Classic pearls of the future - Mazda MX5 Mk III (NC)
It was the Mazda MX-5 that took the world by storm in 1989 and awakened the desire for a convertible like no other car before it. Notabene at a time when the truly open-top car was on the verge of extinction.
The first generation (called NA) was followed by the NB, which in principle remained close to the "original". In 2005, however, the NC was presented in Geneva, a completely renewed sports car with suspensions taken over from the RX-8 and a completely modernized design that cleverly quoted its predecessors but still looked up-to-date and trendy.
The Mk III, as it was also known, could be purchased with various engines; in Europe they had a displacement of 1.8 and 2 liters, which meant 126 or 160 hp.
Shifting was manual (5- or 6-speed gearbox) or automatic.
Although the MX-5 had become somewhat larger, it still only weighed just over 1.1 tons despite being around four meters long and 1.72 meters wide. As a special feature, there was later a (somewhat heavier) variant with an electrically folding tin roof, but this did not quite fit in with the rustic image of the roadster.
As with its predecessors, there were plenty of special models and in 2011, 900,000 MX-5s were sold thanks to the NC. The car even made it into the Guinness Book of Records.
Unlike its successor, the ND, which was launched in 2014, there was no Fiat version of the NC. But it is not just this alone that makes it a classic gem, but also the enthusiastic driving reports written by Jeremy Clarkson (Top Gear), among others.
It will probably never become really rare, but few cars of the 21st century are likely to provide so much driving pleasure for so little money.
By the way, all the classic gems characterized so far can be found in a specially dedicated theme channel.
