A journey to rediscover the lost pleasure of driving. Among winding mountain roads and the echo of a changing world, the Mazda MX-5 RF reminds us what it truly takes to feel something behind the wheel. To all the driving romantics out there: there is still hope for us.

Words Alessandro Marrone / Photos Alessio Becker

The ultimate driving experience follows two very specific rules. A car capable of making me feel like part of a mechanical act and a road able to elevate the whole thing to the highest level. The surroundings — if we want to call them that — are all those factors beyond our control, more a matter of logistics than anything else. And then you can throw in a bit of luck, which never hurts. Starting from this premise and with the calendar now turned to the tenth month of the year — what I consider the best for a road trip — I tried to piece together a puzzle that we often look at with a sense of quiet resignation. Because a day like this might never happen again, for a variety of reasons. We’re talking about tedious regulations targeting internal combustion engines, but also institutional limits that are increasingly reshaping traffic in these natural paradises, places that certainly need preserving, but without forgetting the importance of tourism, at least the right kind.

It’s a Wednesday like any other. It begins with the usual alarm interrupting a light sleep, almost as if my subconscious knew that morning I’d be heading toward my beloved mountains. A few years ago, I used to joke that certain places had an almost supernatural ability to take a piece of me and keep it there, waiting for my return, but now I’m firmly convinced of it. After about an hour, we’re on the motorway, constantly checking the weather, which is, to say the least, uncertain. I try to stay positive and think of all those times we set off in pouring rain only to arrive under sunny skies. The opposite wouldn’t surprise me. There’s something strange in the air. I can feel it as I lower the window slightly, letting the cool morning breeze flow into the MX-5’s small cabin.

After all, when it comes to driving involvement, one key element cannot be missing. The small Mazda, here in Retractable Fastback (RF) configuration, is the undisputed constant in an automotive landscape that continues to lose those fundamental pieces on which enthusiasts like us base their entire driving experience. The point of setting off and covering hundreds of kilometers just to place your wheels on a specific stretch of asphalt is exactly this: doing it the right way, the only way our spirit, stubbornly tied to the romance of a day on the road, allows within its own microcosm. And yet, with each passing year, we find ourselves mourning the loss of more models designed and built in the name of driving pleasure, of gripping that steering wheel which, through such a simple yet essential gesture, keeps alive the flame of a world we wish would never end.

The little Japanese car stands as the ultimate standard-bearer of a philosophy according to which you don’t need a mountain of horsepower to get goosebumps. Even the modest 1.5-liter engine on test is enough to be considered sporty. You might wonder why, especially if you’re used to the 400 horsepower pumped out by a crossover that also offers rear seats, all-wheel drive and an automatic gearbox that would make early Ferrari sequential transmissions from twenty years ago look envious. But if you’re reading these pages, chances are you already know the answer. Paraphrasing Lotus founder Colin Chapman’s mantra “less is more,” I’d say that in our case, “less is better.” What you give up in horsepower and peak torque, you gain in terms of active involvement. Remember when going fast meant entering a corner in the right gear and at the ideal rev range? These are aspects that have almost entirely disappeared, replaced by the extraordinary efficiency of turbocharged engines and electronic control units that can manage an automatic transmission better than 90% of us. Not so with the MX-5.

Here, it’s just you and the car. Every human mistake becomes a lesson. There are no driving modes to select, no lag in delivery, because you know well — especially with 132 horsepower — that if you come out a corner in the wrong gear, you’ll lose precious time shifting down and bringing the rev counter back up. But that’s also part of the beauty, because in those moments you can enjoy that constant, unstoppable climb toward 7,000 rpm. Or more. At that point, it becomes a dance: your right foot lifts, your left presses the clutch and the short-throw six-speed shifter engages the correct gear. There’s a slight (intentional) jolt, your right hand returns to the wheel and with traction control strictly off, you realize just how thrilling it is to wring this little car’s neck.

Everything is in your hands. Literally. You’ll never have the brutality of a Lotus, even though the seating position is incredibly low. But you do get the same driver-car relationship, where every imperfection of the road is transmitted to the wonderful Recaro seats. The power steering doesn’t compromise the fluidity of direction changes; on the contrary, it allows for real everyday usability. This is despite the lack of storage space — aside from the small compartment between the seats — or the bulky protrusion on the passenger-side floor. The difference between the traditional version and the RF is that by electrically retracting the metal roof (while stationary or below 10 kph) the RF remains in a targa-like configuration, only partially open.

