The Mazda MX-5 has enjoyed global success and near-universal praise in every form that it has taken. It is a common sight on British roads all year round and every current or former owner I’ve spoken to has a lot of love for the compact roadster. The MX-5 continually does well in reviews and group tests alike, is usually on the radar of anyone who’s after a sports car and is often right at the top of the shortlist for those wanting an affordable sports car. So is it worthy of being the obvious choice? There’s only one way to find out.

The “NC” is the third generation MX-5 which launched in 2005, having been previewed by the Ibuki concept of 2003. Being released in the age of the coupe-cabriolet, a folding hardtop was available alongside the classic fabric roof. This increased the weight by 43 kg over a fabric-roofed roadster, but 1,153 kg is hardly elephantine is it? Initial versions had a strong resemblance to the original NA generation, however an early facelift after just three years in production brought about a styling overhaul that made the model look like a true successor to the second generation NB model - at least in terms of its front bumper design. The oval grille and headlights were out and a larger, inverted D-shaped grille with angled side inlets and lights were in. 

The metal roof was very popular in the UK with the promise of greater isolation and refinement - as was the larger of the two Ford Duratec-based engines; a 1.8 litre and 2.0 litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder were available, with the smaller option sending 126 bhp and 123 lb ft to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual transmission. The 2.0 litre option gained an extra ratio, along with an increase in power and torque to 158 bhp and 139 lb ft respectively. Ask anyone who’s never owned an MX-5 and they’ll tell you that the bigger engine is the one to have and that the 1.8 is terrible in every measurable way…probably. 

My last two MX-5 experiences (NA and NB models) required the roof to be lowered for me to be comfortable and not a stressed member of the chassis. Luckily, the NC’s biggest criticism at launch - it being too large - allowed me to slip into the cabin and keep my head straight. At 6’3” my view is through the top of the windscreen, but I don’t have to arch my neck to see the road ahead, which is a good thing. The thin two-piece seats help to make the cabin hospitable for taller occupants and provide good levels of comfort and support, although the lack of adjustable head restraints means that only the base of my skull gets a place to rest when leaning back.

The thin-rimmed steering wheel doesn’t adjust for reach so my seating position ends up being a little further forward than I’d like, but it doesn’t take long to realise that I’ll be using the centre of the bonnet bulge and the visible front wheel arch blister as my yardsticks for placing the car on the road. Before heading off, I ask owner Mark two key questions: “Does it have one of those handles that you have to pull to get the roof to lower or lock?” and “Are there any mechanical quirks?” The answer to the first question is yes: one must press a button and pull a lever to unlock the roof, before pressing and holding a button on the dashboard until the car beeps at me to tell me that the mechanical ballet has been completed. With the cover rising out of the way fairly quickly, the two-piece roof falls into the recess behind the cabin faster than a semi-sealed pot of yoghurt falls out of the fridge.

In answer to the second question, Mark says “the gearbox needs to be warm before it shifts smoothly…and the air conditioning doesn’t work!” In a rare case of Japanese unreliability, a blown fuse killed the roof, stereo and traction control - a bit of fuse box roulette brought back everything but the air con.

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With clear blue skies and not a morsel of moisture on the horizon, the non-functioning air conditioning wouldn’t be an issue and the MX-5 would be tested as Toshihiko Hirai, chief engineer of the original NA Mazda Roadster, intended: with the roof down. At this point, I reach for the centrally mounted window switches, drop the handbrake, press the clutch pedal to the carpet, grab the narrow gear stick for the first time and immediately stall the car. I start the car again, repeat the steps and try to find the biting point with a little less haste this time, before stalling it for a second time. I’ll freely admit that I am not the greatest operator of a manual gearbox, but the last time I stalled two times in a row was on an inclined slip road in the fastest car I’ve ever driven - a rented Ford Kuga.

As it happens, the saying “third time lucky” exists for a reason and the MX-5 and I finally advance towards my testing grounds, taking the indirect route all the way. Village roads give me a good first impression of the steering - it’s heavy and direct: exactly how I like it. The car is quick to change direction even at 30 mph so I use the meandering streets and parked cars to get a feel for how much lock is needed. 

