The last time we saw the MX-5 PRHT was on a turntable, the centerpiece of Mazda’s corporate display at the Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) last March. It was a beautiful thing indeed, outshining even Mazda’s host, MTV VJ Sarah Meier. But being locked-up and merely on static display, it was the petrol head’s equivalent of looking at a beautiful pole dancer with a “no touch” policy. You simply can’t help but imagine how this car would feel like from the seat of your pants. And so, we turned kapal mukha and asked the folks at Mazda Philippines for a drive. The shocking thing is, they obliged.
Out of MIAS’s glitzy hall and onto public roads, the MX-5 looked every inch the stunner. Some may complain that the design isn’t too daring—looking too much like the previous-generation MX-5. They don’t know any better. Everywhere we went, mobile phones started shooting away. At first, we thought it was our movie star looks, then it became obvious: it was the car. Besides growing a couple of centimeters in all dimensions, this car retains the compact proportions that made it the best-selling sports car ever. The shape is Coke: bulging upfront, slim in the middle and bulging again at the rear. It’s imbued with a classic 1960’s roadster look but with high-tech twists such as the sleek headlamps, complex jewel tail lamps and pronounced twin exhaust pipes. It’s also a subject of restraint and subtleness with absence of unnecessary tacked on aero parts. By all means, the MX-5 is closer in spirit to a European roadster than what the Europeans churn out nowadays. On that note though, those wanting luxury or comfort, won’t be satisfied with the MX-5.
Don’t get us wrong, the MX-5 is a great sports car by any measure; but technophiles and connoisseurs of luxury will definitely not like it. Though there are some toys to fiddle around with, the features list isn’t as long as you’d expect. The cabin’s cozy at best, getting cramped if you’re 6 feet in height or obese or both. The seats adjust in every conceivable direction, but the steering wheel’s limited merely to height adjustment. That said, the driving position’s still spot on, fulfilling an important sports car prerequisite. Another prerequisite is easily readable gauges, and the MX-5 does well on that too. Like the RX-8 and 3, the gauges rest vertically, but unlike the others, this one’s largely gimmick-free with the exception of the oil pressure gauge at the middle of the large tachometer and speedometer. There’s little else to say about the Spartan cabin with the exception of the piece de resistance: the folding roof.
It came as a surprise to many when Mazda announced the addition of a power folding roof on the MX-5. And it’s not just any folding roof; it’s a PRHT or a “Power Retractable Hard Top”. The new roof is made of composite plastic material instead of metal, making the weight penalty negligible over the standard canvas top model. Transforming the MX-5 from a road-going tanning salon to a serious racer’s cockpit takes a mere 12 seconds, and all it takes is unlatching the roof and pushing a dash-mounted button. It’s a real spectacle, watching the roof break into three panels and disappearing into the trunk. The space penalty’s minimal too—with the cargo space equaling the regular MX-5. An added bonus is that the MX-5 PRHT looks equally attractive with the roof up as it does with the roof down—something that can’t be said with all other coupe-convertibles.
Mercifully, Mazda didn’t forget the reason for the MX-5’s success and that’s to provide driving entertainment. Under the shapely hood lies a longitudinally mounted 2.0-liter inline-4 that does 170 horsepower and 189 Nm of torque. Those output figures certainly don’t scream performance, but with the bantam 1,130 kilogram curb weight, the car feels extremely nippy especially when the short-throw 6-speed manual is put to work. Aurally, it isn’t the most exciting engine out there, but there’s plenty of push right through the rev range. 100 km/h arrives in 7 seconds, not bad for a car that promises 13.0 km/L on a combined city/highway cycle.
Mazda Philippines’s test unit is a US-spec model riding on an optional Premium Sport package which includes a sport tuned suspension, Bilstein shock absorbers, limited slip differential, dynamic stability control, traction control and 10-spoke 17-inch alloys shod with 205/45 R 17 W-rated tires. Despite all of these performance technology, the ride is surprisingly supple damping speed bumps and broken pavements that would have otherwise shook out our dental fillings in other more expensive rides. Despite the extra weight of the roof and associated electrical systems, Mazda suspension engineers have done well and provided for a very neutral balance when pushed hard through a slalom course. The stability control though is overly cautious, kicking in at slightest hint of provocation. However, it can be switched off and when it is, the car feels fun, controllable and easy to drive at the limit.
Handing over the MX-5’s keys back to the Mazda people certainly was difficult. After driving around top up and down with no license plate or insurance sure felt like a recipe for disaster. But then, don’t we all just love a hint of danger? With that, we do hope that Mazda’s marketing team would take a leap of faith and introduces this peppy little sports car into the country. After all, if we were thick skinned enough to ask for a drive, maybe if we used the Pinoy penchant for petitions to good use, we’ll see the MX-5 PRHT sold next to the 3,6 and Tribute before the next Manila International Auto Show.
By Ulysses Ang | Photos By Ulysses Ang and Jason K. Ang
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