www. l i f eonca r s . b l o g spo t . com

i s s u e n i n ei s s u e n i n e a p r i l 2 0 1 2a p r i l 2 0 1 2

three’s a crowd!

Britain’s best supercar?More inside

Is this the maddest car Morgan’s ever made? TheLife On Cars verdict on the rev ived Threewheeler

Lotus Evora S

Geneva MotorshowThe star cars in Switzerland

The sports car bargainof the decade

Mazda MX-5

Morgan Threewheeler: The new arrival is

inspired by RAF fighter plans, as you’ll see

on page 8. Image courtesy of Martyn Snape

2 Life On Cars

David Simister

SO this issue features

one of the fastest cars

Lotus offers and one of

the maddest Morgans ever

made. Which do you

reckon I was looking

forward to driving most?

Yep, it’s the £30,000

roadster that appears to

have lost a rear wheel.

Don’t get me wrong, the

Evora S is a stunning set

of wheels in its own right,

but I’ve driven mid-

engined Lotuses before. I

have never, however,

driven anything that

comes with just the three

wheels, and definitely not

one that’s directly

connected to possibly the

loudest motorcycle engine

in history.

In many ways these

cars are complete

opposites; one is willingly

eccentric and

idiosyncratic, the other’s

far more subtle, sensible

and soothing than you’d

ever expect, but they

both share at least one

glorious bit of common

ground. They show that

cars created by craftsmen

in tiny factories in the

British countryside can

still capture the world’s

attention.

While I’ve never been

to Morgan’s

Worcestershire works I did

get the chance to take in

a tour of the Lotus factory

when I picked up the

Evora, and it was

wonderful to see the love

and attention that got

poured into the Elises and

Exiges dotted around the

place. Nowhere else in

the world creates the

weird and the wonderful

cars that we British

petrolheads do, and I’m

glad that Lotus and

Morgan aren’t the only

examples.

It’s something I’m

looking forward to

celebrating at the

Ormskirk MotorFest,

which thanks to a bit hard

grafting from West

Lancashire Borough

Council and Aintree

Circuit Club is now being

given a second run. If it’s

anywhere near as

enjoyable as last year’s

inaugural event, it’s going

to be a blast.

But that’s another story

for another issue. Until

then, hope you enjoy this

one...

Editor, Life On Cars

3Life On Cars

Coming soon4The fastest Ferrari ever, a fire-breathing version of Volkswagen’s Golf

cabriolet, and a frantic RS version of Audi’s A4 Avant are all on the way

for Britain’s speed freaks. Brave pills at the ready...

In this issueIn this issue

Fire up the...6The Honda Civic, as you’d expect, is quite a bit better than the one

that went before it. The big surprise is why

Ormskirk revs up7The Ormskirk MotorFest is back, and the organisers reckon the 2012

event will be even bigger and better than the first one

Plane brilliant8The fighter-plane inspired Morgan Threewheeler gets the Life On Cars

road test treatment. Luckily, it was dry that day

Lotus Evora S11Can you live with a £60,000, mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive supercar

on a daily basis? There’s only one way to find out

Geneva glitz 14Forget the silly concept cars, the real stars of this year’s Swiss show

are the cars you’ll be driving next year

Mazda MX-516You already know the MX-5’s one of the best new sports cars on the

market. But are the older ones modern classics or trouble brewing?

4 Life On Cars

top cat

Jaguar finally unveils a load-lugging version of the award-winning XF

FISHING, camping, horse-

riding and skiing. All

things I imagine the Jag

set love getting up to, but

until now they've never

really had the car to cope.

If you wanted a finely

sculpted, thoroughly

British way of lugging your

lifestyle equipment from

the gymkhana to the ski

resort you've only really

had two options; a Range

Rover or a Discovery.

That's why I reckon

Jaguar's onto a winner

with something they

should have come up with

ages ago, in the form of

an XF estate.

