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Key facts
The delightful MX-5 is the best-selling two-seater sports car in motoring history, and rightly so. Now available in folding-hardtop Roadster Coupé form, as tested here.

What we said
"One of the most appealing sports cars any manufacturer has ever built." (Road test - 24 November 2006 )

John says
"To my mind this car is a revelation after the 3 and the 6. It seems to have absolutely no vices - the turn-in is perfect, the brakes are very good, and the handling enables you to drive with far more precision than you can in the MPS models.

"The suspension is quite soft, so the front end can dip quite sharply when you're braking hard, but you can sort that out with careful braking technique. In fact, the car is so good into corners that you often don't have to brake as much as you first thought.

"One very good thing is that the car has more power than before (158bhp in 2.0 Sport form). I always thought the old MX-5 was lacking in that respect, and I think the new chassis could handle even more power without difficulty. And because the engine is quite high-revving, there's scope to use a lower gear where that will help stability, without having to change up in mid-corner."

David says
"I have several strongly-held views about the MX-5, and one of them is that you don't have to drive it quickly to enjoy it. But oh, man, this thing was somuch fun round Castle Combe.

"You have to treat it right. It's so well balanced that it needs a light touch, like a well set-up race car. Drive it roughly and it's a mess; drive it with your toes and fingertips, let it flow without forcing the issue, and it's brilliantly responsive.

"Despite the power increase over the old model, it still feels very slow in a straight line compared with the other cars, but I'm happy to trade outright speed for such beautiful handling. And the grip is so phenomenal that the traction control (which always wanted to chime in through a dip in Combe's second chicane) is unnecessary, and spoils the fun. I switched it off as soon as I found the relevant button.

"My only complaint is that I had to drive it with the roof down. The Roadster Coupé has slightly more headroom than the soft top version, but at six foot three I still couldn't fit inside while wearing the crash helmet that the insurers considered compulsory."

Verdict
A little miracle. Almost certainly Mazda's finest achievement.

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