The hard-top Mazda MX-5 RF has gone into production with Australian deliveries set to commence in the first quarter of next year (2017).
US AND EUROPEAN BUYERS WILL get first dibs on the hard-top Mazda MX-5 RF with Australian buyers having to wait until sometime in the first quarter of 2017 to see it locally. The MX-5 RF is being built at Ujina Plant 1 near Mazda’s global headquarters in Hiroshima.
When the MX-RF was revealed earlier in the year, Mazda’s MX-5 program boss, Nobuhiro Yamamoto said: “With the all-new Mazda MX-5 RF we freed ourselves from traditional ways of thinking and took on fresh challenges in order to create something new. Our aim was a convertible sports car with gorgeous fastback lines when the roof is closed and an exhilarating open-air feeling when open”.
The MX-5 RF’s retractable hardtop consists of front, middle and rear roof sections, and a rear screen. When the top is lowered the front and middle portions are stowed together, while the rear glass sits behind the seats, leaving the rear roof section in place to create a unique open-topped look, and a cabin feeling that combines a sense of open air freedom with the impression of being securely ensconced within the car.
“If we consider the convertible model to represent the purest of lightweight sports car appeal, the new Retractable Fastback epitomises a new type of MX-5 that aims to be a compact sports car with a natural charm that everyone will find beautiful”, said Masashi Nakayama, Mazda MX-5 Chief Designer.
A 5mm increase in roof height aside, the RF retains the same overall length, width and wheelbase as the convertible, while the fully automated hardtop is one of the fastest available, opening at the touch of a button even when the car is moving at up to 10km/h. Locally, the MX-5 RF will be available only with Mazda’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder SkyActiv engine; pricing hasn’t been announced.
