I was recently invited to a review of the Mazda line up which took place in the Cotswolds, near Stroud. It’s my local stomping ground and the roads around there are fantastic; with a mix of hilly towns to negotiate and, of course, long open stretches of tarmac that we can thank the Romans for designing.

Mazda has an amazing range of cars, including SUV’s (I can recommend the CX-3), very affordable hatchbacks (such as the Mazda 2), saloon cars (Mazda 6) and they even make an estate car, which is becoming a very rare beast indeed. Mazda for me are famous for little sports cars and, alongside the iconic MX-5, they now have the RF version.

A hard-top that folds back at the press of a button
RF stands for Retractable Fastback and instead of a soft-top roof this car has a hard-top that automatically folds back at the press of a button. The key thing is that it’s not a full on convertible but a Targa top, so the centre section is removed. Think the Pontiac Trans Am’s from ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ and ‘Knight Rider’, also, at one point in ‘Goldfinger’, James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5, and all those iconic cars were Targa/T-tops; so once the centre of the roof is removed on an RF you are left with a letterbox rear window and buttresses.

Welcome protection from the elements
Years ago you had to store this centre section in the boot or behind the seats, but the RF’s beautifully designed automatic system means it stores itself. You have the security of a hard-top, but when the “roof” is down, there is welcome protection from the elements due to the rear buttresses. If you have a partner who is particular about turning up without their hair looking like it has been through a hedge backwards, the MX-5 RF is a perfect solution.

The version I drove was the SKYACTIV-G, 2.0-litre four cylinder in-line, DOHC, 16-valve, Euro 6 which puts out 160ps (about 158bhp). It’s a rear wheel drive with six-speed manual gearbox and a whole lot of fun. Kerb weight is a very lightweight 1120kg, including driver. Luggage capacity comes in at 127 litres. Fuel economy is a frugal 40.9mpg and the 2.0-litre engine gets from 0-62mph in 7.4 seconds. For someone who wants a good all round two-seater sports car you can’t beat that data.

The 2.0-litre RF on test started at £25,995, with Soul Red Metallic paint at a £670 option on top. It also had the option of a safety system – lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, etc. – for £400. As standard you get a fantastic BOSE sound system, keyless entry, Bilstein suspension system, smart head light system, navigation; everything you need in a modern car.

Perfectly suited to the changeable British weather
So, in short, the MX-5 RF is perfectly suited to the changeable British weather, it’s a very pretty little thing, will have strong resale values and you don’t need to take a soft-top roof every few years to a professional for rain proofing, hurray. I have seen quite a few RF’S on local roads over the last few months so I have a feeling Mazda are onto another winner.