2015 Mazda MX-5 - Prices, pictures, engines and new Sport Recaro edition

The latest Mazda roadster is lighter, faster and sharper looking and promises a return to the 'fun to drive' characteristics of the 25-year-old original car
by Nigel Donnelly
11 November 2015

Mazda has revealed a range-topping MX-5 Sport Recaro limited edition, with a production run of just 600 units.

Priced at £24,295, the MX-5 Sport Recaro sits at the top of the MX-5 range, carrying a £1000 premium over the Sport Nav model on which it is based.

The Sport Recaro MX-5 is so called because of its Recaro seats. It also offers 17in alloys and black aerodynamic bodywork and spoiler - all unique to the special edition. A numbered badge on the interior also signifies the limited-run MX-5. Further interior upgrades include alloy pedals and edition-specific floor mats.

The Mazda MX-5 costs from £18,495, while the Sport Recaro is priced at £24,295.

Mazda's fourth-generation roadster made its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this summer. It is new from the ground up and enters the market with a brand new rear-wheel drive chassis and two new petrol engines, all built using the company’s Skyactiv technology.

Mazda MX-5 program manager Nobuhiro Yamamoto said the new car had to conform to five crucial rules that now characterise the MX-5 – rear drive with a front-mid engine layout, 50/50 weight distribution, minimal “yaw inertia” (how quickly it changes direction), a low kerb weight and affordability.

There are five trim levels for the smaller-engined 1.5-litre model, and five for the 2.0-litre, including the limited-run Sport Recaro edition.

All models get six-speed manual gearboxes, air conditioning, LED headlights and alloy wheels. Stepping up to SE-L gets daytime running lights, climate control, cruise control, DAB radio, Bluetooth and a touch-screen infotainment system. Sport models get automatic lights, heated leather seats, keyless entry and a upgraded sound system. As the names suggest, SE-L Nav and Sport Nav models get satellite navigation for a £500 premium.

Our Verdict

Mazda MX-5 2005-2015

Mazda MX-5

The Mazda MX-5 is still great fun, and more grown up in its third (NC) generation. For pure driving fun, little else gets close

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The 2.0-litre engine is only available on the SE-L and above. Opting for it adds a limited-slip differential, larger 17in wheels a strut-tower brace. Sport models also get upgraded Bilstein dampers.

Other options include a choice of seven colours, a tan leather option and blindspot monitoring on Sport Nav models.

Prices

1.5i SE  £18,495

1.5i SE-L  £19,245

1.5i SE-L Nav  £19,845

1.5i Sport  £18,050

1.5i Sport Nav £18,550

2.0i SE-L  £20,095

2.0i SE-L Nav  £20,695

2.0i Sport  £22,695

2.0i Sport Nav  £23,295

2.0i Sport Recaro £24,295

Read how we got on the Mazda MX-5 through its paces on the track and the road

Yamamoto, who developed the original MX-5 and has worked on all the generations of the car, said he went back to the first car for inspiration.

This latest version reverses the trend of generational changes of MX-5s by being lighter and smaller than the car it replaces. The base model weighs just a shade over one tonne, at 1050kg.

As well as using SkyActiv design to cut weight from the Mazda's chassis, the bonnet, boot and front wings are now made from aluminium – and a lighter material has also been used in the soft-top hood construction.

Additionally, most of the front suspension is aluminium, as is the gearbox casing, the differential casing and the pierced structural bracing that runs down the car’s centre. Many of the components, such as the front upper suspension wishbone, have also been reduced in size.

Weight saving extends as far as reducing the wheel bolts from five to four, possible because the lighter car can use lighter wheels requiring fewer fixings. In turn, this means the brakes can also be smaller, further reducing mass.

The new car is also 105mm shorter in overall length than the outgoing version although its wheelbase has only shrunk by 15mm. It is also 20mm lower, but 10mm wider.

The history of the Mazda MX-5 – picture special

The first model to be shown featured a direct-injection SkyActiv 1.5-litre petrol engine which, like the other petrol units in Mazda's SkyActiv range, features a high compression ratio. The engine is longitudinally mounted in the nose of the car. The car featured a six-speed manual gearbox, but a six-speed automatic transmissions will be offered as an option in some markets.

There's a 2.0-litre engine for some regions, including the UK. Both powerplants are reworked versions of engines already powering the company’s hatchbacks and offer 129bhp and 158bhp respectively.

This represents a small power advantage over the previous generation – our source admitted that the "US market wouldn’t accept less power" – but with the weight savings, superior power-to-weight ratios, extra performance and considerable fuel economy and CO2 advantages have been brought to the MX-5. 

Mazda is already being bullish about the credentials of the new rear-drive chassis which, as before, has double-wishbone front suspension and a multi-link rear end.

Company boss Masamichi Kogai has already talked about the new car recapturing the agility and fun of the first generation model. "The original concept behind the MX-5 was so simple; to offer the pure joy of a lightweight sports car that moves precisely as the driver intends," he said. 

To assist this the engine now sits lower and further back than previously, lowering the centre of gravity and, according to product development boss Nobuhiro Yamamoto, the MX-5 now has a perfect 50:50 weight balance. 

