Can’t afford 911 Targa? Mazda MX-5 RF will do
Mazda has been cribbing Porsche’s Targa design with the newly-launched MX-5 RF – the latest to get its shot at public fame at the New York Motor Show.
The retractable Hardtop version of Mazda’s infectious rear-wheel drive sportscar retains a lot of that modest recipe but eschews the fabric cloth roof for further fixed styling points. Apparently unable to put a foot wrong, the new Mazda MX-5 RF is a stroke of genius in a segment that meets the Toyota 86 halfway.
The fully automated roof (this first time offered in a Mazda MX-5) can be operated below 10km/h and by some miracle of engineering folds into a space no bigger than the soft top’s, leaving its owner with the same (insufficient) 130 litres of boot space.
How the Mazda MX-5 RF jiggles free of its roof is something to behold. The front and middle sections of the roof fold away behind the front seats where it meets up with the rear glass section. You need to see it up close but when the RF arrives with a price premium you’ll understand why.
Revised suspension and new feel from the power steering have been developed for the car’s quieter and more comfortable persona. Extra sound deadening has been packed in those moveable panels and under the wheel arches.
Mazda MX-5 RF will be powered by the same 2.0-litre normally aspirated Skyactiv engine but performance could be hampered by what we assume will be a slightly heavier kerb mass. In certain markets the car will be offered with a six-speed automatic but Mazda South Africa is still finalising those details.
