When the original Mazda MX-5 was launched back in 1989 it arrived like a bolt out of the blue delivering fun, open-top motoring thrills to the likes of you and me. It was affordable and attractive and gave us something we hadn’t had since the demise of the gorgeous Lotus Elan. This new variant is more purposeful than ever before.

The big question remains: can this very competent, good value car bring buyers back to a category they have been deserting in droves? On a purely rational level, the VF Commodore should be hugely successful. But car buyers are rarely rational, and that bodes ill for the best car this country has ever produced.