Mazda MX-5 2.0 135 kW offers even more fun

Considering that there are not so many of them in our country, since the car is much more suitable for a warmer climate (the exception, of course, is English), first a brief recollection. The Mazda MX-5 was introduced back in 1989 and entered the Guinness Book of Records as the best-selling roadster. He has already made more than a million customers happy.

The updated Mazda MX-5 will appear in Slovenian showrooms next spring.

It has changed shape three times in three decades, so it is now the current fourth generation, and the 2016 Mazda MX-5 is also available with a hardtop and RF branding.

No matter what kind of roof it has, the world record holder is the Mazda car, which is closest to the philosophy of Mazda Jinba Ittai, according to which the driver and the car are characterized as one.

The driving experience remains unrivaled. Genuine, adventurous, sometimes unpredictable, if, of course, exaggerated. Even the Japanese cannot outsmart physics. Although the MX-5 is considered one of the most manageable cars, and now even more so, since the MX-5 not only has a more powerful engine, but also added some "little things" that are very important for many drivers.

The new wheel colors, and in some markets also the brown tarpaulin, do not help drive the car, but they certainly make the steering wheel move. If anywhere, then in a car on which you can easily slide around corners, the position of the driver is important. And this one can now finally be what it should be, as the new MX-5 will also offer a depth-adjustable steering wheel.

An even more important innovation is a suite of security assistance systems integrated into a technology package called i-Activsense. It includes city emergency braking that detects both cars and pedestrians, emergency reverse braking, a rearview camera, driver fatigue detection, and a traffic sign recognition system. The credit for additional systems can be attributed mainly to the new camera that “looks” in front of the car and replaces the radar. The problem with the Mazda MX-5 was that the car was very low, which limited radar performance. The camera has a better viewing angle, which has opened up possibilities for new security systems. At the same time, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity systems will be available with certain equipment packages.

The MX-5 accelerates from standstill to 100 kilometers per hour, half a second faster than its predecessor with the same two-liter engine.

In the engine? The 1,5-liter has remained more than unchanged, but the more powerful one has been modified enough, and now the two-liter will have 184 "horses". With 24 additional horses, they also changed performance as the engine now spins from the previous 6.800 rpm to 7.500 racing. The engine torque has also slightly increased (five Newton meters). Add to that the updated exhaust system, which is now advertised more sportively, it becomes clear which keys the newcomer will press.

And as far as we succeed, we tested it on one of the most beautiful mountain roads in the world - the Romanian Transfagarasan road. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating this praise a little, as the guys from the Top Gear show described it, but I've tried quite a few roads around the world and I wouldn't put Romanian at the very top. Mainly due to dense and slow traffic and poor ground in some areas. However, the 151 km road rises to a height of 2.042 meters at its highest point, which of course offers countless twists and turns. And Mazda MX-5 coped with them almost without problems. It's clear that the driver can always need even more power, but on the other hand, the connection between traffic and driver in the Mazda MX-5 is second to none. Especially now.