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Mr. Regular Drives NC MX-5 Miata In The UK, Calls It Predictable

As Mr. Regular notes in his review of the third-generation MX-5 Miata, the NC doesn’t pack any surprises whatsoever. And there are plenty of reasons why this particular model of the world’s best-selling roadster isn’t on par with the beautifully simplistic NB or the thoroughly modern ND.
2006 Mazda MX5 NC: Regular Car Reviews 6 photos
Photo: screenshot from YouTube
Mazda MX-5 Miata (NC1)Mazda MX-5 Miata (NC1)Mazda MX-5 Miata (NC1)Mazda MX-5 Miata (NC1)Mazda MX-5 Miata (NC1)
The NC started production in 2005, a time when the sports car market was in a bit of a decline. And as a brief refresher, Mazda was in cahoots with the Ford Motor Company and its bean counters back then. With all due respect, Mazda could’ve made the NC better than it is, but chose not to because of reasons. Be that as it may, it’s a peerless sports car nonetheless.

Regarding those people labeling the NC as a repackaged NB, the truth of the matter is that they’re badly wrong. A case in point is the suspension system, which has more things in common with the RX-8 (front wishbones/rear multilinks) than the second-generation MX-5 Miata (wishbone on all four corners). The engine is another area where the differences are clear, with the B-series family making way for the MZR.

The UK-spec model Mr. Regular is driving in the following video review is propelled by the 1.8-liter version of the MZR. Rated at 126 horsepower (94 kW) and 167 Nm (123 pound-feet of torque), the 1.8er is connected to a manual tranny that sends drive to the axle preferred by the driving gods.

And like all MX-5s, the NC has its quirks. Removing the battery creates a most peculiar condition, as in the ECU resets and the car “forgets” how to idle. The rain drains have a tendency of clogging up, the U.S.-spec model rides higher off the ground than the European MX-5, and the plastic insert in the passenger footwell robs him of something the car already lacks: legroom.

But anyway, who cares? Who even cares that the NC isn’t as surprising as it could’ve been if Mazda had found itself in better circumstances? If you hadn't already, get behind the wheel of one. You’ll understand that, as it is, the NC oozes the feel-good factor we all from an MX-5 Miata.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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