The Mazda MX-5 needs no introduction. And the latest fourth-generation version of the benchmark small roadster has proven to be a worthy successor to the iconic original and raises the bar for delivering pure driving thrills. The newly announced RF (Retractable Fastback), though, with its folding metal roof, is new territory it.
But ever wonder exactly how that works? How much goes on in the 12 seconds it takes to transform from roofless to roofed coupe? Thankfully Mazda has a video about exactly that. You might have to supply your own soundtrack, though.
While it’s definitely a more graceful approach to a hard top MX-5 compared the older model’s clamp-on shell, some worry that the extra weight (40kg) stemming from the added panels and electronic mechanisms to raise or retract the roof will spoil the car’s balance, Mazda rebuts that the drivers will have nothing to worry about.
They’ve even spent a lot of time fine tuning the MX-5 RF’s springs and dampers to cope with the slight difference mass and weight distribution. It’s also been made more compliant ever so slightly as the RF buyers, Mazda’s expects, will use it as more of a cruiser and all-round daily driver than the regular soft-top version, and having a small grocery trip end with a trunk full of broken eggs can be a nuisance given enough time.
But Mazda has also made sure the folding system doesn’t weigh any more or be any more complex than it needs to. Thus, their approach is more like the 911 Targa than the Mercedes-Benz SLK (sorry, it’s SLC now), and can be opened or closed at speeds of up to 10km/h.
The Mazda MX-5 RF, which has only just started rolling off the production line, will make Australian landfall in early 2017 where it will be offered with a 2.0-litre SkyActiv-G four-cylinder petrol engine that generates 118kW and 200Nm.
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