What's the news?
Mazda's MX-5 seems like it can do no wrong, and its position as the small sports car of choice is seemingly about to be further cemented with the arrival of the catchily-named MX-5 RF Retractable Fastback. This features a retractable (duh) three-piece roof that's rather reminiscent of a 911 Targa, and unlike many cars with folding metal roofs it actually looks really nice...
The roof can be opened in 12 seconds at speeds up to 10km/h, and the flying-buttress design means there's no reduction in boot space. Weight is slightly increased thanks to the roof structure, but it shouldn't affect the MX-5's dynamics too much. The same 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engines as the Roadster can be specified, with the latter unit only available in the GT trim level. This means gunmetal-finish wheels, piano black mirrors (1.5-litre model only), heated leather seats and a Bose sound system among other niceties.
The combination of GT trim and bigger engine also nets you a limited-slip differential, 17-inch wheels (instead of the regular 16-inch items) and a strut brace along with trick Bilstein dampers. There's also a moody new Machine Gray paint available on the outside, and the MZD connect infotainment system and LED headlights are standard on all models.
Production of the RF has already started at Mazda's Hiroshima factory, and the car will be available over here from January onwards at a starting price of €31,495.
Skip over to www.mazda.ie for further details and specifications.