Photo: José Antonio Aranda on Instagram
The successor to the Power Retractable Hard Top from 2007, the Retractable Fastback features a two-piece roof and two buttresses. Because the MX-5 Miata is meant to be very agile, it’s easy to see how this roof mechanism defeats the purpose of a lightweight sports car.
For reference, the soft-topped model has a curb weight of 2,341 pounds (1,062 kilograms) in the United States, while the RF tips the scales at 2,452 pounds (1,112 kilograms). That’s pretty much the weight of a teenage woman, and the additional burden takes its toll in the twisties.
Adding insult to injury, the trunk is pretty puny at 4.59 cubic feet (130 liters) with the canvas top, while the hardtop convertible makes do with 4.48 cubic feet (127 liters). As such, pixel artist José Antonio Aranda came up with a different interpretation of the RF in the guise of a removable hardtop. You know, similar to the roof panel of the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.
The only problem with this design is the width and length of the trunk’s opening, and no, you can’t store the hardtop behind the seats either. As such, a proper targa top didn’t make sense for Mazda during the design process. Love it or hate it, the Retractable Fastback is a compromise that had to happen, just like the six-speed auto.
Approximately 25 percent of MX-5 Miata customers prefer the torque-converter option over the stick shift, and of those, almost half of RF customers optioned the auto in the United States. In other words, Mazda wanted to appeal to as many people as possible with the second body style, and I’m definitely not surprised by it.
Sales of the Japanese roadster dropped to 7,753 units last year, down from 8,971 in the previous year and 11,294 in 2017. The truth of the matter is all sports cars are on a losing streak because crossovers, body-on-frame SUVs, and half-ton pickup trucks are the most popular vehicles in this day and age.
Given these circumstances, a targa top will remain a purist's dream.
Adding insult to injury, the trunk is pretty puny at 4.59 cubic feet (130 liters) with the canvas top, while the hardtop convertible makes do with 4.48 cubic feet (127 liters). As such, pixel artist José Antonio Aranda came up with a different interpretation of the RF in the guise of a removable hardtop. You know, similar to the roof panel of the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.
The only problem with this design is the width and length of the trunk’s opening, and no, you can’t store the hardtop behind the seats either. As such, a proper targa top didn’t make sense for Mazda during the design process. Love it or hate it, the Retractable Fastback is a compromise that had to happen, just like the six-speed auto.
Approximately 25 percent of MX-5 Miata customers prefer the torque-converter option over the stick shift, and of those, almost half of RF customers optioned the auto in the United States. In other words, Mazda wanted to appeal to as many people as possible with the second body style, and I’m definitely not surprised by it.
Sales of the Japanese roadster dropped to 7,753 units last year, down from 8,971 in the previous year and 11,294 in 2017. The truth of the matter is all sports cars are on a losing streak because crossovers, body-on-frame SUVs, and half-ton pickup trucks are the most popular vehicles in this day and age.
Given these circumstances, a targa top will remain a purist's dream.
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