Mazda Mx-5 2.0 160 HP, the feel of the side of the world's favorite spider - Sports Cars
As I see it, Mazda Mh-5 it's a rebel machine. She doesn't care about numbers and lap times, like most modern sports cars, she goes straight to the heart. Convertible, manual transmission, rear-wheel drive, naturally aspirated engine and a strong and masculine look.
Lighter, faster
Turning around I find links to Jaguar F-Type in the back and a Viper in the front, with a long hood and bad thin headlights, but maybe because my vision is blurry. This car is fun, it really is. He is not as professional and bully as she is Toyota GT86, in many ways a similar machine, but it tickles all the senses and conquers with its character.
Il 2.0 Skyactiv-G engine it's a surprise: it's stretchy and has a sophisticated metallic sound, but you'll still have to nudge the pointer towards the red zone to enjoy what it has to offer. A hundred kilograms less than the previous generation, the Miata gained unexpected speed. Data states 0-100 km / h in 7,3 seconds and 214 km / h top speed; these are not impressive numbers, but the sense of speed that the Japanese spider conveys is definitely heightened.
Immediately and ready to play
It goes faster, harder than it should be, also because it's not the most comfortable car to ride at its limit.
You don't need to drive like Colin McRae enjoy Mazda Mx-5 but it is enough to walk, and better - to trot. Rear-wheel drive always helps to close the corner, and from the rear - more than from the steering - there is a lot of clear and convenient information. That's not to say the Mazda Mx-5 is wrong with that thought (you should be looking for oversteer), but you can feel the limited slip rear differential working in every downshift and every tight turn.
In fact, every mechanical part of the car that works is clearly perceived, an increasingly rare feature in modern cars. The gearbox is a real monument to analog driving: the lever is short, the handle is strong, the clutches are dry and precise. Maneuvering is so pleasurable that you shift into more gears than you should, just for the fun of it.
Ad normal gait the change becomes more or less optional: engine 2.000-cylinder 160 cc engine cm, with a capacity of 200 hp. and 50 Nm of torque is so flexible that at 6.000 km / h you can turn sixth without batting an eye, but what taste? Examining the red area of the tachometer (XNUMX RPM limiter) is much more rewarding and also satisfies your ears and the hearing of passers-by. The scream of the engine is metallic, but not deafening, slightly retro and, above all, genuine.
Lo steering it's good for progress and weight, but doesn't tell you everything you want to know, especially about speed; however, this does not spoil the driving experience in the least, also because the available grip is clearly felt in the hips. Load shifting is easy to play with—partly because the MX-5 leans a little—and mid-corner you can shift the car's balance from understeer to oversteer.
It's amazing how you can overcome the same curve in many different ways. You can enter cleanly with a little steering, direct the cable and let the flat car slide out by opening the steering and pressing the throttle; or you can enter with determination, give the steering momentum when inserting (and brake if necessary), and exit with a slight skid and full throttle. Or drive slowly with your right pedal sunk in and wait for the differential to do its job and the rear Bridgestone Potenza screeches.
However, this is not a machine designed for to drift: the tires grip too much and the steering return makes it difficult to react accurately. so you find yourself making short but extremely fun turns.
findings
Difficult to compare Mazda Mh-5 to another car, perhaps because its biggest rival is the version that preceded it. This latest generation is smaller, lighter, sleeker and faster, while still sporting plenty of accessories and a noteworthy level of trim. However, I believe that the qualities of the Hiroshima spider are measured by the smile that imprints on your forehead. The Mx-5 is one of those machines that entices you to make the long drive home, even when it's raining.
It is very machine nice to anyone, from those who want to walk on the sea to those who like to burn tires for trekking days. You don't need to be a driver or a master of counter-steering to enjoy its qualities; the relationship that is established with her is so intimate that any treat, slow or fast, becomes a joy to the senses.
On the contrary, the dynamic qualities of this new generation are not compromised: Version 2.0 has the extra power, and the limited-slip differential allows for the maneuvers that every enthusiast craves. price 29.950 euro... Long live the Mazda Mx-5.
