New?
- Feb 8, 2024
- 3 min read
This is a big one for me... after years of working and saving up, I finally got a new car. Want to see it? There you go:
Yes! I have bought a hairdresser's car!
In all seriousness, this little thing is gorgeous. Why would I have bought it if it wasn't? Just from the exterior looks that combination of the red accents and the dark grey paint is just sublime. The aggressive, sloped, long bonnet just suits the car to a T and brings a roundness to the form. But in all honesty, I bought this car for one main reason. It is a two-seater convertible!
Since I was a kid I have always dreamt about owning my very own 2 seater convertible roadster and there it is in all its glory. The best thing about the roof is the fact that it is a manual convertible, as opposed to an electric one. Why is this better? Well, the first reason is weight. The electric convertible mechanisms are extremely heavy and if this wee Mazda had it the weight of the car would skyrocket. Also, electric convertible roofs are much more likely to break due to the sheer number of moving parts they have. The fewer parts you have, the less that can go wrong! But the true magic of the manual roof is the fact that I can be cruising down the road at 30mph and either put the roof up or down without stopping.
You may be looking at the red accents and stickers thinking that they are a bit tacky, but I love them. It sets the car apart from every other MX5 on the road, there were only 600 of these "ICON" editions made. I also love what Mazda did with the position on them. Look how they run from the front splitter, to under the door and flick up to the red boot spoiler. It is this continuity in their positioning that makes them look purposeful and not tacky.
Now that I have said how much I love the exterior looks, let's take a look at the car's interior:
I will be the first to admit the interior is a bit tight, but it's a roadster, comfortability is not a very important design consideration. The one thing that I think they could have probably done a bit better is the storage space. For example, there is no glovebox, side door pockets, a place to put my phone/keys and the cupholders are detachable and small. Just look at them:
But again all of these things you accept are going to be compromised for the quality of the drive in the car. This is what sets the car apart and it is not designed to be a massive heavy car with loads of space and power. It's an MX5. It should be a light, fun convertible. That's it. No more than that. Richard Hammond said it best when he reviewed the car 8 years ago, saying, "An MX5 shouldn't be a snorting monster of a thing. It's a car for driving into the countryside on a nice sunny day to find a nice pub for lunch". That is exactly what I intend to do with it!
This idea of not losing sight of what the car should do is best shown in the engine and power stats:
It's the same engine that's in the Mazda 2 and it only makes 129bhp, going from 0-62mph in 8.5s. It suits the personality of the car and opens up the market to younger drivers who can actually get insured on it.
Mazda has always employed the phrase "Jinba-Ittaiw". This translates to horse and river, traveling as one. You can feel this philosophy in the drive of the car. The car weighs under a ton and has perfect 50/50 weight distribution, from front to back. These combine for a smooth and subtle drive, where you always feel in control of the machine.
When people ask me how it feels to drive I describe it like what I imagine driving an old 60s F1 car to be like. The long bonnet and big steering wheel give it this feel.
I can't believe that this is my car. If you see me driving into the countryside to find a nice pub for lunch, give me a wave!
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