After Their 2015 MIAS Preview, Mazda Philippines Launches The MX-5

The Mazda MX-5 is one of the world’s best sports cars. It wasn’t known for blisteringly fast acceleration times, or the fastest runs around the Nurburgring. Rather, it was designed around the driver, how every sensation in the driving experience feels. Everything that a proper sports car should’ve had all this time, because, after all, fun is why we buy sports cars, right? Well, the new MX-5 is now here, right now, on sale for those lucky enough to have a slot for a 2-door sports car inside their garage.

The Mazda MX-5 has been completely redesigned from the ground up. While Mazda’s Kodo makes the MX-5 look completely different from the car it replaces, its silhouette is still unmistakably an MX-5. There’s no denying the proportions that made the MX-5’s shape ever so iconic.

Inside, compared to the previous generation, this new MX-5 has an excellent way of making the interior feel spacious. Thanks to a contrasting blend of white and dark materials, the interior design is very eye catching. High quality materials are used all around, and it’s an interior that’s hard to fault. Mazda’s excellent MZD Connect infotainment system dominates the center stack. In a pursuit to further reduce weight, the roof is made out of lighter materials, and the roof operation is easier than ever. Just pull a knob behind the center armrest, and once the roof pops out, just pull it towards the latching points, and lock the roof. A mechanism so simple, it’s simply perfect for our unpredictable weather conditions.

Our Mazda MX-5 will be powered by a bigger engine option, the 2.0 liter engine option to be exact. It’s the same engine found in the Mazda 3 2.0 R variants. The engine produces 158 hp and 200 Nm of torque, and can be mated to either a good ‘ol 6-Speed Manual, or a 6-Speed Automatic.

Tom Matano, the designer of the first generation Mazda MX-5, was present at the launch event. He calls this new MX-5 a good successor. The design is properly modern, but is unmistakably an MX-5. Even if this car totally fits in the modern times, there’s no denying that, even from hundreds of meters away, the car will be easily identified as an MX-5.

The Mazda MX-5 carries a long tradition of affordable yet extremely fun to drive sports cars. It’s clearly the antithesis of what sports cars are nowadays. Sports cars these days aim to have the fastest 0-100 km/h sprint times, or the fastest lap times in the Nurburgring (though this has now been banned), but even if you are travelling at a fast speed, as you having as much fun as the guy driving a slower, measlier, but much more fun to drive MX-5?

Pricing:

MT: P1,680,000
AT:  P1,860,000