The Italian connection

Bumping into the MX-5’S European half brother, the Abarth 124 Spider, reignited my longstanding internal quandary – which would I own? Once, I would have argued that the Italian’s turbo engine, Brembo brakes, more aggressive styling and LSD made it more, in a word, serious. But my Mazda steed’s new high-revving engine, indisputably better gear shift and optional upgraded anchors have me, once again, completely undecided. As if that’s not hard enough, the RF’S unique roof is also slowly winning over this diehard rag-top fan.

THE EXTRA 13kw MAZDA HAS EXTRACTED FROM THE 2.0-LITRE FOUR MEANS MX-5 NOW HAS THE STRAIGHT-LINE GRUNT TO SORT OUT THIS GUY NEXT-LEVEL, MADE-IN-JAPAN MAN-SPREADING IF YOU CAN SUCCESSFULLY EXIT A RESTAURANT DOOR THIS LOW, YOU HAVEN’T DRUNK ENOUGH SAKI