The design work was mainly carried out at the company’s Japanese headquarters under the direction of Ikuo Maeda. Like the company’s recent saloons and hatchbacks it’s referred to as being part of the ‘Kodo’ design philosophy – but it’s a more simple, sculptured look than we’ve come to expect from modern Mazdas. It's more sharp-edged than with previous MX-5s too. 

Celebrating 25 years of the Mazda MX-5 - picture special

Inside, there are plenty of MX-5 hallmarks. It’s still a snug two-seater and it’s still possible to lower the manually operated soft-top hood with one hand. You still sit low in the car but the view out is claimed to be superior as the bonnet has been lowered and the A-pillars and windscreen header rail have been made thinner.

Like previous incarnations, the cabin looks cluttered and all the controls are simple. The centre of the dash top is now dominated by an infotainment screen, derived from the Mazda 3 hatch. Like other Mazdas it’s also controlled by a rotary knob, nestling next to the conventional handbrake. 

There’s also a tangible uplift in cabin quality compared to previous incarnations, with far more soft-touch surfaces and more stowage space. More attention has also been paid to keep passengers from being buffeted whilst driving with the hood down. Mk1 MX-5 fans will also no doubt recognise the headrest-mounted speakers, intended to help maintain music volume with the roof down.

Body-coloured inserts on the door tops are, said Yamamoto, designed to bring the outside into the car’s cabin and break down the “border” between outside and inside that the doors would normally form.

A folding metal-roofed coupé will join the line-up later, as this model currently accounts for 80 per cent of UK sales and is popular among many European and Japanese market buyers. The second generation folding hard-top is said to be lighter and packaged more efficiently, delivering slightly improved boot volume.

To achieve economies of scale, the MX-5 is being developed built alongside the Fiat 124 Spider.

See What Car?'s Mazda Mx-5 video preview

Watch the Mazda MX-5 reveal video

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Comments
46

gussy51

4 September 2014
Worth staying up to watch the reveal - its fantastic! The current car appeared dull to look at and drive so I picked a late second generation car when I changed last. I hope this reverses the MX-5s sales trend and secures the cars future. I will definately be getting one.

abkq

30 January 2015
gussy51 wrote:

Worth staying up to watch the reveal - its fantastic! The current car appeared dull to look at and drive so I picked a late second generation car when I changed last. I hope this reverses the MX-5s sales trend and secures the cars future. I will definately be getting one.

Am I seeing things? Is this a miracle? Try clicking 'next' and be surprised !

abkq

30 January 2015
abkq wrote:
gussy51 wrote:

Worth staying up to watch the reveal - its fantastic! The current car appeared dull to look at and drive so I picked a late second generation car when I changed last. I hope this reverses the MX-5s sales trend and secures the cars future. I will definately be getting one.

Am I seeing things? Is this a miracle? Try clicking 'next' and be surprised !

Nope, it's stopped working again.

ChrisToddRed

4 September 2014
I love it! Mazda seems to be on a roll lately, especially here in the states . Not just with their styling (which i know is completely subjective, but to my eyes, their recent models are quite handsome) but the philosophy and execution of the various models in the range. It seems like cars are finally getting lighter but it's awesome to see the Miata retain a naturally aspirated engine as well. It just seems like a car intended to make driving fun. I totally dig it.

madmac

4 September 2014
It is too bad that all the modern sports cars from this to the SLS AMG that are NOT 2+2 have no room at all behind the seats for anything! in my TR6 and MGB i used to stuff suitcases,banjos,golf clubs,and even the occasional person behind the seats.You could even cram someone behind the seats in a Midget or TR3 ! i know,I did it!

Madmac

Tom Chet

4 September 2014
It looks fantastic, not as clean and simple as the fantastic mark 1 (admittedly an Elan clone) but I think the slightly 'tougher' looks are appropriate. I particularly like the rear lights. I was rather surprised to read the correspondent's view that "Like previous incarnations the cabin looks cluttered and all the controls are simple." The cabins of previous versions of the MX-5 had always struck me as relatively uncluttered. It sounds like all version will be stuck with that stupid iPad screen on the dash; that's a shame - wish it was optional at least.

mr.ed

12 October 2014
This car is for driving, pure and simple. Anything that detracts/distracts is unneeded, IMO. My '06 is fine, but could use more lower end grunt and better lumbar support in wider seats. To hell with the rest.

Greenracer

4 September 2014
I always lusted after a MX5, but never fitted into the cabin. I wonder if the steering wheel adjusts fore and aft and up and down ? The boot lip is rather high on this new car, but that's not really important. This is the first car for ages that I like the look of !

Marv

4 September 2014
but was straight on the website at when I woke 5:15 this morning. I really like the subtle aggression of the front end and the simplified dash arrangement. I'm not totally sure I like the styling of the rear end though...... I think it may grow on me. Looking forward to confirmation of the engines on offer; 180BHP in a lighter car sounds like a recipe for even more fun. If the starting price will be around £20k, it would be a good entry point to MX-5 fun.

"Why is http://www.nanoflowcell.com not getting more media attention? It could be the future... Now!"

michael knight

4 September 2014
Interior looks amazing - leaps and bounds over the last one. Great stuff. Exterior less convincing, looks like one you need to see in the metal. A little like a Jag F-Type got shrunk in the wash..But overall what a great car!

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