Mazda MX-5 manual 2004 review

Yes, if you wear a skirt then getting in and out of this car may mean you expose more of yourself than you want too. I even practised trying to elegantly step out of it to avoid flashing to the world.

Whether I succeeded, I will never know, but hopefully passers-by were more interested in this convertible's curvaceous silver body.

Yes, this is a hot little toy, and if only the weather had been as hot while I was testing it, instead of bucketing down.

Explore the 2004 Mazda MX-5 range

• Mazda MX-5 SE 2004 review
• Mazda MX-5 2004 review
• Mazda MX-5 manual 2004 review
• Mazda MX-5 2005 review: snapshot
• Mazda MX-5 2005 review: road test

On the bright side, I can report the soft-top is just as waterproof as a hardtop when it's pelting outside and with the added bonus of having that charming rain-on-the-roof acoustics. Add a bit of Pete Murray on the six-stacker CD (the speakers are directly behind your head) and it's very romantic inside.

Hmm, yes, this car exudes va va voom. Luckily, a break in the weather meant I had the chance to take the top down – it's a manual roof but all it takes is a quick flick of a latch or two and a solid shove.

To avoid windswept hair, there's a built-in "windblocker" aero board, but I could still feel my shortish locks blowing around as the 1.8-litre, turbocharged engine MX5 hit the 110km/h zone. But who cares about that when you're behind the wheel of a hot convertible? Once you grab hold of the muscly, racer-style wheel, settle back into the snug leather seats and put the short, solid shift into gear, then the only thing that matters is where you are headed.

There's no cruise control – this is a car you actually want to drive for the pleasure of it.

Six speeds were at my disposal, but for me, the exhilaration came in second and third gears when the power of the turbo kicked in. It took off with such force that it caused me to gasp in delight.

And being so low to the ground, you feel almost every groove in the road, but the faster you go the lighter and nimbler the MX5 feels. It is surefooted into the turns and those wide, sexy, low-profile tyres keep a solid grip on the road.

This is a low little car but there's nothing tinny or cheap about it.

Yes, so low is this car that the petrol tank valve has been positioned on top of the boot, so you don't have to bend down far to fill it up.

Now, if the exterior doesn't do it for you, inside the tidy dash is as flashy as they come. Laid out in red, white and black during the day, it turns to a sexy red when the lights go down.

And the black leather, red-stitched upholstery ... what else can I say?

Yes, I am besotted, but I am getting sick of looking at truck tyres.