Within two minutes of setting off, the car is already telling me that I can trust it to tackle corners well. My intuition to use the flat bonnet with its almond-shaped indentation to position the car turns out to be spot on, and the car is easy to place as the national speed limit sign beckons. The powertrain is still warming up, but some gentle throttle application returns an instantaneous reaction, with the 2.0 litre engine having no issue swiftly doubling my speed from 30-60 in fourth gear. 

I take some time to get better acquainted with the gearbox and acclimatise myself to the very short throw and narrow gate that the shifter moves around. MX-5s are known for this setup and although it seems like the distance between first and fifth is narrower than a £2 coin, I have no issues selecting the right gear each time.

I get even more practice as Sunday traffic brings out the infamous 45 mph everywhere-category of driver, who are only ever seen on the 7th day of the week or tailgating people who obey the speed limits in villages. This gives me some time to get used to the car’s brakes as 45 mph quickly becomes 14.5 mph on any bend with more curvature than a cucumber. 

Impatience gets the better of me and I head for less populated routes, briskly getting up to speed and enjoying the smooth ride from the suspension and 17” 5-V-spoke wheels on each corner. With the roof down on a perfect day in a naturally aspirated manual sports car, I can’t help but wonder whether I am enjoying a false sense of security that will turn into disappointment on twisty roads? As luck would have it, the mild sense of apprehension goes completely unfounded.

Exiting another village, a long left hander heads up and over a railway bridge before immediately arriving at a 110-degree right hander. I apply full power in third, see the needles rise and feel the car lean a touch before the road straightens out and crosses the East Coast Main Line. I tap the brakes which quickly bring my speed back down, drop a ratio and let the confident front end pull me around the hairpin, before quickly getting on the power again and exploring the full range of notes on offer from the car’s rev range. 

4,000 rpm is where the four-cylinder becomes tuneful, with 4,500 revs being the crossover from singing to shouting, before positively screaming at 6,500 rpm towards the red line at 7,200. Peak power feels as if it is reached around 6,750 rpm so there’s no real need to rev it past this point, but the sound on offer is reason enough to do so. The torque on offer feels plentiful from 2,000 all the way to 5,000 rpm so it is possible to briskly make progress without telling everyone in a three-mile radius that you’re getting a wiggle on. The engine note is raspy rather than boomy and it settles down when cruising, but the perfect soundstage that an open-top car provides is too inviting not to make the most of it.

With the red line reached and second gear switched for third, I check the other large round dial and see that the perception of speed from my driving position doesn’t quite match what the speedo says; it’s the opposite of the smart roadster where 35 mph seems like the speed of sound. The MX-5 has rather long gearing - much like the Nissan 350Z which will feature in Attainable Performance: Part III - so if I want to consistently hit the red line without getting my friend’s car repossessed by the local rozzers, I’ve only got two gears to play with which is rather frustrating as the engine really does reward the driver with power and noise when sent towards the rev limiter. The low gears seem to be too long, yet the high gears seem to be too short. It should be the other way around with first through third shortened, fifth and sixth lengthened for greater cruising prowess, and fourth left as it is. The ratios are the only consistent source of frustration that the drivetrain provides, so to enjoy the rev range to the full I must head towards some slower corners.

The little Mazda continues to inspire confidence under braking. There is noticeable weight transfer as the nose dips under hard braking, before it leans on its sidewalls through corners, but not rolling excessively once. It’s much like a Renault Sport Clio 182 in that regard, as there is so little mass to move around that the changes in pitch and roll are consistent and never catch me out; the car is wonderfully composed and this composure is a guiding hand, rather than an intimidating one that is preparing to smack me if I make a sharp adjustment to the steering, throttle or brakes mid-bend.

The steering remains heavy, but quick and consistent, with only the slightest bit of correction required to undo a little too much turn-in. As a right-hander turns to a left, I notice that a relatively small amount of lock is all that’s needed to get the MX-5 to head in the opposite direction, and that my hands don’t cross over with the wheel staying within 25 degrees of centre, even in tighter turns. It all feels very natural, and as I unwind the wheel and accelerate down a straight, the engine picks up with no delay and I catch the next Sunday driver in no time at all. Still used to automatic kickdown in my C-Class, I forget to drop from fifth to third to complete an overtake but even at lower revs in higher gears, the lightweight roadster picks up speed with little effort and I once again have an unspoilt view of the road ahead. 

