda MX-5 your favourite automotive icon? Read what we think and cast your vote
The Lotus Elan was the obvious inspiration for the MX-5, a car that hadn’t been built at Hethel for 16 years. Its steel backbone chassis would have made passing any sort of side impact test – even if the test involved a rabbit running into the side of the car – impossible.
I can remember how excited I was about the imminent arrival of the MX-5 and I remember driving it for the first time. I thought seriously about buying one as they only cost £14,250, but interest rates were in double figures back then and we needed somewhere to live. The interior was a bit plasticky, but Mazda sensibly bolted a Momo steering wheel onto the car and wrapped the gearknob in leather.
Like the Elan, the MX-5 had pop-up headlights. Unlike the Elan’s, they always worked. The Mk2, or NB model (Mazda has used blissfully simple type designations for the car: it started with NA and now we’re on ND), lost the pop-up lights but otherwise didn’t change much. The NC was quite a step onwards but the recipe wasn’t much messed with.
When Mazda launched the current car, they assembled all four generations at Goodwood, where I drove them in age order. To my surprise, I enjoyed each one more than the last, though I think the speed of the circuit made a big difference.
Eye-watering interest rates scuppered my purchase of an MX-5 in 1989 and another impediment arrived in 1992 in the shape of a child. A daughter who, 23 years later, bought herself a Mk1. It was a spec that I’d forgotten existed with a 1600cc engine, wind-up windows and manual steering. It was very low-mileage and original. When I drove it, I was stunned at how good it felt. In my experience, this happens with the very best cars: you drive them after a long break and they surprise you all afresh.
It is hard to imagine Mazda not building the MX-5. I suppose one day there will be talk of it adopting electrification. If it gets no heavier, wider, faster and more expensive, then I will probably still love it.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/features/icon-icons-autocar-awards-readers-champion-mazda-mx-5
Is the Mazda MX-5 your favourite automotive icon? Read what we think and cast your vote
The Lotus Elan was the obvious inspiration for the MX-5, a car that hadn’t been built at Hethel for 16 years. Its steel backbone chassis would have made passing any sort of side impact test – even if the test involved a rabbit running into the side of the car – impossible.
I can remember how excited I was about the imminent arrival of the MX-5 and I remember driving it for the first time. I thought seriously about buying one as they only cost £14,250, but interest rates were in double figures back then and we needed somewhere to live. The interior was a bit plasticky, but Mazda sensibly bolted a Momo steering wheel onto the car and wrapped the gearknob in leather.
Like the Elan, the MX-5 had pop-up headlights. Unlike the Elan’s, they always worked. The Mk2, or NB model (Mazda has used blissfully simple type designations for the car: it started with NA and now we’re on ND), lost the pop-up lights but otherwise didn’t change much. The NC was quite a step onwards but the recipe wasn’t much messed with.
When Mazda launched the current car, they assembled all four generations at Goodwood, where I drove them in age order. To my surprise, I enjoyed each one more than the last, though I think the speed of the circuit made a big difference.
Eye-watering interest rates scuppered my purchase of an MX-5 in 1989 and another impediment arrived in 1992 in the shape of a child. A daughter who, 23 years later, bought herself a Mk1. It was a spec that I’d forgotten existed with a 1600cc engine, wind-up windows and manual steering. It was very low-mileage and original. When I drove it, I was stunned at how good it felt. In my experience, this happens with the very best cars: you drive them after a long break and they surprise you all afresh.
It is hard to imagine Mazda not building the MX-5. I suppose one day there will be talk of it adopting electrification. If it gets no heavier, wider, faster and more expensive, then I will probably still love it.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/features/icon-icons-autocar-awards-readers-champion-mazda-mx-5
FiestaST
Honorary Master
CarAdvice insert of the MX-5 30th Anniversary Edition
FiestaST
Honorary Master
Boggles my mind as well.
SkippyRamirez
Expert Member
Not a bad little car, if you're a midget. Don't know about the newer models, but I wanted to test drive one of these years ago, but I couldn't get into the seat. That's the first thing I did when I started hunting for my SLK - made sure I can actually fit in the damn thing.
FiestaST
Honorary Master
SkippyRamirez
Expert Member
I'm not that tall - 1.93. It was an old model, this was a long time ago, my bet it was the NA.