[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.11.1″ background_color=”#ffffff” custom_padding=”0|0px|3px|0px|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”||0px|” transparent_background=”off” saved_tabs=”all”][et_pb_row custom_padding=”18.5px|0px|101px|0px|false|false” custom_padding_phone=”||44.4px|” custom_margin=”|||” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.13.1″ background_image=”http:\/\/www.fastmates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/MX-5-front-beauty.jpg”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.11.1″ text_font=”PT Sans||||” text_text_color=”#ffffff” text_font_size=”72″ text_font_size_tablet=”52″ text_font_size_phone=”34px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” text_line_height=”1.1em” text_text_shadow_style=”preset3″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”620px” custom_margin=”0px||0px|20px” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]The MX-5 Brings Back Carefree Driving Thrills<\/b><\/p>\n
nlike most people, I don\u2019t view cars merely as a mode of transportation. For me, some cars are much more than just an assemblage of steel, plastic, glass and leather: They\u2019re lovingly sculpted works of art, companions that you can take with you wherever you want to go, or to put it more correctly, they take you wherever you want to go.<\/p>\n Moreover, every once in a while, you come across a car all of whose attributes come together in complete harmony to produce something truly special, with just the right styling, the proper measure of performance, the appropriate level of comfort and luxury \u2013 neither too little nor too much, but just right. And of course it has to be a convertible because if we were meant to drive with a roof over our heads we would have all been born wearing steel helmets.<\/p>\n And what if on top of all that the car also offered something that\u2019s increasingly rare in today\u2019s market: a true connection between you, the car and the road?<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a while since I came across anything that came even remotely close to meeting such criteria, but over the weekend I had the pleasure of test-driving Mazda\u2019s new MX-5, and it blew me away. As soon as I saw the car that I was generously trusted with for several days, I couldn\u2019t help walking around it and admiring its lovely design \u2013 both the words adorable and stylish come to mind.<\/p>\n While Mazda has retained the long hood and short-deck proportions of a traditional front-engine, rear-wheel-drive roadster, for 2016 the company has redesigned this famous model for a more contemporary age. I suppose it also helped a lot that the model I drove came in Mazda\u2019s outstanding and rich Soul Red color, which not only gives greater definition to the MX-5\u2019s crisp and elaborate folds and highlights reflections on the curvy sheet metal, but also lends the car a distinct character, making it as much a statement as a delectable roadster.<\/p>\n That color also extends into the interior, on the upper trim of the door panels, going a long way toward creating a connection with the car\u2019s exterior. The dramatic cabin itself is everything you would hope to find in such a roadster. It feels sporty yet mature, well-coordinated and sufficiently stylish and rich without undermining its purpose with excessive lavishness.<\/p>\n Naturally leather is everywhere, from the incredibly comfortable seats and the multifunction steering wheel to the gear shift and the handbrake. The interior of the example I drove came in black with red stitching, even on the dash, a perfect combination with the exterior color.<\/p>\n As you would expect, the cabin is tight, but it\u2019s anything but cramped. In fact, once you settle into the driver\u2019s seat, you feel like you\u2019re in your private space, totally comfortable with everything you need surrounding you, and just where you need it to be. Here\u2019s the best part: It takes about three seconds to pull a latch on the ceiling, release the soft top and push it back to lock it in place behind the seats, and closing it is just as fast and easy \u2013 after seeing this, I\u2019ve become convinced that electric convertible tops are overrated.<\/p>\n While it looks great, feels even better and affords you all the amenities you need in today\u2019s connected world, where the MX-5 truly shines is on the road. Its four-cylinder 2.0-liter SKYACTIV DOHC mill pumps out 155 horsepower and comes mated with a six-speed Tiptronic transmission and a set of paddle shifters. That may not be in the same league as more powerful sports cars, but considering the MX-5\u2019s small stature, its 1,058-kilogram curb weight and fun-oriented mission, it doesn\u2019t need any more power and can get you from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in a little over six seconds.<\/p>\n Driven normally, the MX-5 is an easygoing free spirit, nimble, agile, quick to respond and easy to maneuver. It handles both urban driving and extra-urban cruising with equal finesse, and though the suspension is sporty, it\u2019s neither hard nor tiring. But take the car on back roads in the countryside, change the driving mode to Sport, and the fun begins. With 50-50 weight distribution, handling is also delightful, because the MX-5 responds and reacts just as you need it to. It even oversteers when needed, and corrects itself without drama. Steering in such conditions is critical, and the MX-5 has one of the best I\u2019ve ever come across. It\u2019s incredibly precise, light and perfectly weighted, and somehow manages to convey tremendous feedback while filtering out all the road\u2019s imperfections. Braking is just as confidence-inspiring, capable of stopping the car quickly with no fade whatsoever.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also safe, with both front and side air bags for driver and passenger, anti-lock brakes, stability control, and brake-force distribution and blind sport monitors. And it\u2019s economical, a trait enhanced further by the addition of I-stop, which shuts off the engine when the car is standing still to preserve fuel.<\/p>\n Overall, the 2016 MX-5, which can be had for $47,200 with VAT and another $2,700 for registration, carries on the Miata tradition, and easily ranks among the most singular cars on the market today and will likely become one of the cars we covet and reminisce about fondly decades later.<\/p>\n A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on April 15, 2016.<\/em> Bringing Back Carefree Driving Thrills<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27801,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[170,75,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-flashback","category-mazda","category-reviews","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fastmates.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fastmates.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fastmates.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastmates.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastmates.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27800"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastmates.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27800\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28323,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastmates.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27800\/revisions\/28323"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastmates.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fastmates.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastmates.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastmates.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.10.2″ custom_padding=”3px|0px|2px|0px|false|false”][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0|0px|0|0px|false|false” _builder_version=”3.10.2″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.11″ text_font=”Open Sans||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”17px”]U<\/span><\/p>\n
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.11″][et_pb_row custom_width_px=”830px” use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”2″ custom_padding=”0||||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”17px|||” column_padding_mobile=”on” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” parallax_method_1=”off” parallax_method_2=”off” _builder_version=”3.0.48″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ column_padding_mobile=”on” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off”][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/www.fastmates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/MX-5-front-3Q.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”on” show_bottom_space=”off” _builder_version=”3.13.1″ animation_style=”fade” animation_duration=”500ms” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” animation=”fade_in” sticky=”on”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ column_padding_mobile=”on” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off”][et_pb_divider color=”#aeaeac” _builder_version=”3.11″ custom_margin=”||0px|” custom_css_main_element=”width:130px;” hide_on_mobile=”off”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.11.1″ text_font=”PT Serif||on||” text_text_color=”#363636″ text_font_size=”16″ text_line_height=”1em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”130px” custom_margin=”|||” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]Every once in a while, you come across a car all of whose attributes come together in complete harmony.
