2017 Mazda MX-5 RF
Retractable Fastback: nowhere near as
sexy as Targa or Spyder? yet just the same philosophy for a fraction
of the money.
It’s the folding hard-top version of the
new MX-5 and, despite the daft name, one of the stars of this year’s New York
Auto Show.
The implementation is practically
identical to that chosen by the likes of Porsche, Ferrari and McLaren in the
911, 488 GTB and 650S, only Mazda did it the other way round, starting with a
roadster and turning it into a coupe that can also cater for open air motoring.
The MX-5 Retractable Fastback is different. While the NC MX-5 had a
fully retractable top, the ND employs a much more complicated mechanism that
stores the center panel vertically behind the seats and a retractable rear
window. This results in the roof not intruding on luggage space, which is nice
because the 130 lt are abysmal to start with, and necessitates two buttresses.
Thus, Mazda manages to differentiate the
Roadster from the RF visually even with the roof open, whereas in the previous
MX-5 the two looked the same, and makes it hard for the uninitiated to
distinguish it from a true coupe when it’s closed.
Apart from that and a retuned
suspension, the RF is all fourth-gene MX-5, which translates into a 1.5- or
2.0-liter naturally aspirated four (the former not available in the US)
powering the rear wheels through a six-speed manual or auto gearbox.
