I love all MX-5’s of course and don’t want to start a war or anything but just curious as to what other forum members’ true favourite Mark of the 5 is?
I have a Mark 1 so of course that is by far my favourite and i’ll explain why. I absolutely love the pop up headlights, just so timeless and unique. Also the bonnet is a work of art with the raised hump covering the head gasket just looking so so good. The shape of the car at the rear is lovely and curvy too. And of course being so low to the ground(like all MX-5’s) just gives the driver a sense of speed you just don’t get with many other cars.
I have a soft spot for Mk1s but my Mk3 has certain practical and performance advantages that make it a natural choice. But if someone asked me today what my favourite car I had owned was, I would say my manual Mk1 V Spec. My least favourite is the Mk2, which is a bit too curvy and feminine for my tastes - gorgeous to look at, but I wouldn’t personally choose to own or be seen driving one.
I love the pop up head lights but having just traded my Mk1 Vspec for a 1999 Mk2 Vspec I have to say I much prefer the Mk2.
It feels like a different car!
Much better gearbox, more torque, more accelleration, 6 speed, roomier, safer, heated glass window etc etc.
I wouldn’t know about the Mk3 but I think personally that Mazda has wandered to far from the original Mx5 looks which are still encapsulated in the Mk2.
Brian
My answer(s) is(are) surely the worst one in this post so far
i love mk1 - door handles, pop up loghts mk2 - rear lights mk2.5 - lower bumper fog lights mk3 - silver windscreen frame and electric hood
i own a mk2 and I have been always dreaming of getting a mk1, however it is not very easy to find one in good condition. mk3 is nice but it is a bit too big (although it is still “small” comparing to other cars) and is still a bit expensive for me. mk3.5 is not out yet but is already a nono to me cause I think mazda is trying to get rid of the rounded headlamp!
is it possible to get a mx5 with pop up light, mk1 handles, mk2 body plus rear lights, mk2.5 front bumper, silver windscreen frame and a electric hood all as optional features on a mk4? tell mazda to make one and i will be the first one to buy it!
but if i have to choose the best out of these 4, i will choose mk1
Has to be what we now know as the MK1, though it was just (JUST) the MX-5/Eunos/Miata at the time.
The door handles are wonderful
Those Pop-up headlights
Balanceof the head on view.
Dainly yet not girly ('60s Elan influence there)
More than enough handling for the power to make it fun on any twisty road
IMHO the car went too curvey on the MK2/2.5 and tried to add details of the RX8 to the MK3.
After seeing the shot of the MK3.5 in STHT I thought it was a new Peugeot with that BIG inlet.
Modern regs are bound to raise bonnet hight and add weight - does anyone have and bhp/tonne and ft.lbs per tonne figures for all the standard cars?
I looked for my BRG V Spec for a long time, as a '93 Eunos it is not perfect, but it does all I want it to do. So I will keep on top of the servicing and make small changes where/when needed.
This question will always start a bit of a war to which there is no right answer! I think it depends entirely on your circumstances and what you want your 5 for. As a more mature (!) driver, the Mk1 was the only choice for me because I was after a cheapish fun “classic” without all the hassle…something I could tinker with, carry out simple mods and generally have fun but certainly not a daily driver. For others the Mk1 is a very cheap way into wind in your hair sports car motoring hence also appeals to lots of younger owners (insurance permitting).I sense that folk that go for the Mk2’s and Mk3’s are more likely to want them as a daily driver with higher levels of comfort, reliability,safety because all these things improve the newer the car gets. Dangerous to generalise I know and there will be loads of exceptions out there![:D]
i love the mk1’s but i personally drive a mk2 and as much i wanted a mk1 i dont regret buying the mk2, it has seriously grown on me! plus i had to buy a uk car to get insured
Well, you nearly can. Several owners have grafted the lower half of a Mk2.5 front bumper onto a Mk1 bumper, giving the functionality of the foglights. Polish owners were the first to show you can put a Mk2 front onto a Mk1 body, so the reverse ought to be possible. Moss in the USA now offer a chrome windscreen surround for the Mk1 and Mk2/2.5. Electric hood is tough, but Matt Developments did do a modified “assisted” Mk1 hood which through an ingenius set of springs, provided for finger-tip raising of the hood. Someone in Japan actually did a homebrew electric raising hardtop years before Mazda did. It was pretty ugly though (so no change there).
Additionally, a few years back, Mazda, operating through Mazdaspeed, released a series of “refreshed” (aka “as new”) Mk1s for the Japanese market; these had been upgraded with Mk2 suspension.
Before the Mk3 was launched, Mazda was toying with the idea of reintroducing pop-up lights (they always felt that engineering would provide means of getting around the safety concerns), but more like the XJ220 in operation (retractable lids). Or, they discussed a design that would give a strong impression of a pop-up light. The Mk3 lighting arrangement was an attempt to tie in with the look of the original Mk1, but the Ibuki concept had the Jetson approach to this, using a special lighting unit that would colour match the body work when off. I guess both ideas went out of the window (along with the diesel MX5) when it came to the accountants.
I love the MkI for the door handles and pop-ups but went for the 2.5 as it’s my daily joyful driver…plus, come on - its still pretty damn good looking.
So in order;
Mk 2.5 as I have one
MkI as I never quite got round to buying one
Mk3 just a bit too chubby looking for me
Mk2 why want a Mk2 when I've got the slightly beefier looking 2.5
( Most of my friends would laugh if they heard me use the word BEEFY in conjunction with a MX5…but then they all drive Golf CL’s and other far less fun cars!)