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2006 Mazda MX-5 Grand Touring Road Test

Fun with a Capital F

Although this car needs no introduction, the Mazda MX-5 is going to get one anyway. Like most great automobiles of our time, it was born as a separate project, designed and engineered outside of office hours by a bunch of rogue engineers. It was designed to be the rebirth of the classic British roadster for the masses, but without the patchy bodywork and faulty electrics. The MX-5 is a bonda-fide success story too: since the concept was put into production, way back in 1989, its sold over three quarters of a million units, and, according to the authority that is the Guinness Book of World Records, it is the worlds best selling roadster. Without a doubt, it wouldnt be a surprise if theres one on your street, or perhaps, someone you might even know has one.

This latest MX-5 (dont call

Original smiley-face MX-5 Miata was the car to re-capture the essence of the Post-War British Roadster Invasion. (Photo: Mazda Motor of America)

it a Miata - thats been dropped) is an all-new machine from the tires up, but unlike those before it, it looks significantly different, so, thats where were going to start. From the very beginning, the MX-5 was created in a design stream different from any other Mazda, including other sports models. This tradition remains constant in this iteration; its Californian-designed exterior is much more metallic looking, with heavy-handed chunky details, a direct contrast to the 3 or 6, which have a Japanese-lite look.

Mk.II and MK.III MX-5s (Mk.II shown) are directly related to first-generation model. Not so with the new car. (Photo: Mazda Motor of America)

Think pressed metal extrusions versus artistic brush strokes of a Japanese paintbrush. A close relative to the Ikubi concept that was shown in Tokyo two years ago, the MX-5 essentially traveled to production with only slight alterations.

Much of what I loved about the concept stayed in tact when it was transferred to production lines, namely the bold look and the air of solidity of its rounded body. While the "block with beveled edges" shape is certainly different than the pretty models of generations past, the new MX-5 is attractive on a different level. The 

This is the kind of bold design that Automakers like Mazda need to experiment with. (Photo: Mazda Motor of America)

new car radiates a combination of muscularity and confidence, as a whole, and through many of its details. On previous cars - even the turbocharged Mazdaspeed MX-5 Miata - such features as the RX-8 style fender flares would look flawed, where as on the new car, theyre right at home. Much the same can be said about the intricate oval headlamps, and a pair of stately chrome-tipped exhaust pipes that help the MX-5 shrug off its girly stigma. Yet, at its very essence, the new MX-5 is still recognizable as Mazdas famed roadster.

From a technical standpoint, this is also the first thoroughly new MX-5 since the car was launched. Yes, the car

MX-5 shares many of its suspension and drivetrain design with the RX-8. Its no wonder this tiny roadster drives well. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

was heavily revised in 1997 and 2000, but these were updates on the original car, a testament to the originals perfect balance and simple-is-best engineering approach.

The level of complexity in the inner workings of the new MX-5 are much greater than the old, even though you wont find any unnecessary weight-adding features, such as a power-operated roof or variable-assist steering. Instead, the advancement of technology on the MX-5 is due to Mazdas latest sports car, the RX-8. On the surface, the RX-8 and the MX-5 dont share a lot in common; ones a four-door, four-seater with looks to die for and the worlds only rotary powered engine, while the others a two-seat convertible,

The MX-5 could very well be classified as a front-mid-engined car... (Photo: Mazda Motor of America)

which headlines purity and simplicity. But the two share one purpose: to flatter the driver, or the quantifiable character of Zoom-Zoom in advertisement speak. With such positive response from the RX-8s dynamics, its no small wonder the automakers engineers used key elements of the layout and underpinnings on the new MX-5.
If you manage to lie low enough to the ground to get a look underneath the car, you will find that the double wishbones up front and five-link suspension present are much like those that hold the wheels up on an RX-8, except that theyve been cast from alloy to keep the smaller cars weight down. Much the same way, if you drew out the schematic to the RX-8 and superimposed it atop that of an MX-5, youd find that both cars have a similarly

Despite adding all that extra technology and leather, the MX-5 is still just 10 kg (22 lbs) heavier than the old model. Its also safer to crash, too. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

proportioned chassis layout, and an almost perfect weight distribution of 52:48. The issue of weight balance isnt new for the MX-5, but the fact that its engine is positioned a whole 5.3 inches more rearward than the previous car, so the entire engine is behind the front axle, earns it a front-mid engine designation. Its done to concentrate the mass of the vehicle closer to the cars center, a trait, for the record, learned from the RX8.

What makes an MX-5 an MX-5 is its lightness, a major contributor to the handling purity and performance. This, by far was the biggest challenge for Mazda in creating the new version, as it was born into a world of strict safety regulations, not to mention killer SUVs. A healthy amount of high-tensile steel has also been used in the

MX-5s cabin is provides a sense of luxury and a decent amount of optical stimulation. Just look at those colors! (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

chassis, on all key pillars and in the door reinforcements, plus front and side torso airbags are standard on the Grand Touring in order to look after you in case of a collision. Indeed, the MX-5 meets and excels in the same crash tests that your run of the mill family sedan is subjected to. Its actually 22 percent more rigid than the outgoing model, but most importantly, despite all of this, the curb weight of the new car is just 22 pounds greater. What was previously Mission Impossible has become mission accomplished.

Because size and weight play against the true nature of a sports car, of which the MX-5 is, it appears that the sole purpose of increasing the MX-5s size is to accommodate occupants with increased levels of comfort. This means that some of the traditional characteristics, such as the bum-on-the-floor seating position, and the drop n slide

Roof drops down in less than six seconds. Power-operated roofs just cant beat it. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

entry tactic are still required, although theres more room for limbs and shoulders. Most importantly, the sensation of coziness that sports car drivers have come to love is still retained in the MX-5, preserved by taller doors and a tall transmission tunnel, which keeps you in position should you spill out of the sport bolstered seats under enthusiastic driving. Of course, this sort of vehicle doesnt work for all body types; taller and larger types may have difficulty getting comfortable as seating adjustments are limited to the upright rear bulkhead, and there is a lack of a telescoping steering wheel.

Though the exterior may have been penned in North America, its easy to tell that the interior was thought through by a different crowd; a German crowd. A glimpse around the cabin confirms more RX-8 influence, from the motorcycle-style instrument pods, to the red-back-lit switches and buttons, to the piano-key lacquer strip which, on

Bigger trunk and cargo storage bins allow the MX-5 to offer improved practicality. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

this particular car divides the black dash-top and rich brown lower fascias, not to mention the use of much improved interior material. Yes, rapping on plastics shows that theyre still hollow and hard, yet their matte, textured finish conveys a different message, at least from the drivers seat. This should not matter, though, as its done in the interest of weight saving and it comes at no cost to the build quality: fit and finish on the MX-5 is absolutely flawless.

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