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After a quarter of a century and – here, now – four generations, the Mazda MX-5 has been judged everything from the saviour of the affordable everyday sports car to cliched hairdresser’s chariot of choice (saves on the blow-drying costs), middle-age crisis mobile and, increasingly, budget drift hack. That’s quite the quagmire of baggage for this brand new version to negotiate.

But if Mazda had any doubts or second thoughts about what it wanted to achieve with the Mk4, it doesn’t show. Perhaps in reaction to accusations of stodge surrounding the third-generation car but certainly as champion of its current ‘Skyactiv’ engine philosophy, which takes a holistic engineering approach to efficiency, the new MX-5 is pared back to such an extent that it doesn’t just look fighting fit but aggressively hungry. There is nothing superfluous about the exterior design – overhangs are almost unbelievably short given modern crash regulation; razor creases, and the way the surfacing hugs the structure scream ultra-low BMI. It also carries over very little design language, looking more like an updated Honda S2000 that’s been bred with DNA from BMW than any previous MX-5. Whatever, it is quite the sexy beast, and more importantly clearly signals Mazda’s return to first principles: low weight and little frippery, in pursuit of a pure, involving driving experience.
 



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