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Driven: 2018 Mazda MX-5 Miata Takumi Edition

Before I begin, I should make a quick confession and probably mention that I’m hopelessly in love with the Mazda MX-5 Miata, also known as the little roadster that could.
2018 Mazda MX-5 G130 Takumi Edition 52 photos
Photo: Florin Profir
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I had had an infatuation with the model for years and years prior, but it probably became love during a prolonged hooning session of the MX-5 RF on the Transfagaran, which started as a test drive and transformed into a modern day age of enlightenment for me.

That said, I should also mention that this straightforward love story between the MX-5 and myself has not blinded me from acknowledging the good and the bad sides of the little Mazda, as there are plenty of each.

Introduced back in 1989 as a mostly spiritual successor to the light open-top sports cars of The Swinging Sixties, the MX-5 quickly established itself as a lovable and somewhat quirky, in this day and age, back road roamer.

A love it or hate it affair thanks to (or because of) its Lilliputian size, it became the best-selling two-seat convertible sports car in history years ago, with over a million Miatas having been sold by 2016, for example.

Now available with two body options, not including the modern iteration of the Fiat 124 Spider, the Mazda MX-5 Miata can be had either with a rev-happy 1.5-liter or a torquier 2.0-liter, both Skyactiv engines being naturally aspirated.

2018 Mazda MX\-5 G130 Takumi Edition
Photo: Florin Profir
Even though the 2.0-liter’s output was recently increased, I decided to experience the smaller powerplant, mainly because I find its character to be more in tune with the nature of the regular roadster.

To be more specific, the non-RF MX-5 is the lightest roadster you can currently buy. This is possible mainly thanks to a lack of creature comforts found on the cooler-looking Retractable Fastback, which is more a GT, albeit in the vaguest sense.

With a manually retractable soft top, which can be quickly dropped or put back on using a single hand, the regular MX-5 is simply the epitome of Mazda’s Jinba Ittai (rider and horse as one body) creed on four wheels.

Since this is the Takumi edition I’m talking about and not your average, run of the mill MX-5, the car I drove came with a couple of exclusive features, of which the most obvious are the Cherry Red soft top, the cognac leather seats and a set of unique alloy wheels. Every other option that can be specced with the G130 1.5-liter engine was also present by default on the Takumi edition.

2018 Mazda MX\-5 G130 Takumi Edition
Photo: Florin Profir
With just about every MX-5 though, it’s not the features that make or break the car, but every version’s ability to put a smile on your face every time you carve a perfect corner or downshift from fourth to third, preparing the revs for a not too shabby acceleration for such a small engine.

Typically, 131 horsepower and 150 Nm (110.6 lb-ft) of torque would be a hilarious proposition for the output of a modern sports car, but with just 900 kg (1984 pounds) to thrash around a B-road, you’ll find that the numbers are more than adequate.

Because of a redline that starts at a rather stratospheric 7000 rpm, the engine only feels lively after 3000 rpm, but the good news is that it revs almost as fast as that of a motorcycle and it sounds like a mini Spitfire on helium at full chant. Partly thanks to a short and precise gear lever that vibrates whenever you’re pressing the go-fast pedal, the entire process of driving the MX-5 is more than analog, it’s almost as if the car is in sync with whatever nasty thoughts you may have on the road.

Usually a point-and-shoot kind of handling, despite the traction being only on the rear wheels, the back can be persuaded to offer some mild sideways action, but not as much as on the more powerful 2.0-liter engine version, which can also be fitted with a limited slip differential (LSD).

The good news is that the lack of LSD and the optional Bilstein sports suspension don’t transform the car into jello on four wheels, even though the standard springs can at times make you yearn for a set of coilovers.

2018 Mazda MX\-5 G130 Takumi Edition
Photo: Florin Profir
The overall driving feel is different, then, but not necessarily in a bad way, compared to its bigger and sportier equipped 2.0-liter brother. You’re reminded that you’re still in an old-school lightweight sports car every time you press the brakes and chug into a set of sweeping bends, even when "you’re granny shifting and not double-clutching like you should."

Its 0-100 kph (62 mph) time of 8.3 seconds may sound like an eternity in an age when two and a half tons cars can hit the same velocity in a tad over three seconds, but you shouldn’t be fooled by the spec sheet. The Mazda MX-5, Takumi edition or not, looks and definitely feels a lot faster than it is on paper, and that is pretty much the quintessence of every sports car.

As with all the other versions, living with a Miata as a daily driver comes with inherent drawbacks, but when has an almost total lack of storage space, low ground clearance and a comically long hood stood in the way of love?

Sure, sitting so far back makes exiting garages or narrow alleyways ways a bit of a lottery, tackling speed bumps feels like mild off-roading, and the tiny trunk only fits a couple of backpacks, but other than that, the MX-5 is always ready for an engaging road trip, even when it’s just a short drive to the supermarket. Either way, you should always travel light, the Indian way.

The style improvements offered by the Takumi edition package only bring the little roadster that could the perfect amount of enticement, as if it needed any more.
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About the author: Alex Oagana
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Alex handled his first real steering wheel at the age of five (on a field) and started practicing "Scandinavian Flicks" at 14 (on non-public gravel roads). Following his time at the University of Journalism, he landed his first real job at the local franchise of Top Gear magazine a few years before Mircea (Panait). Not long after, Alex entered the New Media realm with the autoevolution.com project.
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