My latest manual-prompted blunder highlights that power-to-weight is often as important as outright grunt; weighing only 1,132 kg and having 158 bhp to deploy means that the magic ratio stands at 138.6 bhp per tonne. In isolation, the car never feels like it’s underpowered and the performance on offer is more than enough for the type of driving that I’m enjoying for this test, despite being used to 50% more power and three times the torque in my C-Class. 

I get the sense that the engine and the chassis could handle more output, so it’s no surprise that the aftermarket has catered to that wish with countless powertrain upgrades ranging from inlets and exhausts to superchargers and turbocharger kits. In my view though, for the sort of driving that I enjoy and if I had one of these as a second car, I’d leave the performance figures as they were when it left the factory. Daily use might see me succumbing to temptation and browsing the BBR GTi website though.

Enjoying a cruise between villages, the car quickly reverts to being a relaxed roadster that would be a good companion for aimlessly driving around the county in no hurry on a summer evening. I reach for the centrally-mounted window switches which appear to have moved since setting off so that I can make the cabin as exposed as possible without kicking the windscreen out of its frame. As far as convertibles go, the moving refinement is impressive with the small wind deflector that sits between the roll hoops doing a mighty job of reducing buffeting in the cabin. At a 60 or 70 mph cruise in top gear, the sound from the exhaust plays second fiddle to the air rushing past but that is the case with almost every convertible I’ve driven, save for the wonderful Audi R8. 

Having successfully completed sharp chicanes, the next test involves my favourite sorts of corners: high speed sweepers. I wonder if this is where the Michelin e-Primacy tyres fitted to this example - designed for electric cars - will finally start to come unstuck?

Of course not, but the cheeky roadster showed me its playful side during an over-exuberant entry into a slippery, newly-resurfaced T-junction which gave me my first and only hint of understeer as the front washed out. The solution? Power! The rear end kicked out a touch, before the traction control stepped in to keep the car in check, doing so smoothly and progressively rather than completely killing the power and unsettling the car. I’m certainly not a drifting professional, but the car felt very forgiving as it broke traction before gently helping to get all four wheels pointing in the same direction, and as if it would be easy to maintain a slide with the traction control switched off if I was that way inclined.

Knowing where the limits of adhesion lie and how the car will behave when it passes them, I trust that the sweepers won’t be a problem for the MX-5. Indeed, the trust is repaid as the 50:50 weight distribution, composed body movements and progressively sharp steering are a perfect combination for a series of 5 connected bends that get tighter as we head downhill, necessitating some gentle trail braking towards the end of the sequence. The Mazda seems to revel in this particular stretch of tarmac, and invites me to lean on it and push it just a little further so that it can show how well it can take a high speed bend. With the sun reaching the highest point in the sky and my skin ignoring the presence of SPF50 on it, it’s time to put the roof back up before returning the car to its owner.

The roof takes next to no time to raise although the manual locking is something I’m struggling to get used to after years of driving convertibles that don’t require any input other than pressing a button. It’s a long-standing task to manually lock or unlock the roof to and from the windscreen frame in the MX-5; perhaps it’s like how the Porsche 911 stuck with a key-shaped starter switch long after the requirement to insert the key into an ignition barrel was done away with, and is just part of what makes the car what it is.

Setting off once more and heading the opposite way through the 5-bend sequence allows me to build speed through them, entering the first one slowly and leaving the last one quickly. Convertibles tend to sound rather different depending on where the roof is and this car is no different: the notes remain the same but the back-projection from the exhaust tips is switched for a more raw sound that appears to be coming from underneath the dashboard ahead of me. Owing to the rear-set placement of the engine and how close it sits to the bulkhead, it sends its sounds to the cabin before its power and torque reach the rear wheels.

My formative years of driving were spent behind the wheel of a 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 which admittedly had a much heavier roof than the MX-5, but the entire balance of the car would change when it was lowered, feeling better with that weight being over the rear wheels as opposed to floating above my head. Is that the case in the MX-5? No, and it must be down to the much lighter roof than was found in my SLK and how much further forward it sits when stowed; the result is that the car handles consistently and feels just as balanced whether the roof is raised or lowered, a lot of this must be down to having a bespoke platform as opposed to being a modified saloon chassis, and a 50/50 weight distribution baked in.

