It came as a surprise to many when Mazda announced the addition of a power folding roof on the MX-5.  And it’s not just any folding roof; it’s a PRHT or a “Power Retractable Hard Top”.  The new roof is made of composite plastic material instead of metal, making the weight penalty negligible over the standard canvas top model.  Transforming the MX-5 from a road-going tanning salon to a serious racer’s cockpit takes a mere 12 seconds, and all it takes is unlatching the roof and pushing a dash-mounted button.  It’s a real spectacle, watching the roof break into three panels and disappearing into the trunk.  The space penalty’s minimal too—with the cargo space equaling the regular MX-5.  An added bonus is that the MX-5 PRHT looks equally attractive with the roof up as it does with the roof down—something that can’t be said with all other coupe-convertibles.

Mercifully, Mazda didn’t forget the reason for the MX-5’s success and that’s to provide driving entertainment.  Under the shapely hood lies a longitudinally mounted 2.0-liter inline-4 that does 170 horsepower and 189 Nm of torque.  Those output figures certainly don’t scream performance, but with the bantam 1,130 kilogram curb weight, the car feels extremely nippy especially when the short-throw 6-speed manual is put to work.  Aurally, it isn’t the most exciting engine out there, but there’s plenty of push right through the rev range.  100 km/h arrives in 7 seconds, not bad for a car that promises 13.0 km/L on a combined city/highway cycle.

Mazda Philippines’s test unit is a US-spec model riding on an optional Premium Sport package which includes a sport tuned suspension, Bilstein shock absorbers, limited slip differential, dynamic stability control, traction control and 10-spoke 17-inch alloys shod with 205/45 R 17 W-rated tires.  Despite all of these performance technology, the ride is surprisingly supple damping speed bumps and broken pavements that would have otherwise shook out our dental fillings in other more expensive rides.  Despite the extra weight of the roof and associated electrical systems, Mazda suspension engineers have done well and provided for a very neutral balance when pushed hard through a slalom course.  The stability control though is overly cautious, kicking in at slightest hint of provocation.  However, it can be switched off and when it is, the car feels fun, controllable and easy to drive at the limit.

Handing over the MX-5’s keys back to the Mazda people certainly was difficult.  After driving around top up and down with no license plate or insurance sure felt like a recipe for disaster.  But then, don’t we all just love a hint of danger?  With that, we do hope that Mazda’s marketing team would take a leap of faith and introduces this peppy little sports car into the country.  After all, if we were thick skinned enough to ask for a drive, maybe if we used the Pinoy penchant for petitions to good use, we’ll see the MX-5 PRHT sold next to the 3,6 and Tribute before the next Manila International Auto Show.

photo gallery >