2011 Mazda MX-5 GT Road Test

As a young man utterly obsessed with horsepower I didn’t understand the Mazda MX-5  at first. Here was a car that had a meek 1.8-litre engine under the hood, impossibly small accommodations (as evidenced by a woeful lack of stow space for beer on a weekend fishing trip) and–worst of all for a young man–the widely accepted misnomer of ‘chick’ car it possessed. As with many things in life, it took age and experience to truly appreciate the masterful job Mazda has done with this car. Staying true to the original formula it had when it first hit the marketplace in 1989 as the Miata, the MX-5 represents one of those rare cases of an analog driving instrument in a digital world of stability control and computer modules. And it most definitely is not a chick car.

By modern car standards, the MX-5 is a featherweight. Barely straining the scales at just over 1,100 kilograms, it shares the basic makeup of the British sports cars that made their way across the pond after World War Two–light weight, rear-wheel drive, a top that can be stowed away and a sprightly four-cylinder engine driving the rear wheels. This minimalist approach to motoring is intended to connect the driver to his car in an intimate way that’s simply not possible in anything else.

Don’t believe me? If you can find something in the domestic automotive landscape that compares directly to this car, let me know. Other than the now defunct Honda S2000 there really isn’t anything. The Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder we recently tested is a fitting illustration of how sharp the contrast is between the MX-5 and the rest of the offerings in the so-called roadster class.

For 2011, the MX-5 soldiers on relatively unchanged from recent vintages. The engine is a two-litre four banger that doles out 167 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Power is sent rearward through a limited slip differential, and everything is suspended by simple control arms and Bilstein shocks (standard on our up-level GT model).

If you’re furrowing your brow in doubt at those statistics, you are one of those folks who fails to

grasp the concept of numbers that don’t tell the whole story. See, 167 horses probably seems like a thinned out corral to most, but keep in mind it only has 1,111 kg to motivate. While you could never describe it as fast, it certainly never lacks for power, and you can drive it close to 10/10ths more than any other car–immensely satisfying and fun. Handling and braking feel? Similarly awesome. Let’s face it: where else can you tap into the performance of a modern car so easily without being on a racetrack?

On the subject of controls–those at the helm of the MX-5 will find themselves manipulating one of the most responsive and sharpened tools in the entire automobile kingdom. The gearbox has some of the best lever action I have ever encountered–a simple flick of the wrist is all it takes to move it between gates, and the pedals are perfectly placed for heel and toe downshifts. You might want to leave your wide sneakers at home, however; with the wrong footwear you will find yourself pressing the gas as you slow for a stop sign, something I found myself doing often until I busted out the Piloti driving shoes. The fact that shifting gears is so enjoyable is a good thing, because you will be rowing this gearbox plenty; the overall gearing is quite short, meaning 100 kilometres per hour on the highway works out to a busy 3,500 rpm in sixth gear. The ratios between gears are spot-on as well.

You’ll quickly find yourself wringing it out when the occasion permits because it’s so much fun. Like anything, however, you’ll pay a premium in fuel consumption for all that fun. I returned just under 10L/100km during my test which shows my disdain for driving this thing the way we would a Ford Fusion Hybrid. If you choose to be judicious with the throttle, you can bet you’ll be rewarded with long breaks between fill-ups.

And that, dear reader, leads us to the prevailing theme of the MX-5: responsiveness. It permeates every control, every aspect of the car; so much so that you have to recalibrate your driving style–“normal” control inputs feel abrupt and clumsy. Each blip of the throttle, flick of the steering, brush of the brakes…because this thing is so light and balanced, most times a simple graze of the controls does nicely and the car responds with remarkable alacrity. After getting out of the MX-5, even the most engaging cars can feel ham-fisted and cumbersome by comparison. (It’s been said that Mazda is eyeing a weight target of 800 kilos for its next MX-5. While we wholly applaud the ambitious effort, it seems a bit unrealistic after you factor in all the creature comforts demanded by customers these days, and most importantly, safety equipment. Whatever direction they ultimately move in, we can’t wait to try the next one.)

A word about the folding hardtop: it’s brilliant.

I was slightly apprehensive of how the added weight and complexity might dilute the intoxicating driving experience (adding weight in all the wrong places can wreak havoc on the meticulously achieved 50/50 weight distribution) but my concerns were all for naught. Not only does it not interfere with the MX-5’s driving experience whatsoever, it actually adds to it; the top will stow away in just 12 seconds, endowing you with the power to access sun and sky quickly. When the clouds begin to gather, up goes the top and you’ve got a sealed cockpit from the elements, and it’s pretty quiet too. That cockpit, incidentally, is packed with all the features you could want or need (heated seats, satellite radio, power everything). Structural rigidity isn’t an issue in either scenario, with the car feeling as solid as a bridge abutment.

Convertible choices these days are limited, especially if your criteria stipulates something that’s fun and affordable. If you are looking for something that puts you more in touch with the environment around you and you take your driving seriously, the Mazda MX-5 is a timeless package that cannot not be overlooked.

2011 Mazda MX-5 GT- Specifications

Price as tested: $41,690

Body Type: 2-door, 2 passenger roadster

Powertrain Layout: Front engine/rear wheel drive

Engine:  2.0-litre inline 4, DOHC, 16 valves

Horsepower: 167@ 7,000 rpm

Torque (lb-ft): 140 @ 5,000 rpm

Transmission: 6-speed manual

Curb weight: 1,111 kg (2,450 lb)

Fuel consumption: City: 9.7L/100km (22 MPG)

Highway: 7.1L/100 km (40 MPG)

Tagged as: Adam Allen, Bilstein, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Honda S2000, Mazda MX-5, Miata, Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, Piloti