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"A convertible has a top that can be lowered in good weather; a roadster has a top that can be raised in bad weather."

You can see details about the car we love here, including technical specifications and articles.

If you have a Mk1 in red or blue then you might like these...

Windows Wallpaper - Red Mk1 - 1024 x 768
Windows Wallpaper - Blue Mk1 - 1024 x 768

The Car Itself

"Oneness Between Horse and Rider"

Under the banner of project P729 the MX-5 was originally developed during the 1980s by Mazda in the USA where it is known as the Miata.  Here in the UK and the rest of Europe it is known as the MX-5.  The Japanese model is generally referred to as the Eunos Roadster or the Mazda Roadster.

The car can be found in the Guinness Book Of Records as the world's best-selling two-seater sports car.

The MGB had disappeared from the American market in 1980.  Mazda saw the opening.  Their own RX-7 was moving up the scale and so left a nice little niche behind for this light weight sports car.

Stock Performance Figures

Original Mark 1 1.6i
Power: 114 bhp, 115 bhp, 116 bhp or 188 bhp*
0-60 mph: 9.1 or 8.75 seconds*
1/4 mile time: 17.0 seconds at 81 miles per hour
Top speed: 112 or 121 mph*
Braking, 60-0 mph: 137 feet
Cornering force: 0.87 G on standard tyres
Slalom speed: 62.4 mph
Weight: 2182 or 2193lbs, 995 kgs*
Weight distribution: 50/50

Later 1.6i engines (1995 onwards) were detuned to about 88 bhp.
Later 1.6i engines (1998 onwards) were up again to about 108 bhp.
Mark 2.5 1.6i engines were about 110 bhp.

Original Mark 1 1.8i
Power: 128 bhp
0-60 mph: 8.4 or 8.5 seconds
1/4 mile time: 16.5 seconds at 86 miles per hour
Top speed: 112, 119 or 120 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph: 132 feet
Cornering force: 0.87 G on standard tyres
Slalom speed: 62.4 mph
Weight: 2249 or 2293 lbs, 1020 or 1045 kgs*
Weight distribution: 50/50

Later 1.8i engines (1995 onwards) were up to about 133 bhp.
Later 1.8i engines (1998 onwards) were up to about 140 bhp.
Mark 2.5 1.8i engines were about 146 bhp.

*=depends on which book you believe
*=Japanese cars are generally limited to 180 kph or 112 mph

VIN Plate

Here's what all those numbers on the VIN plate actually mean...

Articles

    From STHT...

  • "Wheely Good" Word format (Replacement wheels) article (64.5 Kb) from the December 2003 issue of STHT (Soft Top Hard Top), page 33
  • "All I Need Is The Air That I Breathe" Word format (Jackson Racing cold air intake installation) article (282 Kb) from the December 2003 issue of STHT, page 47
  • "Can You Hear Me Mother" Word format (Replacement exhaust) article (57.5 Kb) from the April 2004 issue of STHT, page 20

    From other publications...