With all the elements identified and explored, it’s time I put the steering, brakes, chassis and engine to work for another blast between bends, revving the engine out to the red line as often as possible and enjoying the notchy, precise gear changes from the narrow-gate shifter. The MX-5 holds on around fast corners and is easily able to accept more power mid-bend thanks to the limited slip differential, before confidently changing direction under heavy braking, asking to be taken to the next sharp bend as quickly as possible and delivering a great high-pitched shriek towards the red line on the way there. The MX-5 has delivered, and things are starting to become clearer about this specific car along with the model’s place in the performance car world in general.

Perhaps the weirdest quirks of the car become apparent when I leave the B-roads behind and have to hypermile towards the nearest petrol station; the refinement is actually better with the roof down, as I expect there to be quite a lot of wind noise when my head is exposed to a rush of air. The window switches continue to move around and I can never find them without having to look, although I’m sure that it becomes second nature with time. 

Focussing on the cabin at last, it reminds me once again of the Nissan 350Z owing to the use of high-quality, good feeling materials on the main touchpoints such as the thin-rimmed steering wheel, gear stick, handbrake lever, door handles and the two-piece seats, but harder wearing and less pleasing to touch materials elsewhere. I will immediately caveat this by saying that nobody goes looking for harder-wearing materials in obscure parts of car interiors unless they’re reviewing them, but one of the door-mounted plastic speaker covers isn’t the most comfortable place to rest a knee when the cruise control is active.

Speaking of cruising, a highlight is the car’s excellent ride which is in touch with but not ingrained into the road surface; the primary ride is compliant with the car not being phased by ruts or small potholes, while the secondary ride ensures that the car re-settles quickly and smoothly when it does encounter a larger bump. It feels as though the car moves in unison, with little pitching or rolling other than what it allows to communicate with the driver. 

However, after a slipstreaming session behind an HGV, the frustration came out at one of my least favourite features in any car: a hidden fuel flap release. I first encountered this in an Aston Martin DB9 where the button is located on the transmission tunnel, hidden by the seat base. I was flummoxed by the 350Z that places its pointless button in an invisible spot on the dashboard, but the NC MX-5 outdoes them both by having an anonymous clothes peg-style lever to pull out from the storage area between the seats.

The inconvenience of this irritating necessity prompted some thoughts about practicality; there are two cupholders underneath a rolling cover which doubles up as the central armrest, along with the otherwise useful central storage area with that useless fuel flap lever, along with a reasonably sized glovebox. The door nets are good for holding slimmer items like a bow tie, but there is a larger space to be found in the boot with 130 litres on offer. This may sound tiny, but apparently it’s all the space that you’d ever need when written in the context of Porsche 911s which offer a gargantuan 132 litres, so it’s more than enough.

Collecting my thoughts on the final stretch, I realise that the approachability of the MX-5 is one of the absolute stand-out features of it; it feels good to shuffle across a roundabout at 30 mph and good to slink through undulating curves at 60. It handles so sweetly even on imperfectly specified EV tyres, but I also think that this car would still behave itself and provide a good driving experience on less than exemplary rubber too; this is the first car that I’ve ever thought this of, as there seems to be so much inherent mechanical grip that it doesn’t feel as though it needs super sticky tyres to get the best out of it. 

It appears that there's a reason why Mazda have been reluctant to create a “more hardcore” version of the model for so long and left that to the dedicated aftermarket tuners: the car is so confident in itself, its handling and engine performance that it doesn’t need an S, GTI, R, RS, GTS-RI or R-GSI-T badge (or any other combination of those letters) on its boot lid to deliver exciting, attainable performance. I like it as it is. The MX-5 delivers on the handling, engagement and usability fronts with ease and makes an incredibly strong case for itself by offering back road thrills and year-round, all-weather usability.

The issue that the car has always had is its competitors that seemingly offer more in terms of power, torque, cylinders, turbochargers, exhaust pipes, interior features and badge prowess. I’ve referred to it as a sports car no fewer than four times in this review but to some, the car doesn’t quite fit that bill. Isn’t a sports car supposed to have at least 200 bhp now? Shouldn’t it look dramatic rather than elegant? Is handling really a strong enough selling point when warm hatches are quicker to 60 mph than this roadster? They’re all valid questions and ones that I would be inclined to say yes to, if I hadn’t just spent three hours grinning at the wheel of the MX-5.

The spec sheet can sell the car short - especially when compared to the numerous 987-series Boxsters that are being advertised for similar money. They come with six-cylinder engines mounted behind the cabin and a Porsche badge on the nose, but they are a class above in terms of size and running costs so it’s not quite right to compare the German apple to the Japanese orange in my opinion.

