The Test Car of the Year arrived on the day the MX-5 Mazda appeared in my lane. The Wish Fulfillment Division recently unveiled a white leather retractable hard-topped version of the Deep Crystal Blue Mica called the MX-5 Miata RF Grand Touring. With minor changes, the basic design of this small two-seater roadster has been in use for more than 30 years. For the first two decades, a soft convertible roof was the only way out. Mazda recently designed a safer roof for the MX-5 that folds and is stored in a well behind the seat. With just one press of a button on the dashboard, it can accomplish the feat of origami. Surprisingly, the RF model weighs just over a hundred pounds more than the rag top. However, you get extra security, i.e. the glass rear window is surrounded by a fixed anti-roll rod-like structure that remains upright even when the roof is retracted.
Driving RF is an escape from the car's past, when simulating steering, braking, and throttle response became routine. Your actual mechanical input determines how the MX-5 responds, so there are no digital conversion factors to spoil the fun. The most prominent clue to Miata's pure sports car identity is the lack of a fake "sport" or "sport +" dial that simulates sportiness. The MX-5 replaced today's manufacturers of digitally manipulated throttles and steering responses, eliminating this falsity and replacing it with the real thing. Flick the steering wheel and the MX-5 responds immediately. Gradually press the throttle and watch as the speed rises exactly as you instruct. The MX-5 offers a range of sensory rewards that are almost gone today.
You can equip your Miata with multiple levels of décor, starting with the Fabric Roof Club model, which starts at $33,045. This version includes a Bose 9-speaker sound system, 17-inch alloy wheels, and a black front and rear spoiler. The Grand Touring RF model we tested started at $34,525. In addition to the retractable roof, the GT added an adaptive headlamp system, heated leather trim seats and a Mazda navigation system. The only additional charge is $300 for a striking white Nappa leather seat. The GT kit also upgrades the suspension with motion-tuned springs and anti-roll bar rates controlled by Bilstein shock absorbers at every corner. The 17-inch alloy rims feature track-fit Bridgestone Potenza S001 spokes (205/45R17) for ferocious grip on the sidewalk.
Over the decades, Miata's power output has gradually increased from 116 horsepower and 100 pound feet. Torques up to 181hp and 151lb.-ft. of torque. However 2,189 lbs. The weight of the first-generation 1992 Miata increased to only 2,427 pounds. For RF GT models. Do the math and you'll see that the power-to-weight ratio of the original Miata (18.87lb/hp) has been greatly improved to 13.40lb/hp in the current version. This quantum jump in motivation takes the MX-5 RF GT to a whole new level of performance. It finishes standing a quarter-mile in 14.5 seconds at 94 mph and sprints from 0-60 mph in 5.7 seconds. In anyone's book, this is fast. Judging by the ancestors' Miata logs, this is amazing. Considering the car's lightning-fast steering, the best parts of the newly discovered speed are its controllability, excellent progressive braking and excellent manual 6-speed transmission. Clutch pulls up very smoothly, short transmission travel means you won't miss shifting, and high gravity direction changes require neck supports for your passengers.
In an episode of Twilight, a busy advertising executive takes himself from Madison Avenue back to the turn-of-the-century town of Willoughby, "where one can fully enjoy life." "The MX-5 RF is a sports car that allows you to fully enjoy driving. Seize the opportunity because it is rarely available anymore.
2021 Mazda MX-5 MIATA RF GRAND TOURING
Engine: 2.0-litre in-line four-cylinder, DOHC, 16 valves, aluminum block and head, DFI
HORSEPOWER: 181hp@7000rpm
Torque: 151lb.-ft.@4000rpm
Fuel Economy: 26 MPG City/34 MPG Highway
Test price: $7703