Goodwood Test: 2021 Mazda MX-5 100th Anniversary Review

You’ll likely know the MX-5 formula by now: engine at the front, two seats and a drop-top in the middle, rear-wheel-drive. So why are we driving one now? Because this is the MX-5 100^th Anniversary edition, one of a series of global specials created to celebrate Mazda’s centenary in 2020. Only 100 of these machines are making their way to UK shores, all priced at £29,995, a healthy increase of the regular MX-5’s £24,050 asking price.

Physically there’s nothing new about the MX-5 100^th Anniversary’s body – there are no new vents or quirky aero details, because why would there need to be? As you might expect Mazda has kept it simple. On the outside you’re treated to white and burgundy, with a Dark Cherry soft-top and Snowflake White Pearlescent paintwork, all to reflect Mazda’s first passenger car, the Mazda R360 Coupe. It’s a really lovely look and one you can’t replicate, as the standard MX-5 is only available with a black roof. There are also ‘100 Years – 1920-2020’ plaques on the sills and on the centre-caps of the 17-inch alloy wheels.

The ND MX-5 is a smart looking machine, with a big, smiley face and angular headlights, while at the back the number plate sits much lower down on the bodywork than it did on the previous generation NC, so there’s a more sculpted rear with a deep, curved indentation. The proportions – short overhangs, small rear, long bonnet – are the same as they always have been, but the shape of the bonnet and the height of the wheel arches are larger, giving it a more purposeful stance. It’s also marginally smaller than the NC, the wheelbase measuring 15mm shorter, while the body is 85mm shorter and 10mm wider.

Although you can have a 1.5-litre or a 2.0-litre petrol engine in the normal MX-5, 100^th Anniversary cars come with the larger 2.0-litre unit only. This naturally aspirated four-pot was revised in 2019, with lighter pistons, a lighter con-rod, and revisions to the camshafts, exhaust valves, fuel injectors, throttle valve and air intake. All of which meant a hike of 24PS to 184PS (135kW) at 7,000rpm and 5Nm to 205Nm (158lb ft) at 4,000rpm, as well as a 700rpm redline lift, now 7,500rpm.

How does it drive? Simply, very well. The engine’s voice isn’t an exciting one but, then again, no MX-5 has ever sung a particularly sweet song. What you do get is a responsive engine that starts to pull properly from 3,000rpm and really feels happiest between 4,000 and 7,000rpm. Zero to 62mph takes 6.5 seconds and the top speed is 136mph.

The six-speed manual gearbox is a real honey, with a short, accurate movement, the same 40mm movement that every generation of MX-5 has had, and the 280mm discs at all four corners are perfectly adequate for the performance on offer. The suspension, double wishbones at the front and a multi-link set-up at the rear, with Bilstein dampers all round, offers up a firm but well-damped, comfortable ride, with enough pitch and roll to tell you you’re pushing on without feeling uncontrolled.

Climb inside and you’ll notice the seats, the carpets and the floor mats are finished in Dark Cherry to match the roof – the old ad slogan “You know when you’ve been Tango’d” springs to mind. It’s actually really pleasant though, and to set the 100^th Anniversary apart from other MX-5s there are more ‘100 Years – 1920-2020’ badges, this time on the mats, as well as imprints on the headrests. The tops of the doors are finished in the same white as the bodywork, while the wheel, dashboard and everything behind the seats is black.

It’s a simple environment, and all the better for it. There’s a 7-inch central screen atop the dashboard, below which there are physical controls to adjust the air conditioning. Behind the gearbox you’ll find two wheels, a larger one to operate the central screen and a smaller one to adjust the stereo. It all works well, although as the screen isn’t a touchscreen there are some operations that feel a little awkward, like moving around in apps with Apple CarPlay, for example.

The driving position is spot on, unless you are over six-foot, with adjustment in the seat to bring the front of the base up, and there are three buttons to the right of the steering column to control the traction control, engine start/stop and lane-keep assist. What is delightfully refreshing is that these are simple on-off buttons.

As a special edition the 100^th Anniversary edition is very much the top spec car of the range, and so the aforementioned Apple CarPlay is included as standard, as is Android Auto. There’s a Bose stereo system, too, and you’re treated to heated seats, automatic wipers, automatic lights, cruise control, a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, two USB ports, cross-traffic alert and a number of other safety systems. There’s no conventional glovebox but there is a lockable compartment behind the seats, and inside a little cubby behind the gear lever you’ll spot two little slots designed to encompass two separate pound coins.

Another key enhancement that came in 2019 was the inclusion of the i-ELOOP kinetic energy recovery system, which takes energy that would otherwise be lost during braking and uses it to either charge the car’s main battery (the MX-5 is not a mild-hybrid) or directly power the car’s electrical devices.

What’s more, each 100^th Anniversary car, whether you buy a Mazda 3, 6, 2 or CX-30, comes with the key, itself emblazoned with the anniversary logo, in a special handover box. You also get a 100^th anniversary book and a 1:43 scale model of the Mazda R360.

For some a Mazda MX-5 simply won’t appeal, and that’s OK – some, I’m sure, would rather have something with more power or a more scintillating noise. But what appeals about the MX-5 is that Mazda has been building a car to the same formula for more than 30 years now, and behind the wheel that really shows. It’s quick, light, simple and fun, and I’m not sure you can ask for much more.

As for whether the 100^th Anniversary car is worth the extra money, well you could wonder the same about any special edition. The MX-5 100^th Anniversary is likely to find its way into the hands of those who really care about the car, the company and its history, and with that in mind the extra money probably won’t matter.