Every aspect of the new model is also designed around the user to
enhance the whole driving experience rather than just show off what the
car can do. And the extent to which Mazda engineers have pursued this
goal is almost obsessive.
The stick shift, for instance, has been engineered to encourage the
driver to change gear, by making the lever feel like it is being sucked
into its slot after the driver has started the initial movement.
The clutch action has been tuned to match this, with the engineers
analysing the degree of effort needed to dip and raise the clutch pedal
and the resistance of the biting point to ensure the perfect degree of
pedal "feel".
Mazda has gone to great pains to ensure that the steering wheel,
instrument binnacle and pedals are all perfectly aligned with the
driver's seat - which is not always the case with other cars.
Indeed, even the seating position is ideal - low-slung, very comfortable and snug without feeling confined.
The seats themselves have a new support design which employs resin
netting rather than steel springs. This has allowed Mazda to tailor the
tension of each part of the backrest.
It also makes the seats thinner, which in turn lets them be mounted lower to the benefit of the car's centre of gravity.
Visibility is great, helped by windscreen pillars which have been
moved backwards and made thinner so they cause almost no obstruction.
The soft top is now even easier to operate, with helper springs
incorporated to ease its upward closing motion. Mazda has also tailored
a top-down airflow by angling the windscreen to channel a pleasant
breeze to the torso while avoiding blustery winds to the face.
By the standards of today's bloated cars, the new MX-5 is tiny. It
is 10cm shorter and 1cm lower than its Mk3 predecessor and is even
slightly shorter than the original MX-5 of 1989. But, remarkably, it is
so well-proportioned that it does not look dinky unless parked next to
something else.
Despite the car's small size, there is a deep, usable boot that is
big enough to swallow two cabin bags. The cabin, however, has less
stowage. Apart from three reasonably sized cubbies behind the seats and
a small lidded compartment behind the gear lever, there is no storage
space in the form of a glovebox or door pockets.
By an almost fanatical programme of weight reduction, the new car
has shed more than 100kg from its predecessor, quite a feat considering
that the Mk3 was already a lightweight. Among other things, this has
involved more widespread use of aluminium in the body (instead of
steel), cut-outs in non- structural and non-visible parts of the
chassis as well as the side window glass, and a new lightweight and
compact six-speed gearbox. The aforementioned resin-sprung seats are
also considerably lighter than before.
All these have allowed the new car to ride on narrower tyres with a smaller diameter, saving yet more weight.
The roadster's centre of gravity has also been lowered and
concentrated more centrally, for better handling. This has been done by
massively reducing the front and rear overhangs, positioning the engine
15mm backwards and 13mm lower, and seating the occupants lower and
closer to the car's centre-line.
Looks-wise, the car is a dramatic departure from the three previous
generations. Where those had straight, simple waistlines, the new car
boasts voluptuous curves that rise over the wheel arches but tuck down
in between and also dip at both extremities.
It is also visually more aggressive than its meekly styled
forebears. The nose is very low, with hints of the Maserati Gran
Turismo in the squinting, faired back headlamps and gaping grille.
There are also echoes of the old BMW Z3 in the wide rear haunches and
pinched-in tail. In the metal, the car looks mean, squat and very
purposeful.
The MX-5 is still several months away from final sign-off, so the
event I attended in Barcelona was a "sneak preview" and the examples
that I drove were pre-production prototypes. But they felt like the
finished articles, not works in progress.
There will be two engine variants available: a 129bhp 1.5-litre and
a 155bhp 2-litre. Only the 1.5 was on hand for the test-drive. The
engine is a heavily developed version of the unit from the Mazda3 but
feels nothing like it. There is ample low- and mid-range punch and
beautifully linear power delivery. Mazda is not prepared to quote any
performance figures yet but despite the car's modest output, it feels
very brisk, probably capable of 100kmh in about eight seconds.
The engine spins very sweetly to a 7,500rpm redline, but urge does
taper off at high revs. So it is best to change up and stroke the car
along rather than try to wring it out. The six-speed gearbox is a joy
to use, with a short, very positive throw and well-spaced gear ratios.
Handling is sublime too. The steering is quick-geared and quite
light, and turn- in is very keen although not quite razor-sharp. Aim
the car into a bend and it does not have that unyielding resistance to
roll that most sporting cars exhibit these days. Instead, there is a
small amount of lean, just enough for you to feel what the car is doing
and to confidently explore the grip limits which, you will find, are
surprisingly high despite the fairly narrow (195-section) tyres.
And thanks to that degree of suspension compliance, the ride is
wonderful, shrugging off sharp bumps with ease and always feeling
composed.
So the new MX-5's sporting credentials are spot-on - sharp handling,
strong grip and keen performance - yet it is not an extreme, hardcore
device. Instead, it is accessible, friendly and easy to exploit,
qualities which have always been essential to an MX-5's DNA. This
latest model is far and away the best MX-5 ever, and is likely to
become the best-loved one too.
Specs
MAZDA MX-5
Price: To be announced when it arrives in the third quarter
Engine: 1,496cc 16-valve inline-4
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Power: 129bhp at 7,000rpm
Torque: 150Nm at 4,800rpm
0-100kmh: Not yet available
Top speed: Not yet available
Fuel consumption: Not yet available