It gets off to a great

start in my books simply

because it's got a cool

name - it is, ladies and

gentlemen, the XF

Sportbrake, which it

makes it sound like an

aerodynamic aid you'd fit

to your snowmobile or

mountain bike. I know it's

a sort of unspoken rule

among the executive car

club never to call your

estate an estate, but

somehow Sportbrake has

just got a bit more oomph

than Avant or Touring

does.

Jaguar, who are

revealing the XF

Sportbrake at this year's

Geneva Motorshow, said:

“Sharing its

underpinnings with the XF

saloon, the Sportbrake's

overall length grows by

just 5mm, its weight by

less 70kg and its chassis

structure matches the

strength of the

conventional XF. These

characteristics mean the

Sportbrake can closely

match the acclaimed

handling of the XF saloon

yet offers a large and

highly practical load

space.

“Every panel on the XF

Sportbrake, from the B-

Pillar rearwards, is new.

The strong silver

signature line running the

length of the car is

extended while the C-

Pillar is finished in gloss

black, a trait shared with

the XJ saloon.”

Estate car practicality

blended with the firm's

refreshingly affordable

2.2 diesel lump should, I

reckon, broaden the XF's

appeal way beyond the

members of your local

golf club. Expect to see

plenty of them on our

roads when the

Sportbrake gets launched

later this year.

New Ferrari “fastest ever”FERRARI has just

announced its fastest -

and one of its most

expensive - cars ever.

The Italian supercar

specialists reckon their

latest offering, the F12

Berlinetta, will do

upwards of 220mph and

rocket to sixty in a

whisker over three

seconds, while prototypes

have already lapped the

company's test track

faster than any of their

previous road cars.

However, it's still some

way off beating the

official record for the

world's fastest road car is

still held by the Bugatti

Veyron Supersport, which

maxes out at 267mph.

If you need to ask how

much it costs, you

probably can't afford it,

bu richer readers can find

out more about the F12

Berlinetta at

www.ferrari.com

5Life On Cars

GTI setto return

A HOMAGE to one of the most

fondly remembered hot hatches

of all time is on the cards for

Peugeot.

The 208 GTi is nominally just for

show at the moment - and will be

officially unveiled at next month's

Geneva Motorshow - but odds are

that a production version, paying

tribute to the legendary 205 GTi

of the 1980s, will make it into the

showrooms.

The French firm has a history of

producing hot hatch faves but

with neither the 206 nor the 207

hitting the spot, Peugeot is keen

to tempt keen drivers back into

its showrooms with the 208.

The 208 GTi, which takes its

200bhp engine from the RCZ

coupe, is being mooted by the

French firm as a spiritual

successor to the original 205 GTi,

which in the 1980s was a huge

success for the company as the

market for hot hatches boomed.

The regular 208, which is

available as a three and five door

hatchback, will be available to

order from Peugeot's showrooms

later this year.

Peugeot revivesthe 205’s spiritwith a hotterversion of itsnew supermini

VOLKSWAGEN has turned

up the heat on its

acclaimed open-top Golf

by announcing a tyre-

smoking GTI version.

Last year Life On Cars

tested the Golf Cabriolet

in 1.6 diesel form and was

impressed by its build

quality, style and value

for money, but now the

firm's decided to launch a

go-faster version using

the engine and

transmission from the GTI

hatchback.

While the GTI Cabriolet

is slightly slower to sixty

than its tin-top sibling it

is otherwise business as

usual, with the same 2.0

litre turbocharged engine,

a choice of a six-speed

manual gearbox or

optional six-speed dual-

clutch DSG gearbox, and

the GTI hatchback's

distinctive interior and

exterior trimmings.

