Just like me, Mazda's MX-5 is swelling as it gets older. Park it next to its 1989 forefather, which I actually did, and it's clear to see that this car, now in its third generation, has been putting on the kilos.
Being familiar with the original version (my father has one), I feared that the latest iteration, with its bloated dimensions, might have lost some of its charm. In this case "charm" is defined as no-frills simplicity, lightness, a cockpit so tight breath mints are a must and a straightforward relationship between driver and road.
Luckily, Mazda understood the appeal of the world's best-selling two-seat sports car (confirmed by Guinness) and, even with its newfound plumpness, it still has most of the ingredients to keep the staunchest MX-5 fans happy.
My father, who knows about as much about cars as I do about geology (he's a geologist), once asked me to find him a "little red convertible" with the only criteria that it had to be small, red and convertible.
This is a guy who believes a car will somehow politely inform you when it needs oil so you'll understand that an Alfa Romeo was out of the question.
The only choice, and this was about 10 years ago, was an MX-5. He loves it. Two seats, two speakers and a radio with two knobs. Oh, and a fabric roof that folds down manually. Simplicity at its finest.
So I popped into dad's place for a visit with the new, recently face-lifted version you see here to find out if it passes the I-know-nothing-about-cars-but-I-still-appreciate-coolness test.
OK, he stutter-stepped at the blaring yellow paint, baulked at the lack of pop-up lights (why couldn't you keep them, Mazda?) and nearly choked at the price (he hasn't bought a new car since 1977) but once in it he approved.
He liked that it still looked like an MX-5. He liked that the controls were easy to use; the radio is very simple with one knob for volume and one for tuning. But first and foremost he liked the way the steel roof opened and closed at the press of a button.
I agree. The original MX-5's fabric roof, although very simple, is impossible to raise while seated. It also had the option of a hard top that was fixed in place at its four corners but required at least two people to lift and took up a lot of space in the garage during summer.
The new MX-5, however, addresses both issues with a nifty electronically folding hard top, that besides being very simple to operate and very fast, also takes up no space in the already bite-sized boot.
BALANCED HANDLING
Driving the new version, I picked up subtle familiarities from old to new such as the weight of the gear lever and the way it bobs and weaves in its gate on startup - and while driving.
This is due to its front-engined, mid-gearbox and rear-drive layout that's also part of the reason for its superbly balanced handling.
A front-wheel drive system such as the one in, say, a Daihatsu Copen(as you can see I'm struggling to come up with a real rival to the Mazda), could never offer the same level of feedback and directness as the MX-5.
Steering is pinpoint accurate and the car's springs and shocks act as four nerve receptors between your brain and the tarmac.
MORE OOMPH NEEDED
Dislikes? Not many but, as I said earlier, I'm disappointed that Mazda deleted the pop-up lights and I'm surprised that the newest variant, even after 21 years, still doesn't have reach adjustment for the steering.
Nonetheless it's easy (for me anyway) to come up with a comfortable driving position by adjusting the seat and steering height.
Lastly, even though this 2010 model will chomp the original 1.6-litre for breakfast, it could still use more oomph. The new two-litre, 118kW/188Nm engine is adequate but that's about all.
It's a very revvy engine that feels and sounds similar to its predecessor, and doesn't mind visiting the rev limiter on occasion, but you'll have to keep the rev-counter needle on the far side of 5000 to keep things on the boil.
I know the purists will hate me, and I'm reluctant to say this, but a cheeky turbo or supercharger would go down like a homesick mole.
VERDICT
I've purposely avoided the word "refined" when describing the new MX-5 because, with the original so trimmed of excess fat, it'd be near impossible. Yes, the newest version has picked up some extra weight but it's all in the right places.
The folding hard top is a nice touch and the pumped-up body is still as cute as ever but Mazda hasn't toyed too much with its original winning recipe.
My father and I stand on opposite ends of the motoring spectrum but we both give the new MX-5 a thumbs up. That has to count for something. - INL Motoring