It’d be more appropriate to throw the short-lived, front-wheel drive Mini Roadster into the mix - specifically in more spritely Cooper S or JCW forms - as this was the last small roadster that I can think of that competed in the MX-5 class rather than the Boxster/TT/SLK class. But let’s refocus on the subject of this review; the Mazda MX-5 NC offers a bandwidth of performance and usability that ranges from being a competent and comfortable car to endure work-bound traffic in, to putting the driver in touch with their surroundings while offering a relaxed gait on indirect routes home, and being able to enjoy the challenge of making swift progress when the twisty roads belong to you and you alone. 

Granted, it doesn’t deliver as much measurable performance as its larger, more powerful competitors, but it doesn’t really need to do that in order to present itself as an approachable, enjoyable and usable compact sports car. It’s no wonder that the UK has always been a strong market for this car and that it has maintained its popularity throughout four generations. 

Driving the car has made quite a lot of things make sense, so to put it simply, it’s obvious why the MX-5 is the obvious choice.

Good: steering, approachable and exploitable performance, ride quality, seats, overall reliability

Bad: super long gearing, ridiculous fuel flap release, potential for rust

Epilogue: Attainable Performance

This series is all about cars that have very few barriers to ownership or enjoyment. Price-wise, there can be less than 1,000 pound-shaped barriers to having an NC MX-5 on your driveway. Even at the time of writing in the height of summer, there are plenty of sub £3,000 options available, although most of them are the pre-facelift models from 2005-2008. 2008-2012 examples are on offer from around £3,000-£12,000, with prices for the last of the line specials such as the 25th Anniversary Edition being advertised for up to £14,500. There seems to be very little price difference between the soft top and Roadster Coupé hard top versions.

Our 2012 test car benefited from the first facelift, while a second facelift came in 2013, bringing a slightly enlarged grille, two small splitters on the outer edges of the bumper and reshaped headlights. The three “generations” within the production run are commonly called NC1 (2005-2008), NC2 (2008-2012) and NC3 (2013-2015). There were countless special editions over the course of the NC’s production, but the only one that really stands out to me is the 25th Anniversary Edition with its two-tone red and black paint.

As I said in the review, anyone who’s never driven or owned an MX-5 of this generation will tell you that the 1.8 litre engine isn’t worth considering and thus the LSD-equipped 2.0 litre is the only way to go. The smaller engine puts out slightly less power and torque compared to the larger engine (126 bhp and 123 lb ft vs 158 bhp and 139 lb ft), and has one less gear ratio with a 5-speed manual being the only choice. However, if the main use is going to be B-road blasting at sensible speeds, you may not miss the sixth gear all too much but I suspect you would if you plan on using the car every day and do a lot of motorway cruising with it. A conversation with a friend somehow ended up at the 1.8 litre NC and he described the 5-speed gearbox being “absolutely perfect, with perfectly spaced ratios. It’s no wonder why that specific ‘box was used in the Morgan 3 Wheeler!” An automatic gearbox was available for the 2.0 litre, but the car deserves to be a manual in my opinion.

Two things that I deem to be essential in any car are cruise control and heated seats; within three minutes of switching on the bum warmers, the seat becomes warm enough to fry a steak, and this makes the car that little bit more civilised and usable all year round.

Rust is something the MX-5 has always been associated with, and the NC isn’t totally immune. The areas to check are ahead of the rear wheels behind the wheel arch lining, underneath the car - especially the rear subframe braces. Regardless of whether you opt for the fabric or metal roof, check the floor mats for any signs of moisture as this could indicate water getting through the roof or past the seals.

Other than obvious signs of lowering the local badger and pheasant population, a dent or two is probably nothing to worry about. The earliest NCs are rapidly approaching 20 years old and the youngest ones turn 10 next year, so expecting a showroom condition car may be a little bit unrealistic. Service history is always key, especially when every fifth service on the NC should be a major one. Ensure that each trip to the workshop is documented in detail, or add another few pennies to the servicing budget.

For as long as the MX-5 has been on the road, tuning firms and owners alike have been extracting more out of the powertrain and chassis than Mazda bestowed the car with. There are countless upgrades and tweaks that can be done, from air filters to intakes, exhausts to forced induction and even engine swaps - with the most extreme example being the Flyin’ Miata V8 conversions, featuring a General Motors LS3 under the bonnet.