The Golf GTI Cabriolet

goes on sale in the UK in

the second half of the

year, with prices and

further specification

details to be announced

in due course. For more

details visit

www.volkswagen.co.uk.

some like it

hot

VW blends open top thrills with hot hatch power tocreate a GTI version of its acclaimed Golf Cabriolet

RS4 returns to estate roots

AUDI'S reputation for

crafting some of the

quickest estates in the

business is showing no

signs of fading after the

firm announced a go-

faster A4.

The German company

said that its new RS4 will

only be offered as an

Avant - or estate car in

plain English - but will

offer buyers the chance

to blitz the autobahns at

up to 155mph while

carrying a labrador/chest

of drawers/IKEA flatpack

(delete according to your

estate car needs) in the

back.

The RS4 Avant, which

packs a 450bhp 4.2 litre

V8 for power and gets to

sixty in 4.7 seconds, will

arrive in Audi’s UK

showrooms later this

year.

Life On Cars6 Life On CarsLife On Cars

SPOT the difference is a

game I've never been

especially good at, but it's

one you'll be invited to

play the first time you get

a glimpse of this

accomplished new Honda.

If you’re in a cruel mood

you might ask if Honda’s

been using the

photocopier rather than a

designer. It does, if you're

not paying attention and

one passes you in the

street, look almost

identical to the outgoing

model.

But there's some clever

thinking behind the

evolutionary rather than

revolutionary styling. It

seems you, The Great

obscur the rear view so

much it annoys you. The

rear lights are a lot more

conventional and

straightforward, and

anyone hoping to get out

of the back has got some

good news. Your scalp will

emerge unscathed!

The new Civic isn't as

much fun to drive as

Ford's Focus or as achingly

attractive as Alfa's

Giulietta but goes for your

head instead of your

heart.

So it's a single step back

and about five steps

forward for Honda. The

new Civic is a little but

duller, but an awful lot

better.

British Public, loved the

looks of the old one but

got a bit hot under the

collar about a couple of

niggles. The spoiler

cutting right across the

rear window, for instance.

Or the slightly weird and

very glassy rear lights. Or

the fact you banged your

head as you got in the

back. That's why the new

one's seems the same

despite being compellingly

different on closer

inspection.The old car's

worst feature, amazingly,

is a byproduct of its best;

that its styling is such a

brilliant aesthetic

achievement. In 2006,

just as Ford's restyled

Focus was losing its

Blake's Seven looks, along

came Honda with

something that looked like

it'd been stolen from the

set of Bladerunner. Here

was, in a field of

humdrum hatchbacks,

something which looked

and felt genuinely radical

and edgy. It's just a shame

the rear doors had a

roofline which cut right

across where your head

naturally goes as you're

getting into the back

seats.

Admittedly it's business

as usual at the back

window because the

spolier still cuts across it,

but now at least it doesn't

Think it’s a case of same styling, same car? Then you’d bewrong; Honda’s been working very hard on the latest Civic

...honda civic

fire up the...

7Life On Cars

motorfest:

back on the

map for 2012A FULL-THROTTLE

celebration of all things

automotive will roar into

action on August 26, it has

been confirmed.

West Lancashire Borough

Council and Aintree

Circuit Club said that the

Ormskirk MotorFest, which

brought thousands of

visitors to the market

town during last year's

inaugural event, will be

held on the Bank Holiday

Sunday after the

organisers managed to

secure a £10,000 boost

from north west firm the

Belfry Group.

Councillor Martin

Forshaw, portfolio holder

for Planning and Technical

more details about entries

for the event over the

next few weeks.

"We're extremely pleased

that the second event has

been secured, and that

we've also got a sponsor

this time to help support

us to fund the MotorFest.

It is a massive vote of

confidence both in the

event and in Ormskirk

itself," he said.

"The sponsorship means

that we should be able to

do more than we could

with last year's event. I'm

really looking forward to

it."

Check out the blog for

more information.

Services, said:

"Last year’s event was a

huge success and proved

to be an enjoyable and

exciting day for all. With

the sponsorship from

Belfry Group, this year’s

event looks set to grow

and grow.