I look up and realize I’ve already covered nearly 250 kilometers without noticing. Fuel consumption, if anyone cares, also benefits from the low weight — just 1,039 kg — settling at around 6.4 liters per 100 km under normal driving conditions. But the moment I notice the bare rocks of the Col d’Izoard rising above me — largely deserted due to roadworks further down — I decide to focus on exactly what brought me here. Two gears down and I press hard on the throttle.

The MX-5 doesn’t hesitate. It immediately makes it clear that it’s ready to follow your lead, especially when you realize that to pull off thrilling braking points, you need to adopt a different driving style. Take, for example, the Fiesta ST, a 200-horsepower hot hatch. Getting it up on three wheels through hairpins is child’s play and its three-cylinder engine delivers so much torque that it pulls you out of corners with disarming ease. With the Mazda and its 132 horsepower, you need a bit more courage, because your speed will be directly proportional to how you approach corners, not how much pressure you apply on the gas on the way out. Here, speed must be earned. And without taking anything away from turbocharged sports cars, once you understand how much effort it takes to go fast in this MX-5, you’ll also understand how much sweeter the reward really is.

Another strength of the Mazda lies in its engineering simplicity, in the near-total absence of electronics and in the fact that with just a couple of buttons, you find yourself face to face with what is probably the last truly honest sports car on sale today. Meanwhile, the sky is clouding over and there’s not a soul in sight, none of the people I feared I’d find here. We’re alone, enclosed in the cozy cabin of the little Japanese, living a memorable experience.

It’s almost as if the highest peaks — the sharpest ones — are watching us. They’ve been here for who knows how many centuries, witnessing humans explore them long before the first combustion engine even existed. In their complete detachment, devoid of the emotions that this winding strip of asphalt is giving me like few other moments in my life, they watch the little gray car go up and down, tires squealing when I choose not to unsettle it too much or play excessively with the throttle. The next moment, the forged 16-inch wheels spin free. I keep my foot down and straighten the wheel. I repeat it again and again until Alessio (the photographer) points to the sky. Better to stop for a moment and take a few more shots before the rain turns everything too dramatic.

When you step out and look at it, you can’t help but feel a sense of affection. The MX-5 is 35 years old and throughout all this time it has remained true to itself and its values. It has evolved, grown and matured like no other car has managed — or wanted — to do. Because, in the end, it’s also a matter of will and Mazda has made it a personal mission. Sales prove it right, especially with this fourth generation, which I consider one of the best cars ever made. Is it perfect? Absolutely not and that’s not the point. Who would ever care about a cold, calculating object? Its true strength — its defining trait — is how alive it feels, endowed with a personality of its own that you can connect with.

It knows no compromises, yet manages to offer enough practicality for everyday use, combined with such honesty in its driving dynamics that it feels like you’ve always known it. It feels tailor-made and even after hours of driving, when your lower back starts to ache, you grit your teeth because you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. There will be time to rest, or to sit comfortably in an armchair. The MX-5 is designed to remind you what it means to feel something while driving. It’s built to make you the protagonist, not the spectator. Every single detail makes you hope it never loses that playful desire to have you gripping the wheel with a big smile on your face.

All of this — this happiness — has no price. Not in the emotional sense. Not because it speaks a universal language made of corners and gear changes. If you want to take home this instrument of pleasure, you can choose from several options: first, between the soft top or the RF like the one tested here; then between the 1.5-liter 132-horsepower engine or the 2.0-liter 184-horsepower unit, both naturally aspirated and both eager to rev high. Prices start at around €34,000 for the 1.5 and €39,850 for the 2.0, to which you can add more depending on the trim level you prefer. What comes as standard on every MX-5 — make no mistake — is the ability to keep you in love with every single moment spent behind the wheel.

MAZDA MX-5 RF SKYACTIV-G HOMURA

Engine 4 cylinder, 1.496 cc Power 132 hp @ 7.000 rpm Torque 152 Nm @ 4.500 rpm

Traction Rear-Wheel-Drive Transmission 6-Speed Manual Gearbox Weight 1.078 kg

0-100 kph 8,3 sec Top Speed 204 kph Price €39.250