We had a hunch that hard top MX-5 would follow the original soft top, since that was the case with car in its previous generation. But no, and surpirse, it’s a targa. A retractable fastback. Meet the Mazda MX-5 RF.
At the ongoing 2016 New York Auto Show, Mazda debuted a new sibling to their MX-5 roadster, and the crowd went nuts. Or was that just us?
The Mazda MX-5 has already established itself as a very accessible – and incredibly fun – sports car, but that soft top roof had some practical drawbacks, like a lot of them do.
Which was why, starting with the third generation MX-5, Mazda included the option to buy one with a folding metal roof, the kind of fancy origami that could be found on the Mercedes-Benz SLK (now renamed SLC).
The new Mazda MX-5 RF’s roof alters the car’s profile somewhat, adding a sloping roofline, which lift up and away to allow the neat stowing away of the roof, but cleverly to provide the same luggage space as the soft top
There’s also a retractable rear window for that extra open-air feeling. The new roof can be open or closed while on the move at speeds of up to 10km/h, perfect for impressing people in the same traffic jam.
Other that that, we’re not seeing any additional changes to the car going into 2016. Mazda seem quite confident with the package they got, then. Units sold in Australia will have the SkyActiv-G 2.0-litre petrol engine as before.
No details as yet on what this extra metal will cost over the standard soft top MX-5, nor how much of a weight disparity will result. Those kinds of specifics will be confirmed closer to launch, the time frame of which is still up in the air, but we’ll bring that to you when word gets out too.