"I look forward to

working with Belfry Group

and the ACC in order to

make this year’s event

even better."

The council confirmed

that this year's event will

follow a similar format to

last year's, with displays

of classic and racing cars

around the clocktower

and in Coronation Park,

while parades will be held

on the town's one way

system to entertain

showgoers.

Funding for a second

MotorFest event was

confirmed earlier this

year, when the borough

council agreed to invest

£17,500 and for Aintree

Circuit Club to organise

the event. However, both

the council and the

organisers were keen to

seek additional

sponsorship to help make

this year's event a

success.

Mike Ashcroft, chairman

of Aintree Circuit Club,

told Life On Cars that the

club was delighted with

the news and is looking

forward to announcing

Full throttle show toreturn to the townof Ormskirk on the

26th of August afterorganisers get £10k

sponsorship boost

Life On Cars8

chocks away

and all that

The Morgan Threewheeler is a mad, impractical sports car whichmakes absolutely no sense at all. Which is exactly why youshould start saving up for one, reckons David Simister

9Life On Cars

FORGET footballers,

astronauts and train

drivers. When I grow up, I

want to be a superhero.

Not some latex-clad,

cape-donning crime

fighter you’d see in the

movies either. I want to

be a proper superhero in

the plucky, stiff upper lip

British tradition, a sort of

Biggles meets Dan Dare

sort of character.

Naturally, a plucky,

traditional sort of British

hero needs a plucky,

traditional sort of car. So

I’ll be needing a Morgan

Threewheeler as my

sidekick.

It is a new model for the

Worcestershire-based

sports car builders but not

in the conventional sense;

by ditching a rear wheel

Morgan are revisiting

territory they first trod a

century ago, when the

company appealed to the

newfangled worlds of

motoring and biking by

fitting tiny little two-

seaters with V-twin

engines and minimal

bodywork. Think of the

new one, then, as a

remake of one of Britain’s

oldest automotive

adventures.

I know you’re probably

thinking that putting a

three-wheeled car from

the 1920s with no doors,

no roof and no windscreen

back into production is a

bit like Ford replacing the

Focus with a recreation of

the old Model T, but that’s

missing the point. The

Threewheeler isn’t so

much a car in the

conventional sense, but a

three-wheeled event just

waiting to be

experienced.

For starters, take the

starter button you’ll have

to press once you’ve

squeezed into the

Morgan’s narrow, leather-

lined frame. Admittedly,

all sorts of mundane

motors come with a

starter button these days

to inject a bit of fizz into

the ignition process, but

I’ve never experienced

one that can only be

accessed via a bomb-

release you have to flip up

with your finger first. The

same bomb-release you’ll

find fitted, by the way, to

the Eurofighter Typhoon.

That’s the sort of fighter

pilot mentality the slightly

mad and yet utterly

endearing little Morgan

puts you in as soon as you

fire up the 2.0 litre S&S

motorbike engine into

life. The American-made

powerplant, a favourite

with Harley-Davidson

customisers in the States,

bursts into life in a deep,

meaty rumble which

reverberates off the

nearby walls before

settling into the lazy, laid-

back burble anyone

familiar with a classic

motorbike will recognise.

Mounted right between

the front two wheels, it’s

a magnificently tractable

engine which completely

dominates any

Threewheeler drive,

because it offers up

120bhp in a car that

weighs less than half what

a brand new Fiesta does.

You’d think that’d make

the Threewheeler a

frantic bit of fun and it is

- but only when you’re

happy for it come out to

play. Admittedly, it’s not a

car you’d ever want to

take to Waitrose and if it

rains you WILL get wet but

for such an outlandish and

overt bit of automotive

engineering it’s

remarkably civil, and it’ll

dawdle along as long as

you like. Right up, of

Life On Cars10 Life On Cars

course, until the

superhero in you needs to

do a bit of childish

showing off.

