Mazda MX-5 2005 Review

Getting the auto is considered tantamount to drawing the short straw and is suffered under notice.

With that in mind it makes it all the more strange that we could not find an auto for love of money at the this week's launch of the new third generation Mazda MX-5.

Those that got to drive the auto first were reluctant to part with them, despite an enforced changeover midway through the drive program.

Luckily we got to go for a short squirt in the auto the following morning and we can now see why our colleagues were not particularly interested in changing.

The six-speed sequential shift with steering wheel mounted change paddles is a little ripper.

Not only can you change gears just like a manual but this is one box that will absolutely not change up (or down for that matter) without instruction from the driver.

The car itself is an impressive piece of work, an evolution in terms of appearance and revolution in terms of performance and handling.

Perhaps this is a reflection of the fact that the final design is distilled from 320 different sketches, seven quarter-size models and three full-size renditions of the car each constructed by Mazda's design studios in Japan, Europe and the United States.

Then there was the 97 different engine specifications, 473 different shock absorbers and 960 different tyres ghost were evaluated that the design process.

We could also tell you about the Japanese philosophy of Jinba Ittai, the mystical bond that exists between horse and rider.

Suffice to say that the MX-5's project manager Takao Kijima draws a parallel between it and the relationship between car and driver.

Starting to get the picture?

Let's just say that Mazda put a lot of time and effort into getting the third generation MX- 5 right– a car that many regard as the best thing to come out of Japan.

Interestingly, Mr Kijima said a retractable hard roof was in fact considered for the car but dismissed as not true to the roadster concept, so the fabric is retained, albeit with just the one centre catch.

The result is an MX-5 that is much better than its predecessor, stronger in the body and more responsive to the wheel and throttle, yet weighs just four kilos more than the old one.

A 2.0-litre engine replaces the previous 1800cc model, producing 118kW of power at 6700rpm and 188Nm of torque at 5000rpm, with 90 per cent of torque delivered from 2500rpm.

The engine itself is an amazing 19.1kg lighter than the old one, while the car itself is just 4kg heavier.

Engineers were able to shave 84g just by using a different rear vision mirror.

The new car takes takes 7.8 seconds to dash from 0-100km/h, down from 8.4 seconds.

Now with double wishbone suspension front and back, it is virtually a scaled down setup of that in the RX-8.

The car feels remarkably tight, with no apparent body flex.

Handling is tight and controlled on twisting sections of road, with extremely good mid corner balance.

The 17-inch 205/45 Michelin Pilot Precedas grip like glue, with a ride best described as firm without being quite harsh.

At the end of the day, the Mx-5 is no red light racer, but revels in smoother twisting sections of the road where it darts from corner to corner.

Fuel consumption which is becoming some- thing of an issue these days reduces from 8.9 to 8.5L/100km.

Mazda MX-5 is priced from $41,860.