The Goodwood Test: Mazda MX‑5 – a legend reborn?

Heritage

Back in the 1960s the British two-seater sportscar was the ultimate automotive toy. Somewhere in the intervening years the legend died a slow death - as so many do - replaced by bigger coupes and left to be produced by small-volume manufacturers and kit car makers. Then in the 1980s someone decided to revive the concept, but this time in Japan. Thus the Mazda MX-5 was born - a car that would go on to be the biggest selling two-seater sportscar of all time.

The original remains adored by motoring purists to this day: small, light and nimble it sparked a scene of tuners and allowed an affordable route into the world of owning a desirable car. The original was replaced by a model that grew up a little, and then another, and over time it put on weight and lost a little of its original desire. Thankfully the engineers at Mazda noticed this, and rectified the downward turn with a new model that returns to the roots of the original.

Design

The new MX-5 is smaller and has shed an astonishing 100kg from the third generation it replaces. The styling is back to its sharp best, following Mazda's 'Kodo' design principle and freshens the whole car up following the slightly cutesy predecessor. The angular headlights set an aggressive tone, while the rear bumper wraps around rounded lamps. It still retains that essence of a British two-seater though, that long bonnet reaching out in front of the cockpit, which is practically between the rear wheels thanks to a tiny overhang at the back. Thankfully where it hasn't taken inspiration from the original is the interior: the new MX-5 is an excellent, useable space, complete with the all-important infotainment system run through a screen in the centre of the dash. The whole inside is geared toward the driver, a delightful short-throw gearstick is accompanied by a traditional handbrake leaver (no e-brake here) arked toward the driver and is set off by an excellently placed steering wheel and surprising amounts of legroom.

Performance

The very essence of this kind of car should be "fun", a rule that perhaps went a teeny bit missing in the previous models. But it has been restored in spades in the latest MX-5. Despite possessing only 158bhp in 2.0-litre guise, this is a little car that just wants to be chucked around. On country lanes the MX-5 urges you on, desperate to attack each coming bend. The chassis is lithe and the steering weighted well for nimble cornering at speed. As you accelerate the stubby gearstick slots from ratio to ratio with a satisfying mechanical clunk. Should you want to get a little more lairy there isn't quite enough power to hang the tail out at the slightest urging, but floor it from a junction and you can bring the rear into play with ease should a propensity for hooliganism appear.

Passion

What could be more passionate than a two-seater sportscar? The little MX-5 oozes passion for fun from every shutline. There can't be many ways to have this amount of laughs for this little money in 2016. Just a small amount of time will leave you grinning from ear to ear. Find the right country road and the little Mazda will crown you a driving hero, able to whip from apex to apex with ease and never too tired or lazy to keep up with your calls. The MX-5 will always will you to push a little harder, to have a little more fun. For all the modern tech in the automotive world, the MX-5 shows that sometimes you just need to return to basics to find your true calling.

Photography by Tom Shaxson