Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe : SHOWING ITS METAL

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Defying expectations, the Mazda MX-5 might just be even better in folding hard-top Roadster Coupe form. Steve Walker reports.

Cars with folding hard top roofs can be rather grotty things. Curiously malformed with distended bottoms and pinched cabins, they usually lose their looks and their practicality once the roof's up and all you're left with is toothbrush room in the boot once the hood has done its contortionist's trick. Oh yes, these cars offer the customer more. More weight, more complexity and more expense, that is. Therefore, I shuddered when Mazda first announced a `Roadster Coupe' version of the MX-5. Seems I needn't have worried after all. It's the exception that proves the rule.

Utilising the basis of an existing MX-5, Mazda managed to build a car that will appeal to a subtly different audience. For many metropolitan types, parking on street is a way of life but the hard-topped Roadster Coupe offers additional security and is vandal-proofed in a manner that no fabric-roofed car can be. It's also a little more refined than the soft-top model. The latest cars benefited from a facelift which sharpened the styling and also introduced the PowerShift six-speed sequential transmission which should suit Roadster Coupe buyers rather well. The same 159bhp 2.0-litre and 124bhp 1.8-litre engines shift the Roadster Coupe as power the standard MX-5. The famously wristy short throw sports gear change has been retained on the manual models with the 1.8-litre cars getting a five-speed box and the 2.0-litre alternatives coming with a choice of this, a six-speed manual or the PowerShift sequential automatic. This auto option can be operated in manual mode via the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters or set to act like a standard automatic gearbox. Both of the MX-5's engines thrive on revs as any good roadster powerplant should, the 2.0-litre option gives its peak power at a heady 7,000rpm, just 500rpm short of the red line so owners are rewarded for a heavy right foot. The MX-5 - in any guise - has never been about raw figures: instead, the joy of the car comes in the feeling of fun and tactility it affords. This model is no different. Although the hardtop doesn't signally improve the car's torsional rigidity when in the raised position, it does give a little more in the way of noise insulation, but otherwise it's almost impossible to tell you're not driving the soft-top.

"The Mazda MX-5 is a tough car to improve upon but the Roadster Coupe just about manages it"

The roof retracts in three sections with no impact on boot space and adds just 37kg to the weight of an equivalent soft top MX-5 roadster. Raise the roof and it sits a mere centimetre taller than its fabric-trimmed sibling. Although it's tempting to think of this car as `just a roof', a lot of thought has clearly gone into it. The spring and damper settings are subtly revised to take account of the hard top car's marginally altered weight distribution. Thankfully, the roof retracts to a position within the wheelbase of the car so that it doesn't detract too much from handling agility. The latest MX-5 has a front end with a more aggressive edge courtesy of a reshaped air-intake with cutaway sections either side to house the fog lights. Revisions to the side sills and the rear bumper complete the effect. Inside, there's silver detailing about the place and that gives a more upmarket feel than the previous dark plastics and noise insulation has been improved. Park the Roadster Coupe and the MX-5 soft top next to each other and it's possible to see the subtle way in which Mazda has teased out the shape to accommodate the folding roof. The rear deck of the car sits 40mm higher at the rear window line and 20mm higher at the trailing edge of the boot, giving it a slightly more hunched and powerful look than the soft top. It's really a very minor change and tough to discern in isolation. Whereas the average duration for a roof operation of this kind tends to be around 22 seconds, Mazda has whittled that time back to a mere 12 seconds for the MX-5 Roadster Coupe. The driver must unlatch a centre lock and then press a button to operate the roof but it can easily be done while waiting at lights. Boot capacity is a surprisingly usable 150litres whether the roof is up or down. Standard equipment on the Roadster Coupe includes 16" alloy wheels, twin chrome exhaust pipes, climate control air-conditioning, electric windows, remote central locking and a CD stereo. The next step is the 2.0-litre car which adds, DSC stability control, which is almost worth the £1,000 premium in itself, traction control and an LSD limited slip differential. The 2.0-litre Sport model then chucks in the 6-speed manual gearbox, Blistein sports shock absorbers, a strut brace for the front suspension to stiffen things up further, 17" alloy wheels, a BOSE audio system, cruise control and Bluetooth compatibility. The PowerShift gearbox comes only with the 2.0-litre engine and shares the Sport specification but without the LSD and the sports dampers. The latest MX-5 Roadster Coupe has improved its environmental credentials. The car's lightweight design gives it a solid base for reducing emissions and enhancing fuel economy and now Mazda engineers have lowered the rolling resistance of the tyres, reduced engine friction and altered the gear ratios to move the game on further. The catalytic converter has also been upgraded to improve emissions performance. Expect to average between 35 to 40mpg on a regular basis, depending on your engine choice, while insurance should be somewhere between groups 11 and 13. The Mazda MX-5 is a tough car to improve upon but the Roadster Coupe just about manages it, effectively offering added capability with - cost aside - almost no downside. With many MX-5 models down the years, the ethos was always less is more. The entry-level car was usually the best bet but the Roadster-Coupe changes this, offering a slightly more mature feel that rewards a bigger engine and more kit. The hard-top version of the MX-5 should definitely bring the car onto the radar of a new group of buyers. The security and refinement associated with the metal roof will certainly appeal and the PowerShift automatic gearbox option will also prove a neat fit with buyers wanting a more relaxed everyday drive.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe range
PRICES: £18,345-£21,695 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 11-13
CO2 EMISSIONS: 167-188g/km
PERFORMANCE: [2.0] Max Speed 131mph / 0-60mph 7.9 [est]
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.8] 40.4mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3995/1720/1255mm