MAZDA MX-5 RF
More than just a stiff new lid
MAZDA has a legacy of ambitious engineering exploits spanning more than eight decades, and the MX-5 RF bears witness to it. Its folding metal lid wasn’t envisaged until two years into fourth-gen MX-5 development, when packaging it without extending the wheelbase or eating into cargo space became a complex conundrum to crack.
Chief designer Masashi Nakayama’s elegant targa solution is far less compromised than the flabby third-gen’s retractable hardtop, and delivers a convincingly premium and coupelike appearance that Mazda hopes will broaden the car’s appeal.
Crucially then, the four-piece roof mechanism adds more than just 47kg of moving parts. It brings maturity and a kerb-side allure the regular MX-5 roadster lacks, with an imperceptible impact on its dynamic purity.
Only the 118kw/200nm 2.0-litre four is offered, leaving out the softtop’s 1.5-litre option. Pricing starts at $ 38,550 for the base RF, $ 43,890 for the RF GT with heated leather, keyless entry and Bose stereo, and $ 44,890 for a special edition with black roof inserts and exclusive Nappa interior. Add $ 2000 to each for a six-speed auto.
Mechanical changes are limited to a firmer front anti-roll bar, increased stroke for the front dampers and more compliant rear suspension bushes. The ride, though soft for a sports car, is brilliantly controlled, leaving the MX-5’S fabled steering sharpness and poised chassis unspoilt.
It’s deliciously encouraging when driven enthusiastically. Relatively moderate power outputs are enough in such a lightweight frame, and there’s still no picking the weight difference without a back-to-back test, which should say enough about how minimal the effect is.
Roof up or down there’s a posh feeling inside the RF that verges on flashy in GT trim. Tyre roar remains a carryover issue from the soft-top, and there’s some unwelcome wind noise around joins in the roof at highway speeds, though overall cabin refinement is improved by having a solid lid.
Additional safety systems include blind-spot monitoring, which it needs considering the huge obstruction of the RF’S tapering rear buttresses. Curiously, a rear-view camera is a $ 485 option for all versions.
The greater sense e of freedom offered by an open-top top car usually comes at the expensese of security, sports credibility andnd roof-up looks. The RF manages ages to cover those bases without t losing any of the MX-5 essence that hat charmed its way to the top of COTY OTY 2016. And if it broadens the MX-5’SX-5’s fan base, then the RF deserves es its place in the line-up..