Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe 2012 review

When you have been building the world’s biggest selling sportscar for almost a quarter of a century it would seem like a good idea not to mess with the formula.

Value

The Roadster Coupe starts at $47,280 for the manual and $49,405 for the automatic and as you MX-5 fans out there will know, this gets you a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine which is more than capable of creating plenty of driving fun.

Technology

Chief engineer of the MX-5 Nobuhiro Yamamoto, came to Australia for the launch of his new baby. His doing so is a big compliment to the local importers and a sure sign that head office in Hiroshima is impressed with the big sales being gained downunder.

Explore the 2012 Mazda MX-5 range

• Mazda MX-5 2012 review
• Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe 2012 review
• Mazda MX-5 2012 review: snapshot

Yamamoto-san, who has had experience working in Australia with the Mazda racing team, explained that changes to the throttle and brakes had further improved the handling ability of a car already recognised as being a leader in its class.

Design

Mazda’s stylists have made bold changes to produce the final design shape of the third generation MX-5 prior to the all-new model that’s due in 2014. The result is a deep grille that’s shaped to give it a 3D effect. The foglights are made to stand out in appearance and the headlights have a gunmetal effect in their surrounds.

The interior has also received a rework, albeit a relatively mild one, with the previous silver decoration panels and aluminium-finish steering wheel bezel being replaced by a glossy dark grey. Two-tone Recaro sports seats with leather and perforated Alcantara facings were featured on the MX-5 Coupe Sports versions we tested.

As someone who is on the wrong side of 60, I have to admit that getting in and out of the Mazda MX-5 is somewhat of a struggle. You don’t have to be over 60 to find that the interior is on the tight side. The driving position isn’t too bad for legroom but I found that sitting in the passenger seat and not being able to straighten my legs made it pretty uncomfortable after a while.

Sadly, a lack of interest in soft-top convertibles in Australia means that only the folding hardtops are being imported. I say ‘sadly’ because the lighter weight of the ragtop makes the MX-5 soft-top even more nimble. And the fact that it gives the car a purer appearance even when it’s closed is appealing to our eyes.

Driving

On the road during an extended test we found the latest Mazda MX-5 to be as delightful as ever. We have been road testing this little roadster since day one in Australia in 1989 and have spent many hundreds of hours in each generation and sub-gen since then.

The new MX-5 continues to provide driving in its purest form, with fast and precise control through the steering wheel and by way of the throttle pedal. We tested it extensively in the hinterland behind the Gold Coast and in the rugged northern areas of NSW, both regions are of the type just loved by true sports roadster drivers. Mazda MX-5 owners are sometimes simply in a cruisy mood, so we also toured the wonderful beachside strips after coming down from the hills.