Owner Mark has his eye on a supercharger kit by BBR GTi, which would raise power and torque by 89 bhp 66 lb ft (89 Nm) for totals of 248 bhp and 213 lb ft (289 Nm). This drops the 0-60 mph time to just 5.3 seconds and with the long gearing of the six-speed transmission, who knows when it would stop accelerating?

Together or independently of the forced induction, there’s no end of suspension modifications that can be made, with Eibach lowering springs constantly springing up (sorry) during a search for options. These lower the car by 30 mm and would help to make the wheels fill the arches rather than seem to be hanging from beneath them, and some of these were fitted at dealers when the cars were new. Other brands like BBR GTi, Bilstein, Koni and Öhlins all appeared repeatedly when browsing springs and damper kits for the NC roadster.

Even the interior can be easily modified, with mobile screen-mirroring interfaces slotting into the space where the original infotainment once resided. Owner Mark has opted for a Pioneer touchscreen unit which brings Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to the car while continuing to work with the steering wheel-mounted media controls. Lastly, although I didn’t find their positioning to be too much of an issue, the height of the seats can be reduced thanks to numerous lowering brackets. For drivers taller than myself or those wanting a greater sense of speed afforded by a lower seating position, this could be something to consider.

The MX-5 can be modified in countless ways to become your perfect personalised petite performance partner, or left entirely standard and to be enjoyed as intended by those that designed and engineered the little roadster in the first place. Would you stick with standard or try out tuning an MX-5?

Mazda MX-5 NC 2.0 - The owner’s perspective

The car featured for this review comes courtesy of my friend Mark. The name may ring a bell if you’ve read our first Attainable Performance review which featured a Fiesta Zetec S with a Puma engine and an exhaust that gave me tinnitus for the following three days. The Fiesta and Mark’s former daily - a Peugeot 208 GTi - have both since found new homes and been replaced by one car: his 2012 MX-5 2.0 hardtop.

Do you miss anything about the Fiesta?

No!

Why did you choose this MX-5?

I wanted the newest one that I could afford - if I had the extra budget I’d have got an ND, but I also wanted to make sure that it was the top spec without worrying about special editions. It had to be the facelift, and it had to replace my old Peugeot 208 GTi as well as the Fiesta. This sits somewhere between the two in terms of age, tech, power and noise.

What do you like about it?

It handles like a dream, is rear-wheel drive and I love having a convertible! It’s one of the happiest looking cars on the road and I love the MX-5 owner’s wave. I get very angry when they don’t wave back though.

What do you dislike about it?

The wind and road noise is a bit loud with the roof up. It should’ve come with 180-200 bhp from stock too, as Renault were able to get that much out of a naturally aspirated 2.0 litre engine.

Do you like that ridiculous fuel flap release handle?

I’d call it a fun quirk.

If you were to make any tweaks or improvements, what would they be?

More power! Supercharging the engine is the aim, and to somehow make it quieter with the roof up…

Final say

The NC-generation MX-5 offers a lot while asking for very little in return. Yes, the price overlaps with Audi TTs, BMW Z4s and Mercedes-Benz SLKs of a similar vintage which offer more comfort and convenience features, but the MX-5 handles in a way that my favourite German two-doors could only dream of matching, not to mention being far cheaper to run and maintain. It’s light, nimble, sharp, direct, engaging, involving and crucially forgiving too. I say once more, it’s obvious why the MX-5 is the obvious choice.

Specifications: Mazda MX-5 2.0 Roadster Coupé (NC)

Drivetrain: front engine, rear-wheel drive with limited slip differential

Engine: Mazda LF 1,999 cc naturally aspirated four-cylinder

Bore / stroke: 87.5 mm / 83.1 mm

Compression ratio: 10.8:1

Max power: 158 bhp at 7,000 rpm

Max torque: 139 lf bt (187 Nm) at 5,000 rpm

0 - 60 mph: 7.5 seconds

Top speed: 135 mph

Kerb weight: 1,153 kg

Power to weight ratio: 138.6 bhp per tonne

Weight distribution front/rear: 50/50

Length: 4020 mm

Width: 1720 mm

Height: 1255 mm

Wheelbase: 2330 mm

Front track: 1490 mm

Rear track: 1495 mm

Tyre size: 205/45 R17

Current used prices: Under £1,000 - £14,500