THE Covid-19 pandemic has put the brakes on new car sales, but Mazda is doing its best to keep our spirits up by giving us something to look forward to when, as it puts it, "current retail restrictions come to an end", writes William Scholes.
It has announced a special 'R-Sport' edition of the lovely MX-5 sports car, which is a firm favourite here at Drive.
Mazda has a long tradition of limited-run MX-5s, and in this case it has taken the 1.5-litre Sport version of the roadster, given it some 'polymetal grey' metallic paint, a grey hood, burgundy leather trim on the seats and 16-inch gunmetal alloy wheels from Rays.
The R-Sport costs £27,700 and if you want to a place at the front of the queue when we return to 'normal', you can register your interest on the Mazda website. The R-Sport will be limited to 150 examples.
The 1.5-litre engine in the R-Sport produces 130bhp, compared to the 182bhp of the 2.0-litre engine offered elsewhere in the MX-5 range.
The ability to go fast is less a part of the MX-5's appeal than the way it is able to make every journey into an event.
That's why, despite its modest power, the 1.5-litre MX-5 is one of the most thrilling new car driving experiences money can buy.
We look forward to getting reacquainted as soon as it is safe to do so...
