Third generation Mazda MX5 stays true to its sporty roots

The coast of Amalfi, south of Naples, in Italy provides the perfect location to launch a car that has soul. That"s where I went recently to drive the new Mazda MX-5 in conditions that would make the perfect location for Bond movie car chases. Narrow roads carve a worm-like route through the cliffs then cross the hills inland while coming close to the historic volcano city of Pompeii. The roads are crowded and you still hear the occasional whine from an original Fiat 500 as it struggles to climb yet another hairpin bend. There"s no room for mistakes here. The Mazda MX-5 is made for this scenery and that"s no mistake. Mazda has a new high speed folding hard top option for the Mazda MX-5 to give roadster drivers another choice over the soft top option. And for Irish Mazda MX-5 drivers, the hardtop gives the car the roadster look with style. It"s Italy, so you have to drop the roadster roof, no matter what weather is like so we donned our jackets, scarves and hats and bared the biting wind all in the name of roadster driving research. The new Mazda MX-5 comes with an upgraded 1.8 litre petrol engine that"s a carryover from the current model and develops a modest 126bhp. Mazda claims that the engine has been tuned to use 4% less fuel. Consistent with that, the C02 emissions have been dropped from 174g to 167g. This puts the Mazda MX-5 into the Band D road tax with an annual tax charge of €447. The petrol engine is matched to a six-speed gearbox that allows the car to achieve a higher level of engine revs than in the past. And there"s loads of torque to get the car away from a standing start. Mazda has made the new MX-5 lighter than in the past. Couple that with the engine power and I was impressed with the pace of acceleration that we found. This low slung roadster car hugs the road as it takes off at 6 seconds in a 0 to 100km/hr race. When in motion it sits tight to the road in a balanced way so that you can enthusiastically put it through its paces along challenging Italian roads with sheer confidence. In a style sense the changes to the new Mazda MX-5 are not significant. This design style has been successful for Mazda for two previous generations of the car, so why make a radical change. Mazda has a refreshed exterior design dominated by a revised front bumper, five-point grille and head lamps. The car"s rear end also gets some new bumper design treatment along with new design lights. Roadster coupe gets a new mesh type grill with some chrome features to give it distinction. On the inside the first impression might seem a little cramped. There"s limited space for carrying a load. This is a two seater car with no compromise. The hard top folds into the boot section in just 12 seconds but it does not take away from the already small boot area as it folds into a special area to the rear of the seats. The Mazda Mx-5 specification includes 16' alloys, electric windows, electric heated door mirrors, 6 Speaker audio system with AUX jack, leather steering wheel with audio controls, ABS, EBD. Mazda claim that the entry price across Europe for the Mazda MX-5 is a standard price of €33,000 plus delivery charges. Mazda has standardized its prices in order allow more competitive trading and minimize cross border trading. For a roadster, the Mazda MX-5 is passionate, pacey and more affordable than most of the competition. The MX-5 sports car seems to have retained its appeal in an iconic way without being extravagant. Couple that with traditional impressive Mazda paint finish and you"ll be assured that there"s rarely sign of colour tarnish to impact on your style many years into the Mazda MX-5"s motoring life.