Mazda MX-5 RF Limited Edition 2018 Review
Limited Edition MX-5 adds handling and cosmetic touches, but Aussie buyers will pay plenty for the privilegeWith its MX-5 RF Limited Edition, Mazda has given its folding hardtop model a sporting make-over via the addition of better brakes and dampers. The MX-5 RF Limited Edition gains a couple of unique cosmetic touches, too, yet still falls short of its twin-under-the-skin Abarth 124 where power, performance and value are concerned. Priced at $55,790 drive-away – and with just 110 units available – the Mazda MX-5 RF Limited Edition might have exclusivity on its side. But against both its Italian counterpart, and its derivative model, presents a value proposition that’s hard to swallow. Put simply, the Limited Edition offers a little extra for a whole lot more.
A serious case of FOMO
The Mazda MX-5 has never been about big horsepower, and it’s certainly not a rarity to see one on the road. With more than a million produced since the original debuted at the Chicago Auto Show three decades ago last weekend (February 10), Mazda’s fun-to-drive roadster has had accessibility and affordability at its heart.
Yet since the latest ND-series Mazda MX-5 was launched back in 2015 enthusiast Australian customers have been left wanting. Factory-backed performance parts freely available in other markets were nowhere to be seen at Mazda Australia. Now, the importer has finally addressed that shortcoming with the introduction of its six-speed-manual-only Mazda MX-5 RF Limited Edition.
But there’s still a catch... At least in terms of the whack you wallet will take.
Based on the MX-5 RF GT, the RF Limited Edition flagship is priced at a cool $55,790 (national drive-away price, or $52,210 plus ORCs). That equates to an 18.9 per cent increase.
Your $8320 price premium delivers gas-charged Bilstein dampers, front strut brace, parts of Mazda’s Kuroi aero bodywork pack (available as an option on all Aussie MX-5s), 17-inch BBS wheels, lighter Brembo front rotors (-2kg) and four-piston calipers. The upgrade also adds Recaro seats trimmed in Alcantara and leather and a black-painted roof.
The extra coin is put into further perspective when you compare the RF Limited Edition with the MX-5’s more powerful twin-under-the-skin Abarth 124 Spider.
From $41,990 (plus ORCs) the turbocharged Abarth delivers 7kW/50Nm more than the normally-aspirated direct-injected 118kW/200Nm 2.0-litre found in the MX-5 RF Limited Edition, a better power-to-weight ratio, and many of the performance parts Mazda will offer just 110 of its ‘lucky’ Aussie customers.
Similar performance parts are also found on comparable rivals like the Toyota 86 GTS Dynamic Pack (from $39,440 plus ORCs) and Subaru BRZ tS (from $43,270 plus ORCs).
Okay, gripe over
The good news, however, is that the upgrades to the chassis improve the MX-5 RF’s handling markedly, without greatly compromising ride comfort.
The oft-criticised body-roll of the standard model is virtually eliminated which sharpens corner-entry response and improves stability during quick directional changes. In short, the RF Limited Edition is a sharper tool than the model on which it’s based, and nails the ‘horse and rider as one’ (or Jinba Ittai) brief Mazda decreed from day one.
The chassis changes also serve to eliminate most of the pitching motion experienced under heavy braking, enhancing the effect of the RF Limited Edition’s meatier Brembo brakes. Pedal modulation remains scalpel-like and the ability to have four wheels working to aggressively arrest progress delivers faster corner entry speeds and adds to the playfulness of the car’s character.
Mazda’s Induction Sound Enhancer – which pipes intake sound to the cabin over 5000rpm – adds a little extra character to the otherwise muted note of the MX-5, but we’d have preferred a throatier exhaust to complement the more athletic feel of the RF Limited Edition.
We’d also like a little extra power (a la the famous turbocharged second-generation MX-5 SE and SP limited edition variants), but the horse has long bolted on that front.
Business as usual
Carried over from the donor model are all the MX-5 GT’s usual features, including the combination 4.6-inch colour TFT LCD screen and three-dial instrument panel, 13-second electric-folding hardtop – operable at speeds up to 10km/h (it adds 47kg to the GT’s kerb weight), 127-litre boot, single-zone climate control, and iACTIVESENSE safety technologies.
The iACTIVESENSE’s blind-spot warning system is a nifty bonus given the over-the-shoulder blind-spots created by the RF’s large buttresses.
The RF Limited Edition also scores the GT’s nine-speaker 203-watt Premium BOSE audio system and Mazda’s MZD Connect infotainment array with ‘floating’ 7.0-inch colour display, sat-nav and Bluetooth connectivity.
Like other Mazda MX-5 models there is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity, nor adaptive cruise control or autonomous emergency braking. Obviously, the absent glove-box and door pockets, and limited headroom of the donor model remain an issue for gadget junkies and taller people.
The 110 MX-5 RF Limited Editions are available in a choice of Soul Red Crystal Metallic, Machine Grey Metallic, Snowflake White Pearl Mica, Ceramic Metallic or Eternal Blue Mica paint colours. All Mazda MX-5 RF Limited Edition models are numbered and arrive replete with a signed letter from the MX-5 program manager, and a stainless-steel Seiko Mazda sports wrist watch.
Mazda has form in offering a Seiko watch with its limited edition MX-5 variants. The tenth anniversary NB-series was sold with his and hers Seiko watches, an anniversary key ring and a scale model of the car. You can decide whether these additions improve the value offering of the RF Limited Edition. We’d suggest not…
Mazda says it’s had 15 firm orders for the MX-5 RF Limited Edition with the remaining 95 now allocated to dealer stock. Sales commence nationally from today.
2018 Mazda MX-5 RF Limited Edition pricing and specifications:
Price: $55,790 (drive-away)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 118kW/200Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 7.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 162g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP (2016)
Related reading:
>> Abarth 124 Spider takes on ABDC
>> Mazda MX-5 RF v Toyota 86 Comparison
>> Project Miata: We build a $10k Track Car
- Braking and handling tweaks
- Stand-out styling cues
- Body-hugging seats
- Price relative to competitors
- It could use more power
- Tight headroom
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If the price does not contain the notation that it is "Drive Away", the price may not include additional costs, such as stamp duty and other government charges.
