The renowned hydraulic setup from the NC has been exiled and in its place is an electric steering rack. The MX-5 performs nimbly, well balanced, and it feels neutral in the bends. Before you know it you’ll be up and over the speed limit into impound-territory. Even with a paltry 155 horsepower, the MX-5’s new gearbox is so well tuned with short gearing that it feels faster than the numbers suggest.

Now, the main reason why Miata enthusiasts flock incestuously towards it is because of the way the MX-5 handles. Bilstein shocks are standard on the GT trim level, as is a limited slip differential. The gearbox was also given a hasty Jenny Craig diet and the new suspension comes lighter and more rigid. Mazda lowered the height of the front hood for better visibility and also made the front windshield much thinner to save weight. But when you squint at the fine print and realize that it weighs 124 kg less than the last generation MX-5 and that it generates 8 lb-ft more torque, you start to see it all come together. You can see why I wasn’t exactly excited to drive one. Even so, that horsepower figure is 45 hp less than the missing-turbo Subaru BRZ and a whopping 97 hp less than mister-torque-steer Ford Focus ST. It’s also the same 2.0-litre engine found in the CX-5 but has been mounted longitudinally with different intake manifolds, exhausts, and cylinder heads. The new MX-5 only makes 155 horsepower from its 2.0-litre SKYACTIV-G inline-four engine, which is 12 horsepower less than the NC MX-5. It doesn’t seem like the typical sports car formula does it? The ND MX-5 sits lower to the ground and also has a shorter wheelbase than the NC. It’s been redesigned from the ground up and is now smaller and produces less horsepower.

At first glance, the new MX-5 seems to follow this analogy. In a world where cars are getting bigger by the second, Mazda decides to do the opposite and downsize their roadster, which is like asking for a smaller television because you want to see less. The big theme for the 2016 MX-5 is weight loss. Who knows? Like an arranged marriage, I might just fall in love if I give it a try. Maybe the fourth time’s the charm for the world’s best selling roadster, and I’ve been given the keys to a brand spanking new one for the week.

My left elbow would nudge the door panel while my right hand would fumble about adjusting the steering wheel that refuses to telescope.īut here comes Mazda’s latest iteration, the fourth-gen MX-5 dubbed the ND, and it’s aimed to solve all of my problems. Once inside, I would shut the door and instantly feel confined. Nine times out of ten, I would bump my head against the fabric roof. Standing 6'1, I would open the driver’s door, bend down to the limit of my pant’s stretchy fibres, and sort of just, fall in. However my main issue with the last generation MX-5 (NC) was the uncomfortable ride and cramped driving position. I thoroughly enjoyed the top down motoring and scalpel sharp steering that it provided and was famous for, but I just couldn’t get over the miniscule power outputs and pint-sized stature – just one man’s opinion. The MX-5 didn’t tickle my fancy like it did to my other colleagues. It was just a small cramped roadster with a trunk the size of a peanut. I never saw the charm, the allure, or the cult-like affection.

Faie gylt