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Review of the new Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe

GETTING HARD HEADED

MAZDA MX-5 ROADSTER COUPE

(7.0 out of 10)

REVIEW DATE: 06 Nov 2007

Mazda thinks it's hit upon a way to make the MX-5 even more versatile and appealing. Andy Enright reports

MAZDA MX-5 ROADSTER COUPE NEW CAR REVIEW

Relief. That was the first emotion I felt when I clapped eyes on Mazda's MX-5 Roadster Coupe. When I first heard rumours that Mazda were set to build an MX-5 variant with a folding hard top, I envisioned a strangely distended rear end designed to cope with the folding roof. It seemed certain that the pert lines of Mazda's evergreen roadster would be spoiled by the need to package a hefty quota of electric motors and tintop origami. Happily, these fears were unfounded. Hood down, the Roadster Coupe looks barely any different to the standard soft top. Enthusiasts can breath easy.

Mazda are keen to stress their dedication to Jinba Ittai in the development of this car. Roughly translated, it means 'rider and horse as one' and stems from the longstanding artistic ceremony of Yabusame, where archers on horseback compete against each other in order to fire arrows from a galloping horse at a fixed target. As somebody whose only experience of equine travel is rotating upside down beneath a donkey at Clacton Sands, I'm going to have to take their word for this one.

If Jinba Ittai takes a bit of getting used to, spare a thought for our Japanese and American cousins who get this car marketed not as the snappy 'Roadster Coupe' but as the rather more cumbersome 'MX-5 Power Retractable Hard Top'. Still, this car does exactly what it says on the tin. The roof retracts in three sections with no impact on boot space and adds just 37kg to the weight of an equivalent soft top MX-5 roadster. Raise the roof and it sits a mere centimetre taller than its fabric-trimmed sibling.

"The MX-5 Roadster Coupe is elegant in a way few cars with folding hard tops manage"

Although it's tempting to think of this car as 'just a roof', a lot of thought has clearly gone into it. The spring and damper settings have been subtly revised to take account of the hard top car's marginally altered weight distribution. Thankfully the roof retracts to a position within the wheelbase of the car so that it doesn't detract too markedly from handling agility. That said, Mazda have concentrated on giving this MX-5 a smoother and milder road feel, targeting it at those who value refinement.

Park the Roadster Coupe and the MX-5 soft top next to each other and it's possible to see the subtle way in which Mazda has teased out the shape to accommodate the folding roof. The rear deck of the car sits 40mm higher at the rear window line and 20mm higher at the trailing edge of the boot, giving it a slightly more hunched and powerful look than the soft top. It's really a very minor change and tough to discern in isolation.

Whereas the average duration for a roof operation of this kind tends to be around 22 seconds, Mazda has whittled that time back to a mere 12 seconds for the MX-5 Roadster Coupe, making it the fastest folding hard top in the world at the time of launch. The driver must unlatch a centre lock and then press a button to operate the roof but it can easily be done while waiting at lights. The roof itself is composed of three panels; a front roof section, a middle roof part and a window assembly. Highly formable yet stiff plastics were required to keep weight low and durability high.

When the roof is opened, an electrically powered mechanism folds it rearwards and stows it under a rear deck cover, rather than in a 'cartridge' in the boot as with many other coupe-cabriolets. So, you can have the boot full to the gunwales and still fold the roof. Go for a driving holiday in rival cars and that's not on the cards - it's luggage or wind in the hair.

Wind in the hair is one thing but wind on the neck is something quite different and Mazda has worked hard to ensure that airflow when the roof is down is as amenable as possible to occupants. This is helped by that higher rear deck and the aerodynamicists have incorporated wind guides that send vortices of air feeding off the windscreen upwards to prevent buffeting.

The interior will be familiar to existing MX-5 owners but it's worth reiterating what an improvement it is over earlier cars if you're pondering returning to the MX-5 fold. After all, roadster buyers want a little visual pizzazz and the acres of black plastic and low rent trim previously hamstrung the company in their bid to present ever more upmarket variants of the MX-5. The latest car is a whole lot smarter inside with a T-shaped dash layout housing a neat centre console, while the driver-focused dials feature metallic bezels to lift the ambience. The speakers, gear change gaiter, ventilation controls, air vents, main dials, cupholders and steering wheel boss all follow a circular theme. The quality of trim material is way higher than before with a high-gloss piano black finish across the fascia. It's certainly as good as any sports car in the sub-£25,000 bracket.

Waist level vents and an adjustable steering wheel as well as added seat travel will enable most drivers to find a comfortable setting position. Twin front and side airbags are also fitted as standard, while bigger brake discs help ensure the airbags are never called into action. A 160bhp 2.0-litre engine and a 125bhp 1.8-litre unit shift the MX-5 a little further upmarket compared to its predecessor, but prices are still accessible. The famously wristy short throw sports gear change has been retained.

It would have been incredibly easy for Mazda to ruin the MX-5 by putting a folding hard top roof on it. Just as well then that instead of rushing this concept to market, the Japanese company has done a proper job on this car. It's not just an MX-5 with a different roof. Mazda have managed to imbue the Roadster Coupe with a more mature feel. One thing won't change. Demand is sky high.