A convertible for the people

A soft-top two-seat convertible sounds good, feels good and looks good, at least until prospective buyers start over-thinking or someone in the family does it for them. Ultimately, sale-blocking factors include noise, security, convenience, insurance and of course, the cold.

Mazda believes it has come up with the solution to sway those would-be buyers from living vicariously through friends. The hard-top roof on the new 2017 MX-5 RF – which stands for “retractable fastback” – will stow away in some 12 seconds, at speeds up to 10 kilometres an hour. With the roof up, the two-seater becomes a coupe with a quieter and warmer ride, owing to insulation built in the roof panels.

Tom Maloney

With the touch of a button, the driver puts into motion two roof panels which fold behind the seat while the third panel, which is made of glass, drops straight down. The MX-5 soft-top and RF hard-top fold into the same space, leaving trunk space intact. “It’s important for us to explain it in simple terms, but actually, it is like a quadruple Axel for the ice skaters,” MX-5 RF designer Masashi Nakayama said, through an interpreter. “You need high technical competency to be able to do this but when you see it happen, it’s simple in its beauty.”

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Mazda staff wouldn’t provide a figure for the roof’s added heft, though speculation suggests it will be in the 50-kilogram to 60-kilogram zone. “We cut every single piece of hardware that we could, to reduce weight,” Mazda’s chief designer Julien Montousse said.

Tom Maloney

In theory, then, the MX-5’s nimble driving experience will be left uncompromised by the hard-top. “It’s as pure as the car on which it is based, just a little more sophisticated and grown-up,” said Masahiro Moro, president of Mazda North American operations.

First built in 1989 and redesigned for 2016 in its fourth generation, the MX-5 (a.k.a, Miata) was named World Car of the Year at the New York auto show last week. (The third-generation Miata, which debuted in 2006, had options for retractable and detachable hard-tops over the years, but the fourth-generation car was made smaller, demanding new roof engineering).

AP

Otherwise, the RF’s length and width are identical to the 2016 MX-5, while the roofline is higher by the width of a finger. The engine remains a 2.0-litre, 155 horsepower four-cylinder mated to a six-speed transmission (automatic or manual), a combo enabling zero-to-100 km/h acceleration of about six seconds.

The RF styling is unique. Seats are auburn-coloured Nappa leather, and the exterior is characterized by the smooth line joining the roof to the rear part of the car. The slope of the side sections creates a teardrop shape for the cabin. The colour, a machine grey first seen on the CX-9, is meant to “give the impression of a body sculpted from a solid steel ingot,” Nakayama said. Two darkened rear-side windows hide the roof mechanics.

Tom Maloney

For many consumers, the original Miata evoked memories of the MGB, Triumph and Alfa Romeo, sold at a relatively low price. “If you look at the superheroes in film, first, the hero is not affluent or overly arrogant,” Nakayama said, when asked to compare the MX-5 to models from the premium automobile makers. “They have a sense of balance in their personality. And they are extremely honest. … We wanted to make that sort of car. It can be loved by people.”

The fourth generation went back to the car’s roots, moving the driver closer to the road, reducing overall size, and engineering the cockpit to provide the sporty experience. Yet it was purchased primarily by 45-and-up males. In Canada, the MX-5 starts at $31,900 and Mazda believes the RF will tap into a new market though it will be priced higher, likely upwards of $40,000, when made available later this year. In the coupe market, the obvious target for the RX is the Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ; they have a lower MSRP, but they don’t have the retractable roof.

The writer was a guest of the auto maker. Content was not subject to approval.

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