HIT THE ROAD!

It’s one of the world’s greatest stretches and the best way to drive it is in this soft-top

THE road is crazy. Opened in 1974 the Transfãgarãsãn was built on the orders of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu as a bulwark against possible Soviet invasion. Climbing to an altitude of 2,040 metres between the highest mountain peaks in Romania, Moldoveanu and Negoiu, and summiting at the extraordinarily beautiful Balea lake (which looks like a little bit of Connemara transported 3,000 kilometres east), it runs for 151km in a series of rapidly ascending and descending hairpin bends that, on the satnav, make it look like the deranged squiggle of a toddler.

A few years back, Top Gear named it the best road in the world, though that has nothing to do with its condition, because in parts it is as rough as a badger’s you-knowwhat. What it does offer is exceptional – the chance to really test a car to its limits amid scenery that frequently makes you gasp.

I drove the road last Tuesday in the new Mazda MX-5 and, hand on heart, it was among my Top 5 favourite car launches in the almost 18 years I’ve been writing this column. On the ascent, we saw hardly anything as we rose into the clouds. There’s a tunnel after Lake Balea and when we emerged on the other side, it was into bright uninterrupted sunshine, as if someone lifted a curtain. As jaw-dropping moments go, it definitely would be hard to beat

So too, it must be said, is the car. I’ve always loved the Mazda MX-5, because it offers more thrills per euro than any other sports car out there. Yes, I love the even more enhanced performance of the premium German offerings, but they’re fantasy cars for the wealthy; the MX-5 alone brings that level of excitement to the mass market. Well over €1bn worth of MX-5s have been sold across the four generations of the car, and with lifetime sales of 1,055,000 units, it is the official Guinness world bestselling two-seater roadster in history.

I drove the 2.0-litre SKYACTIV-G soft-top model (the RF version comes with a retractable hardtop), and it perfectly illustrates Mazda’s core principle of Jinba Ittai (it means horse and rider, and exemplifies the connection between car and driver).

This latest iteration is not a new design, as such, but a facelift of the 2015 fourthgeneration car. The wheels are a different colour, changing from gunmetal to black on the 16- and 17-inch wheels, and from silver to a darker silver on the standard 16-inch wheels. The canopy also now is available in brown as well as in black and – in a move applauded by the taller members of the motoring fraternity – the steering wheel at last is adjustable for reach as well as for rake. The seat recline function also has been improved, allowing for optimum positioning of driver and wheel.

There are other improvements. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available on the cars equipped with the MZD Connect multimedia system. The doors open more easily and are held more firmly in place when open.

In terms of safety, a host of new features has been added, including advanced smart city brake support, advanced smart city brake support reverse (it will stop you hitting obstacles at up to 8kph); traffic sign recognition; rearview camera; and driver attention alert.

The really good news, though, is that the 2.0-litre SKYACTIV-G petrol engine has been enhanced, and now delivers 182hp compared with 158hp in the existing car. The engine note also has been improved thanks to a retuned exhaust silencer system, so when you floor it, you now get a satisfying roar as the car takes off.

It takes a brave carmaker to put its newest model on a road such as the Transfãgãrãsan. There’s no room to hide, and any false claims immediately would be exposed as the fakery they are. There are no such worries with the MX-5. It chewed up the road, stuck to the corners like glue, absorbed all the shocks thrown at it, and mastered steep inclines without breaking a sweat. Honestly, I could have driven it up and down those mountains all week and never tired of it.

Add in the fact that it really is a beautiful car to look at, especially in that deliciously deep Mazda red, and you have the whole package.

This is the 2019 model and it won’t be available in Ireland until April, and pricing has yet to be confirmed; as a guide, the existing 1.5-litre starts at €28,195. For that sort of money, you won’t have more fun in anything else out there.

Perfect road. Perfect day out. Perfect car.