FIRST DRIVES TESTED 28.3.22, LEICESTERSHIRE ON SALE NOW
MAZDA MX-5
A round of updates make this smile-a-mile roadster fresh for 2022
H
ere it is, folks: the £30,000 Mazda MX-5. “That’s not what an MX-5 is about,” remarked our photographer. That price is indeed rather startling, but in Mazda’s defence, this is the top-end 2.0-litre GT Sport Tech, and you can have a 1.5-litre for ‘just’ £24,775. It’s a mark more of how bonkers car prices have become in general than of any particular greediness from Mazda. The MX-5 remains a unique offering: a sensibly sized, two-seat sports car with a naturally aspirated engine, a manual gearbox, a limitedslip differential and rear-wheel drive that’s still vaguely affordable. The Toyota GR86 will do the same when it arrives later this year, but the MX-5 also allows you to drop the roof. Mazda does model-year updates in addition to the occasional facelift, so new for 2022 are Platinum Quartz paint and Kinematic Posture Control – mild torque vectoring by braking that supposedly also reduces roll. Without driving this MX-5 back to back with an older one, it’s hard to tell if it actually does. Even this high-spec model on its sports suspension with
Low, snug and perfectly laid out
MAZDA MX-5 2.0 GT SPORT TECH
Bilstein dampers rolls more than you might expect of a modern sports car. There’s no shortage of aftermarket parts to address this if it bothers you, but really it just contributes to the delightfully old-school vibe. Few cars, including far more expensive ones, are as interactive as the MX-5, with its feelsome steering, manual ’box that snicks through the gears and option of delicious little slides on the exits of tight corners. Is it the perfect sports car? Of course not: the near-£80,000 extra for
the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS isn’t just splurged on carbonfibre winglets. On a bumpy road, you can feel plenty of shimmies and shudders as the body flexes. The engine is purposeful and willing but hardly sonorous. And while the interior looks lovely, it’s hard and scratchy. But the MX-5 still puts a huge smile on your face every time you drive it. Mazda hasn’t made any dramatic improvements for 2022, nor did it need to. This remains a great fun car.
Affordable sports car has got dearer, but so has everything else. Still the most fun you can have in a new car
AAAAB Price £30,870 Engine 4 cyls in line, 1998cc, petrol Power 181bhp at 7000rpm Torque 151lb ft at 4000rpm Gearbox 6-spd manual, RWD Kerb weight 1127kg 0-62mph 6.5sec Top speed 136mph Economy 40.9mpg CO2, tax band 155g/km, 36% RIVALS Toyota GR86, Hyundai i20 N
ILLYA VERPRAET
THE
iX Search: BMW iX
ALL-ELECTRIC
#bornelectric
Mpg (l/100km): Not applicable. CO2 emissions: 0 g/km. Electric energy consumption for the iX model range (combined): 20 to 21 kWh/100Km / 3 – 3.1 miles/kWh. Electric range: 246-382 miles. These figures were obtained after the battery had been fully charged. The iX is a battery electric vehicle requiring mains electricity for charging. Figures shown are for comparability purposes. Only compare electric range figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real 00 MONTHin2016 AUTOCAR.CO.UK life driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including the starting charge of the battery, accessories fitted (post-registration), variations weather, driving styles and vehicle load.
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