Well if there's one way to be optimistic about the falling temperatures and dark nights of winter, it's thinking about next spring already. And what says spring on PH more than an MX-5? With production of the
MX-5 Retractable Fastback
having just begun at Hiroshima, UK prices and specs have now been announced.
The range kicks off at £22,195 for the 1.5 SE-L Nav, meaning that the RF isn't available in SE spec and also that the RF carries a £2,000 premium over
the roadster
. The other 1.5-litre option is the Sport Nav, which adds equipment like leather, keyless entry, parking sensors and a stereo upgrade, available at £24,795.
Prices for the 160hp 2.0-litre cars begin at £23,095 for the SE-L Nav; remember too that the 2.0-litre cars bring 17-inch wheels and a limited-slip diff. Upgrade to the Sport for £25,695 and both Bilstein dampers and a strut brace are added to the standard spec. An automatic gearbox will be offered on the 2.0 Sport Nav too, the first time the ND MX-5 has had the option. It costs £27,095.
At the top of the MX-5 RF range - for 500 cars at least - is the Launch Edition, based on the Sport Nav but adding a twin-tone roof, BBS wheels, black door mirrors and Recaro seats. Available in either grey or red, it costs £28,995. One for the collectors perhaps.
In its quest to maintain the fun of the standard car while adding "enhanced cabin comfort and a refined ride", Mazda has retuned both the suspension and steering for the RF. In addition there's a sound absorbing headliner and new insulation around the rear wheel housings to make it quieter with the roof up.
Dimensions for the RF are identical to the MX-5 roadster bar a 5mm increase in roof height. Frustratingly a weight hasn't yet been disclosed; back at New York that Mazda said the penalty was "not much more" than the 37kg added for the previous Roadster Coupe.
With that old RC accounting for a decent chunk of NC MX-5 sales, expect this new Retractable Fastback to prove popular too. Pre-orders are being taken now, and we'll endeavour to get a drive in one as soon as possible!