Plant your foot to the

floor in just about any

gear and the so-bonkers-

it’s-brilliant Threewheeler

unleashes its considerable

firepower in an explosion

of noise and speed, which

you’re all the more aware

of because the wind’s

hitting you straight in the

face and because

absolutely everyone for

miles around is looking at

you. If they aren’t, they’ll

definitely hear you

coming.

Despite being friendlier

and more manageable

than I could’ve have

hoped for - at first you’ll

wonder where those

beautiful wire wheels at

the front are, but you get

used to it - it is

completely unlike

anything I’ve driven

before. It is a sort of cross

between the open-air

buzz of a micro light and

the vintage style of a

Sopwith Camel fighter

plane with the deep-

throated roar of an old

TVR and the sheer punch

of a motorbike thrown in.

So it’s my kind of car and

- at £30,000 - actually

cheaper than the more

conventional four-

wheelers Morgan fans

already know and love.

The Threewheeler is

noisy, impractical,

eccentric and festooned

with fighter jet

technology for no reason

other than it being cool -

exactly the reasons why

my superhero alter ego

would have one. It is a

car which exists solely for

the experience it

provides, which is why I

absolutely love it.

Besides, Stirling Moss

owned one of the

originals from decades

ago and described it as “a

bit of a babe magnet”. I

rest my case.

For more information

about the Threewheeler

and the rest of the

Morgan range visit Lifes

Motors on West Street in

Southport, go to their

website at

www.lifesmotors.com or

give them a call on

01704 531 375.

Life On Cars

11Life On Cars

confessions of a

supercar driverWhat’s it like to live with a fast, mid-engined road rocket?Discuss, using the latest Lotus Evora S as an example

Life On Cars12 Life On Cars

THE deserted, sweeping

ribbon of tarmac which

ripples across the

Derbyshire Dales was

exactly what I’d been

looking for. I’d finally

found a road as

astonishing as the Evora

itself.

My mission was one

tinged with a touch of

sadness - after five

glorious days with one of

the fastest and priciest

cars Lotus makes, I had to

take it all the way back to

the factory in Norfolk to

give it back, but I was in

no rush, determined to

eake out every mile for all

it was worth. That’s how

I’d found myself coursing

over the Cat and Fiddle

mountain pass, threading

my way through Buxton

and then onto a eerily

empty back road on the

way out to Derby. Devoid

of other drivers and

packed with hairpins, they

were roads reserved for

cross-country blasts on

sunny summer days.

Yet - weirdly - it’s on

roads entirely wrong for

the Lotus where the Evora

really shines.

That’s why this story

begins not in the Peak

District or even at the

factory in Hethel – the

spiritual home of all

things Lotus, from Elan to

Exige – but on the M6,

heading north towards

Coventry. The traffic jam,

thanks to an accident,

has backed up for miles.

It is stuffy, confined, and

frustratingly slow. There

are hundreds of drivers

here who have all have

one thing in common. Not

one of them wants to be

here.

If I could choose a car to

tackle these congested

conditions, it wouldn’t be

a mid-engined,

supercharged, rear-

wheel-drive, look-at-me

supercar, and the Lotus

Evora S is all of those

things. It is a supercar

because it goes like a jet

aircraft, corners like a

go-kart and looks like

something styled by a

Renaissance artist, but

it’s a super car because it

does all this with next to

none of the drawbacks. It

was – and I don’t say this

lightly – no harder to drive

in a motorway crawl than

a BMW 5-Series.

