SEQUEL SUCCESS
Subtly improving on the smash-hit recipe of the original, the follow-up MX-5 did a lot of things right. Does it still add up 25 years after its Tokyo Motor Show debut?
To really understand MX-5 fever, you have to own one. That’s what I told myself a few years ago anyway when I put my money where my mouth was and bought a cheap MKII. I deliberately did everything wrong – I bought a project with a running issue and plenty of rust for a paltry £500. What was I thinking ? Well, I was under the illusion that I could get it back to full health, enjoy driving it for a summer and sell it on for a profit. Almost none of those goals were met but I nevertheless felt that I got the full MX-5 experience. You see the generation that came to the MX-5 fresh had none of the classic British sports cars as reference (I’m not counting the MGF). They got their kicks from hot hatches. Great as they are, they don’t drive like an MX-5…
The seating position leaves you in little doubt that you’re in a sporting machine the second you get into one of these perennially popular Mazdas.
You’re in the ‘Le Mans’ laying down with your legs out straight position, with the steering wheel and stubby little gearstick falling perfectly to hand. The cabin might look like it’s been made from recycled 1990s arcade machines, but that doesn’t matter – this Mazda still somehow feels special.
The engine note tries hard to pop that illusion, however; the 1.8-litre four-pot makes a rough and pretty soulless din (the less said about the 1.6 the better) that really only barks at the very top end of its rev range, which thankfully is where you’ll need to take it to get the best out of it. The throw of that little gearstick takes a bit more heft than first expected but it’s a delight to use once it’s warmed through. The steering is a nicely weighty power-assisted rackand-pinion arrangement with a lot of feedback, informing you how much you can push the nose.
The rear is a little less communicative. In fact, it’s remarkably easy to get out of shape in this Mazda, especially on less than brand new tyres or in wet weather. It’s hardly a handful – there isn’t enough power for that – but you do need to pay attention because the transition from traction to full broadside is a little sudden, especially if it lacks the optional limited-slip differential. The MX-5 is fun and compliant under normal conditions, however, and has just the right slice of sporting precision to be sufficiently engaging for the novice and seasoned sports car driver alike. Just like the first one, then.
The MX-5 is beyond reproach for many of the aforementioned young sports car converts and I get it – I’d have fallen for it too if this was my one and only sporting experience. These cars are certainly a lot more fun than most of the machinery that you could buy at the turn of the new millennium for less than £25k. Viewed purely objectively, however, there are a lot of better sports cars out there, though very few reside in this price bracket. And that’s the caveat. Many of its competitors offer similar thrills but without the reliability or ease of tuning that’s accompanied the MX5’S popularity. A few fairly affordable modifications can turn these machines into pretty serious handlers, though they’re fun and capable tourers that can hussle down a B-road at a fair old pace even in stock form.
Braking isn’t the MKII MX-5’S trump card – neither is its fairly average performance – but maintaining pace in the corners certainly is. If you like a spirited drive that demands more of you than your average hatchback, then this era of MX-5 won’t disappoint. If you prefer a more sedate and comfortable driving experience the Mercedes-benz SLK is probably a better bet.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering, my MX-5 got welded up and re-painted and I sold it for effectively what I’d sunk into it after a ‘summer’ of fun (about three hot days). Not bad in the end.