Mazda’s MX-5, simply known as Roadster in Japan, has hit the road as a fourth-generation model. Compared to the previous convertible, the styling has been sharpened considerably and the car’s size has actually shrunk, being 105mm shorter from bumper to bumper and poised on a wheelbase cut by 15mm. Coupled with a 20mm lower fabric roofline, 10mm broader bodywork and “chopped” overhangs, the proportions of the latest MX-5 look promising.
The newcomer is also some 100kg lighter than the old model, reversing its kerb-weight gain in the past decade and returning to the “light and tight” philosophy of the original MX-5, which weighs just under a tonne in its no-frills form. The “skinnier” new model has its bonnet, boot lid, bumper crossmembers and front fenders made of aluminium, and the engineers even reduced the weight of the fabric canopy.
That “self-service” soft-top has been designed to be easy to drop/raise from the driver’s seat, and Mazda mentions something about a windbreaker.
The new MX-5 rides on a double-wishbone/multi-link suspension with 195/50 R16 alloy wheels and all-round disc brakes, and boasts perfect 50:50 front-rear weight distribution. Powering the rear wheels is a 2-litre 4-cylinder SkyActiv engine, longitudinally mounted and hooked up to a 6-speed manual gearbox, with the option of a 1.5-litre for the base model.
The Mk 4 edition of Mazda’s signature sports car is expected to reach Singapore in about a year from now.
