On track, at the historic Goodwood racing circuit in the UK, the car felt beautifully balanced. There’s some initial lean on turn-in to the tighter corners, but then it just plants itself, grips and gets on with business.
The power delivery is so deliciously linear, and the steering so precise, that mid-corner corrections can be made safely for even quicker progress.
It simply doesn’t feel like a sub-100kW car â€" mid-range torque is surprisingly strong all the way up to fifth, rewarded with an audible snarl as you climb the rev counter to 7500rpm.
As accomplished as this thing is on a circuit, that’s simply not where the MX-5 is going to spend most of its time. For a car that revels in a twisty back road, the Scottish Highlands offers a feast of perfectly cambered, undulating bends.
Out here, the Mazda MX-5 is in its element, where sheer power is secondary to supreme chassis balance.
As a corner-carving package, the 1.5-litre simply doesn’t get any better. It’s surprising that with skinny 195mm tyres all round, you’re never left wanting for grip.
That said, the front-mid engine, rear wheel drive layout also offers a playfulness that’s predictable and decidedly satisfying.
The six-speed manual gearbox contributes a lot to this feeling, with a flawless shift even at high revs. The engine spins up fast for perfectly executed throttle blips when downshifting late into corners, leaving you right in the torque band to power out.
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