I know because this time

last year, I drove an Elise,

the modern classic which

to this day can provide

any motorist with a

masterclass in how to do

ride and handling

properly. On the right

roads, like any of the

mountain passes in the

Lake District, it was

sublime, but on the

motorways it was a noisy

companion and once you

pull over you’d do your

back in trying to get

out.Naturally, I as tried to

figure it out on the train

down to Norfolk to visit

Lotus’ factory, I cruelly

concluded the Evora

would be even worse. A

big Elise with all the

drawbacks, but with a bit

of a supercar-style

traditional truculence

Life On Cars

Clockwise, from top left: The Evora’s form is compact but still striking; the Evora is the first all-new Lotus

since the original Elise of 1995; the rear detail is remiscent of Ferraris such as the Enzo and F430; the view

from the door mirrors is dominated by the mighty air scoop; despite its supercar performance the interior is

cosseting and comfortable Previous page: A sunset on the beach at Southport highlights the Evora’s curves

13Life On Cars

thrown in. But it isn’t.

It is, make no mistake,

still a traditionally mid-

engined supercar in all

sorts of ways. Sure, it’s

easier to get into than any

other Lotus offering, but

it still requires a slightly

more agile frame than

most. The rear seats are

next to useless and when

you first set off, it is very,

very wide. Oh, and the

supercharged V6 is like

me – endlessly reliable,

but loves a drink. The

Evora also comes

equipped with one of the

best reversing camera

systems in the business,

but you get the feeling it

needs it because look

through the rear window

and pretty much all you'll

see is the engine.

But what an engine it is.

Yes, it might be the same

basic V6 that you'll find in

the Toyota Camry but

Lotus' crack team of

engineers have breathed

on it rather heavily to

make it into a monster of

a mile muncher - and if

you fork out for the Evora

S version I tested, they'll

bolt on a supercharger too

for good measure. As you

surge forward on a

seemingly endless wave of

torque you realise it's this

3.5 litre, 345bhp

mechanical masterpiece

which completely

dominates the

experience, rocketing you

past just about everything

at the subtlest flex of

your right foot.

What's more, it comes

attached to one of the

best handling cars I've

ever driven - not, I'll

admit, quite as immediate

as the Elise, but somehow

more reassuring for it. You

feel absolutely everything

through the wonderfully

balanced steering but you

won't feel it through the

seat of your pants because

the ride's far better than a

low slung sports car's

ought to be. As a result

the ride and handling of

this thing creates a

wonderful conumdrum;

yes, you could happily use

it on the motorway every

day, but why would you

when it's as good as it is

on the twisty country

lanes?

The most energetic of

the Evoras to date is by

neither the headbanger

the Elise is nor is it a

cossetting grand tourer,

but you’ll forgive it

everything because it’s

two brilliant cars in one.

It's a thirsty executive

express with cruise

control, leather seats and

satnav, and a stunning

supercar crafted by hand

by Lotus, the company

that brought you the Elan

and the Esprit. Oh, and it

all comes in what I reckon

is one of the best shapes

on sale today – the Evora

was and still is one of the

best sports car shapes you

can buy today.

As a dream car it's right

up there, and even as an

everyday proposition I

reckon its individuality,

style and sheer punch

edges it past the Jag XK

and the rather obvious

911. All I need now is the

right road...

Clockwise, from top left: The Evora’s form is compact but still striking; the Evora is the first all-new Lotus

since the original Elise of 1995; the rear detail is remiscent of Ferraris such as the Enzo and F430; the view

from the door mirrors is dominated by the mighty air scoop; despite its supercar performance the interior is

cosseting and comfortable Previous page: A sunset on the beach at Southport highlights the Evora’s curves

Life On Cars14

IF you want to get

clued up on the latest

new cars on their way

to Britain over the

next 12 months, you'd

do a lot worse than

checking out some of

the stars of this

month's Geneva

Motorshow.

The Swiss city's

automotive

extravaganza has

long been a favourite

for car firms to show

off their creations to

customers for the first

time, and this year's

no exception. With

everything from the

sophisticated new

SEAT Toledo saloon

to a totally revamped

Rolls Royce Phantom,

there's a new arrival

for everyone.

Kia, for instance, is

continuing its bid for

automotive world

domination with the

second generation

Cee'd, which in a bid

to bring the Golf and

Focus faithful into the

showrooms is now

designed, engineered

and made in Europe.

