Mazda MX-5: an addictive story

A few years ago a dear friend bought one Mazda MX-5 NB; he did not pay in exchange for rusks and honey as before, but always below the current figures. Friend concerned never tried Miatinaand despite the 1.6 liter having less than half the horsepower of its Mégane RS 265 Coupe (one of the best modern hot hatches) he loved it immediately. It’s easy to understand why: rear-wheel drive, excellent manual gearbox, perfect weight distribution, only one ton of weight, two dry seats and dynamics that you sometimes don’t find in expensive sports cars, all still (almost) human prices.

Bad addiction. To which – as a fan of the MX-5 – I told him: “don’t be carried away by the modification, because you will want it, and you will risk spending more than the price of the car just for the improvement”. In response I received a firm and was convinced “Naaaah, this is the war, just for homework”. Well, after changing and improving the configuration, rims, exhaust, style bar, seats, steering wheel, tires, horns, radiator etc. and so on. and so on. he still does not accept that he fell into the usual Mazda tunnel. Well, it’s still better than heroin. Oh I forgot, a full overhaul is also planned for next year.

HIGHER COST, HIGHER YIELD. In recent times however – and here we come to the crux of the article – they have been installed six-speed gearbox with a self-locking differential, half-costly kidney surgery that dramatically changes the operation. Let’s start with six gears, more thrust than needed: now there is an additional gear, but the ratio is so short that on the highway you are at higher revs than before and on secondary roads you find yourself changing every twenty. meters, like when you drive fifty cars. That’s the advantage the second and third are perfect for mountain trailsmaking full use of and distributing the 7 horse power of Miatina.

GOODBYE CLEARLY DIFFERENT. Wrapping yourself is another matter. While the six-speed gearbox is fun to feel like you’re on a special test every time you climb, the new differential gives driving a completely different flavor. The difference in dryness is not great, the horses are few and even if the level you can cross the NB by playing a lot with the weather and the transfer of cargo, it is on wet asphalt or rain that things get funny. With a self-locking device it is possible to anticipate the crossbar and maintain it with gas with the steering wheel sliding between your hands, without the risk of the inner wheel spinning randomly (unless you lift it) and you standing still, which was very frustrating. If you want, you can also do fun laps on the gravel, a final test to check that the locking device is working as it should.

WELCOME TO THE LIFESTYLE. Getting to this point was not easy, but the beauty of the Miatine is also the bond created between the owner and the Mx-5, each adapted to his personality or driving style. It doesn’t matter if it is NA, ND, NBFL or NC, the potential is endless. This applies more or less to all cars, although the Mx-5 will always occupy a special place in the category, for the thousands of available market segments and for its distribution among enthusiasts. Every extra step requires sacrifice and drinks, but your satisfaction and your smile will make up for any hole in the bank account. Welcome.