It is small, cramped and so low to the ground that getting in and out can induce back pain.
Its boot is too small to fit anything but the tiniest of weekend bags, there’s not enough cup-holders, nor places to put a phone, keys and sunglasses at the same time.
It has terrible rear-seat leg room. None, in fact.
And it offers a ride that’s every bit as comfortable as an old bullock dray on a gravel road.
It is also one of the most successful and beloved cars of all time.
Mazda’s mighty MX-5 has been breaking all the rules for more than 30 years, seeing off rivals and selling a staggering 1.2 million units since its launch in 1989 (when Mikhail Gorbachev was Russian president, and Germany pulled down the wall).
And in all that time, and all that history, this spunky little drop top has barely changed a bit.
So why bother road testing a vehicle that has seemingly remained unchanged?
Well, as it happens this modern-day classic has indeed just undergone some alterations. Not that those modifications are very noticeable.
Like most of Mazda’s advances, they happen by stealth and without fanfare.
Across four decades, Mazda has resisted a temptation to add more power, token technology or any of the latest gizmos, preferring not to come between a driver and the open road.
Just as its original four-cylinder engine and tight, manual gearbox defined the first MX-5, each successor has stuck to the recipe Mazda calls Jinba-ittai - meaning “we are engineers”.
That pride is everywhere. The tolerances on the construction, the brilliant use of space, the bold yet subtle design and, most importantly, the ability to go fast without all the fuss.
Same cloth fold-back roof, same free-spinning, normally aspirated and modestly-powered four-cylinder engine, same snug, tight little cockpit with the bare essentials in terms of tech and trinkets.
Over four generations and countless little tweaks, the car’s outputs have increased by just 50 per cent - from 89kW in that original version to the latest 135kw and 205Nm.
That’s hardly a quantum shift, but it does illustrate how rigidly the Mazda engineers have treated every development on this mighty little motorised skateboard.
For its latest trick, models across the range have been endowed with something called Kinematic Posture Control.
According to Mazda, it “uses the car’s suspension structure to provide a more integrated and stable turning posture at high speed, without adding a single gram to the weight”.
So a car already renowned for its handling, just handles a little bit better.
The car managed to retain those svelte lines while cars all around Japan were getting fat and flabby (think the likes of Nissan’s 280Z, and even Mazda’s potent sports model, the RX-7).
The cheaper, lighter and less fussy GT model, tested here, remains the favourite in this family, which now stretches to 12 variants (six of them automatic, six manual).
And while changes are kept to the minimum, Mazda has been generous with performance-related features: driver attention alert (if needed, it's not being driving it right); lane-departure warning (refer to previous comment); rear parking sensors (with the roof up it can be tricky to see out the back); smart city brake support (it will outstop just about anything with its minute weight); auto-dimming rear view mirror (necessary on sunny days); and LED daytime running lamps (aesthetic value only).
Prices range from the $37,690 entry-level Roadster up to $51,420 for the steel-roofed, snug and secure RF GT.
The roadster GT tested here arrives at a tempting $44,320 and must still represent value that few rivals can muster.
The rivals it has outlived, outperformed and outsold include many cars considered antiques: the MG B, Triumph TR7, Fiat Spider and X1-9.
Perhaps emphasising the car’s longevity and enduring appeal, it even won the World Car of the Year award 20 years after it was first released.
Few cars compare in this day and age, although the bigger but similarly-conceived Toyota GT86 all but matches the Mazda in fun and affordability.
The Mazda is not the only car to find a winning recipe and stick with it. The Porsche 911 has evolved and matured with every successive model. At the other end of the spectrum, VW’s Beetle comes to mind, as does the VW Golf which has survived almost 50 years with basically the same shape and format.
So how has Mazda managed to please so many people for so long?
As perhaps the classiest car-maker in Japan, Mazda recognises that sometimes, enough is enough.
Like the fact that the biggest engineering advance in this car has arrived with barely anyone noticing.
Some critics have complained about bits and pieces, like an infotainment system “not in keeping with modern technology”.
But that’s the point. Above all, it’s a car built to be driven. Music optional.
Mazda MX-5 GT
* HOW BIG? The snug cockpit takes a little bit of adjusting, but it’s wonderful to have everything so close at hand. The driver can comfortably touch the passenger’s window.
* HOW FAST?: With its 2-litre four cylinder engine in full cry, it will reach the speed limit in a respectable 6.5 seconds. But sitting so close to the road, it feels decidedly faster.
* HOW MUCH? The most expensive model is the RF (it stands for retracting fastback) and as well as making the car more secure, the styling on this model is superb. The RF GT automatic is $51,120 (but surely a cloth roof AND manual gearbox is mandatory). The GT model, tested here, costs a more reasonable $44,020.
* HOW THIRSTY: Officially 6.8L/100km - probably a bit more than expected.
