The now larger than before interior improves the general feeling of
comfort. The leather seats of the tested car perfectly adhere to the contours of the body and firmly keep the passengers in place. The steering wheel, now tilt adjustable, is meaty, grippy and a pleasure to manipulate. The shifter knob remains very near the wheel, perfect for quick moves. The shifter itself glides with ease through the gate. This is a very noticeable difference with the previous car. Another advantage to the extra hip and legroom is the ease with which heel-toeing can be done. It is now possible for me to rotate my knee ever so slightly for a perfect motion.
The fit and finish of the cabin are very good. The materials are of a finer quality, in the Limited at least, and the assemblage is without reproach. The HVAC, audio and steering wheel mounted controls are simple to operate however I find buttons do not belong on the wheel of this type of car. They are more distracting than useful. The Deep Crimson leather seats are exclusive to the Limited as are chrome accents on the dashboard and around the gauges and its 17" alloys. Every Limited model also carries a specific plaque that identifies the car. The Limited will be limited to 3 500 units Worldwide of which 150 will come to Canada. I had the incredible opportunity the test a piece of Mazda History; I drove # 0001!
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| 2006 Mazda MX-5 (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre) |
The new soft top is a "Z" type. This means as it folds down, it takes the shape of the letter Z and the front portion of the roof sits on top when open. Only one latch needs to be undone and then, it is a one hand 2-second job. Geniusly, the roof locks when fully retracted.
Velocity Red Mica is the only color available for the Limited. This paint application is actually done in three steps. The first coat is pink-red in color. Then comes the pearl effect which includes the gold flakes for the sparkle. Finally, the clear is applied and the end result is one of the richest Red colors on the road today (thank you Automotion). Although this shade is exclusive to the MX-5 Limited, the
Mazda 3 and RX-8 can be delivered in the same tint.
TechnicalThe 2006 gets a 2.0L I-4 cylinder with variable valve timing that develops 170 hp (166 with the autobox) at 6 700 rpm and 140 lb/ft of torque at 5
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| 2006 Mazda MX-5 (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre) |
000 rpm. Transmission choices vary between a 5-speed and a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic with steering wheel mounted paddles. The MX-5 is by birthright a RWD vehicle and has 4-wheel disc brakes. The Limited's fully independent sport tuned suspension is accompanied by Bilstein shocks like the sporty GS model. The Limited also inherits the GS' limited slip differential. Steering is engine-speed variable assist type and only needs 2.6 turns from lock to lock.
On the roadThe 2.0L is far more enjoyable to push than the old 1.8L and it is almost as potent as the 1.8L turbo of the Mazdaspeed Miata. Acceleration times are only about a second off from 0-100 km/h: mid 7 seconds compared to mid 6 seconds. The larger displacement engine is more tractable and the extra torque is a welcome addition when taking off from a dead stop. Thanks to a very marginal rise in the weight of the MX-5 over the Miata, the power-to-weight ratio is superior to the previous generation. If the turbocharged 2.3L of the Mazdaspeed 6 can develop 276 hp, a turbocharged 2.0L in the MX-5 should put out somewhere in the vicinity of 210 to 220 hp. I am looking forward to that experience.
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