\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.11.1″ text_font=”PT Serif||on||” text_text_color=”#363636″ text_font_size=”12″ text_line_height=”1.2em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”130px” custom_margin=”0px||20px|” custom_padding=”0px|||” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.10.2″ custom_padding=”0|0px|0|0px|false|false”][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0|0px|2px|0px|false|false” _builder_version=”3.10.2″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.11.1″ text_font=”PT Serif||||” text_text_color=”#363636″ text_font_size=”48″ text_font_size_tablet=”38″ text_font_size_phone=”24px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” text_line_height=”1.3em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”center” max_width=”900px” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”16px||30px|” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]”It takes about three seconds to pull a latch on the ceiling, release the soft top and push it back to lock it in place behind the seats”
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.10.2″ custom_padding=”0|0px|0|0px|false|false”][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0|0px|0|0px|false|false” _builder_version=”3.10.2″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.10.2″ text_font=”Open Sans||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”17px”]The MX-5 now reflects the \u201cKodo\u201d design philosophy, a trait found on the rest of the Mazda lineup, featuring a low-set grille, finely detailed and stylish Bi-Xenon headlights, LED daytime running lights, arced and curvaceous front wings, and a beautifully sculpted hood that commands your attention, letting your gaze linger on the nuances in the design from the front, down the sensual sides and to the pert rear end with its gorgeous LED tail lamps.<\/p>\n
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.11″ custom_padding=”0|0px|0|0px|false|false”][et_pb_row use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”980″ custom_padding=”34px||0px||false|false” column_padding_mobile=”on” parallax_method_1=”off” _builder_version=”3.0.48″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ column_padding_mobile=”on” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off”][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/www.fastmates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/MX-5-header.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”on” align=”center” _builder_version=”3.13.1″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” animation=”off” sticky=”off”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.13.1″ custom_padding=”37.9063px|0px|29px|0px|false|false”][et_pb_row custom_padding=”3px|0px|4px|0px|false|false” _builder_version=”3.13.1″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.13.1″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/www.fastmates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/MX-5-side-open.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”on” _builder_version=”3.13.1″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” animation=”off” sticky=”off”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.13.1″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/www.fastmates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/MX-5-side-closed.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”on” _builder_version=”3.13.1″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” animation=”off” sticky=”off”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.10.2″ custom_padding=”0|0px|28px|0px|false|false”][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0|0px|0|0px|false|false” _builder_version=”3.10.2″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.10.2″ text_font=”Open Sans||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”17px”]Perched proudly on the dash is a tablet-like 7-inch full-color touch screen that displays all infotainment data, including working navigation, with a Multifunction Commander Control within easy reach on the center console behind the gear shift handle. You also get Bluetooth integration to connect your phone to the car because, after all, the last thing you want to do while driving around in this roadster is to hold a handset to your ear. The MX-5 also comes with an outstanding nine-speaker Bose sound system with speakers installed even in the headrests, as well as ports for auxiliary and USB audio input.<\/p>\n
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.11.1″ custom_padding=”0|0px|0|0px|false|false”][et_pb_row use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”980″ custom_padding=”0||0px||false|false” column_padding_mobile=”on” parallax_method_1=”off” _builder_version=”3.0.48″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ column_padding_mobile=”on” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off”][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/www.fastmates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/MX-5-Rear-3Q.jpg” align=”center” _builder_version=”3.13.1″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” animation=”off” sticky=”off”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.10.2″ custom_padding=”0|0px|2px|0px|false|false”][et_pb_row custom_padding=”35px|0px|0|0px|false|false” _builder_version=”3.10.2″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.10.2″ text_font=”Open Sans||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”17px”]You immediately sense what sets this car apart through the connection you feel with the road. You become one with the car; there is no separation between the driver and the asphalt. Every nuance of the road is transmitted to your fingertips, you feel the car\u2019s capabilities, its limitations. When you hit a bend, you\u2019re in control, and instinctively feel how far you can push the car. And to truly get the best experience out of this car, you have to keep the revs above 3,000 rpm. That\u2019s where the MX-5 comes alive, and takes on the persona of a much quicker roadster.<\/p>\n
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.11.1″][et_pb_row use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”980″ custom_padding=”0||0px||false|false” column_padding_mobile=”on” parallax_method_1=”off” _builder_version=”3.0.48″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ column_padding_mobile=”on” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off”][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/www.fastmates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/MX-5-interior-1.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”on” align=”center” _builder_version=”3.13.1″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” animation=”off” sticky=”off”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"