The outgoing version

is already the firm's

best seller over here,

and with the new one

looking considerably

slicker it's bound to

attract plenty of

buyers.

Mercedes came out

with one of the car

industry's worst kept

secrets - that the new

A-Class is completely

unlike the ones which

went before it. Lower,

longer and sleeker,

the Stuttgart firm's

keen to leave behind

the elk test handling

notoriety of the

original A-Class, and

go chasing after the

Audi A1's potential

customer. It is, as

Mercedes are keen to

point out, a

completely new

design.

The Hyundai

Veloster, on the other

hand, isn't a new

design but the

Koreans have

decided to up the ante

anyway by fitting it

with its 1.6 litre direct

injection engine with a

turbocharger. With the

curious three-door

coupe now pumping

out 186bhp, it's keen

to woo keen drivers

who otherwise might

have had a hot hatch

in mind.

Nissan, meanwhile,

has got us all patriotic

by promising that a

new hatchback based

loosely on its

Invitation concept car

- think Micra or Juke

size with more safety

and eco-friendliness

thrown in - will be built

at the firm's UK plant

up in Sunderland.

Whether Nissan can

squeeze a third small

car into its range is

anyone's guess, but

it's good news if you

a) are looking for a

freshly styled and

utterly reliable

supermini or b) have

friends or family in the

Sunderland area.

But the Geneva

show star I'm most

looking forward to isn't

the Series II Rolls

Royce Phantom, the

Ferrari F12 or the

Range Rover rivalling

EXP 9 F from Bentley

- it's the new Volvo

V40, which shows

what you can achieve

if you give a Ford

Focus some Swedish

trimmings.

Good looking,

luxurious and packed

with all the boringly

Volvo safety kit you

could ever ask for, I

reckon making the

V40 a hatchback

rather than an estate

for the first time could

do wonders for the

now Chinese-owned

swiss

beatZForget the supercars, here’sthe real stars of this year’sGeneva Motorshow

15Life On Cars

Clockwise, from top left: The

new turbocharged Hyundai

Veloster; Nissan’s new UK-made

model; Kia’s sleek new Cee’d;

the lower and longer A-Class

Mercedes; Volvo’s A3-rivalling

new V40 hatchback is on its way

Life On Cars16 Life On CarsLife On Cars

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rn

cla

ss

ic

Mazda’s MX-5is a sports carbargain

THE NINETIES might have

had more than its fair

share of naff fashions and

dodgy records, but it also

gave the world an iconic

new sports car.

Mazda’s MX-5 is still a

brilliant little car as a

brand new buy but it’s

this one, the 1.6 original,

that set the motoring

world alight with heady

nostalgia when it first

arrived on our shores in

1990. Small rear-wheel-

drive roadsters were

suddenly all the rage, and

it’s arguable that it’s

thank to Mazda’s retro

effort that the likes of the

later MGF, BMW Z3 and

Fiat Barchetta arrived.

The good news for car

nuts is that the original –

some say best – versions

can now be picked up for

peanuts, as I proved a few

months ago when I paid

less than a grand for

mine. For that money it

isn’t going to be perfect -

mine, for instance, had

electric windows which

didn’t work – but choose

carefully and you can

still pick up one with

tidy bodywork with all

the important bits in

good nick.

Pay particular

attention to its

trademark feature, the

soft top roof, because a

leaky one can ruin the

interior and costs over

£100 to replace.

However, I wouldn’t

worry too much about

going one which is a

grey import or one with

a lot of miles on the

clock, because while my

Japanese-spec Eunos

Roadster has more than

100,000 miles on the

clock it’s been looked

after and feels very

tight for its age.

The original MX-5 is

one of the best balanced

sports cars you’ll find in

any price bracket.

But with summer fast

approaching, the best

time to buy one is now

before everyone else

decides they want one.

You won’t regret it!