Selwyn Times: March 21, 2017

2
46 [Edition Tuesday datE] March 21 2017
Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi
Driven
CONTINUING EDUCATION
SELWYN TIMES
Mazda MX-5 offers
thrilling drive
• By Ross Kiddie
WHEN MAZDA first
produced its MX-5
convertible, the concept
was loosely based around
the high performance
Lotus Elan of the 60s.
There’s no denying the
success Mazda has had
with the MX-5, every
generation has been true
to the original, and I don’t
know anyone who isn’t
smitten with the affordable
sports car.
That being the case, I was
a little surprised to find
that the latest generation
model was designed in
collaboration with the
Fiat/Chrysler group. We
are unlikely to see the Fiat
equivalent here in New
Zealand, it’s rumoured
to be a left-hand-drive
model only; but we will
see Abarth versions here
in right-hand-drive, and
it will arrive with a 1.4-
litre turbocharged engine.
Incidentally, Abarth is the
performance arm of Fiat
in Italy.
I’m not here to praise
the Abarth, I doubt that
I’ll ever get a drive of
that vehicle, but what I
do know is that Mazda is
determined not to lose grip
on the popularity of MX-5,
nor its market share, and
have launched it here in
four variations to cater for
all driving tastes. In simple
terms, there is a 1.5-litre
manual model, a 2-litre
manual or automatic, and a
2-litre convertible hardtop.
I’ve driven all but the
hardtop, and have come
to appreciate what Mazda
have done with the MX-5,
it is still the fun, beautifully
balanced sports car
which has a chassis and
suspension that can only be
described as delightful.
This evaluation focuses
on the 2-litre manual,
and it sits in the market
at $46,995. $40,995 will
get you into the 1.5-
litre manual, automatic
transmission on the 2-litre
adds $1500.
Effectively, the engine is
the same, but for bore and
stroke differences which
determine cubic capacity.
The 2-litre model pumps
out 118kW and 200Nm
against 96kW and 150Nm,
and if you add in its weight
of just over 1000kg the
power-to-weight balance
is definitely biased towards
performance.
When you fire up the
Mazda MX-5 you know
you are in for a thrilling
ride; the engine is raspy
MAZDA MX-5: Designed with the Fiat/Chrysler group.
and a little raw, not so
that it’s overbearing, but
it does have sound which
lets you know that there is
something just a little bit
different about the car. It
has always been that way,
it’s just part of the ethos
that harks back to my
introduction, the Lotus
Elan was also vibrant from
under the bonnet.
• Price – Mazda MX-5
Ltd, $46,995
• Dimensions – Length,
3915mm; width,
1735mm; height,
1230mm
• Configuration – Fourcylinder,
rear-wheeldrive,1998cc,
118kW,
200Nm, six-speed
manual.
• Performance –
0-100km/h, 6.6sec
• Fuel usage –
6.9l/100km
Where Mazda has
excelled with the MX-5 is
in its driving dynamics,
you feel so very much a
part of the car, everything
from the short-shifting
gear lever through to the
feel from the suspension
and the way you as a driver
are connected to the rearwheel-drive
feel, the MX-5
involves the driver and
drags him/her tightly to the
elements which make it the
sports machine it is.
In terms of performance,
the MX-5 in 2-litre form
will haul to 100km/h from
a standstill in 6.6sec, and
will make an overtaking
manoeuvre in 4.9sec (80-
120km/h). And at the
same time it will also sip
fuel frugally, Mazda claim
a 6.9l/100km (41mpg)
combined cycle average.
The twin-camshaft, fourcylinder
unit is one from
the new range of SkyActive
engines which have found
their way into most of
Mazda’s current product, it
has character and likes to
be heard; at highway speed
it settles down, but if you
use the power on tap it
is there to entertain
audibly.
The MX-5 is all about
character, and it has a
chassis that delivers one
of the finest handling
sensations you are ever
likely to experience. The
steering is pin-sharp, and
by sitting almost over
the rear axles you get a
lot of feel as to what the
suspension is doing in
relation to the road surface.
Short-wheelbase, rearwheel-drive
cars can be
twitchy at the rear under
power, and the MX-5 is no
exception, but grip through
the 205/45 x 17in sport
specification Bridgestone
Potenza rubber is high and
you really have to work
hard to lose traction. Of
course, that is immediately
arrested through the
traction control electronics,
but the point is the MX-5
can be playful and, as a
buyer, you wouldn’t want
anything less.
I took the test car inland
from Windwhistle almost
all of the way to Lake
Coleridge Village, my
favourite high country
road, and thoroughly
enjoyed the way the MX-5
attacked the corners yet
drives in a fashion which
allows the driver to use its
qualities to full potential.
The driving environment
is one of massive appeal,
everything about the MX-5
is beautifully engineered,
from the cockpit to
lowering the roof down
with one hand in one
easy movement, there is
nothing to criticise, and
the newcomer is true to
the concept which has
made it so successful and
appealing.
Of course, it is a selfish
car, any buyer will only be
able to have one passenger
at a time as it has two seats
only, and that in itself
suggests that everything
about the MX-5 is a little
different.
Farm life has
plenty to offer
young people
From city girl to sharemilker to equity
farmer, North Canterbury’s Wendy Croft has
come a long way in a sector that allows young
people to work hard and prosper.
“I was working in a bank before I got into
farming. I had never milked a cow, but we got
into sharemilking to save money, and it was
easier for me to manage it than to get someone
else to do it.”
Three years ago Wendy
enrolled in Ara Institute
of Canterbury’s NZ
Diploma in Agribusiness
Management; a practical
qualification for working
farmers that is delivered
online with face to face
tutorials in Culverden.
The programme is
run with the Primary
ITO and was rated as
“excellent” by the New
Zealand Qualifications
Authority (NZQA) in a
recent report.
With two young
children and a business
to run, Wendy balanced her studies with her
family and work commitments.
““I think my husband and I worked together
every day for three years! It was hard, and it’s
not for everyone. It’s challenging but it’s really
rewarding.”
Does she miss her city lifestyle? “Yes,
sometimes I miss the city, but I love the lifestyle
here – I have good neighbours and good staff.”