A new smiley face is the most obvious feature of Mazda's latest MX-5 revamp but a host of detail improvements are claimed to make the car more fun to drive than ever.
Just revealed in Japan, the revised MX-5 will go on sale in the UK early next year. As well as featuring Mazda's five-point grille styling, there’s a stronger ‘character line’ running along the bottom of the body that kicks up into the rear bumper. The headlamps have been slightly reshaped while the rear lamps have been updated and a large black ‘diffuser’ added.
Inside there are decorative trim changes while the dials have been redesigned to make them easier to read.
Mazda's 2.0 litre DOHC engine features a newly forged crank for extra strength, with fully floating piston pins and revised valve springs. Maximum output (not quoted) is now delivered at 7000rpm, up from 6,700rpm, and the engine rev limiter has been stretched by 500rpm – so you can now wind the MX-5 up to 7500rpm, with a wider power band at higher engine speeds.
A novel innovation is the 'Induction Sound Enhancer'. According to Mazda's press release this ‘amplifies the throbbing noise generated as air is sucked into the engine and reverberates it around the cabin for an even better driving experience' - crikey! UK prices will be announced soon, but the new line up is available in Japan from a little over £16k.