May 08, 2017 01:44 AM EDT
Since Porsche is understandably reluctant to share its registered Targa trademark, Mazda had to uplift its own name for this version of fourth-gen MX-5 Miata. The car has an RF with its name; code for Retractable Fastback.
According to Yahoo News, the RF costs $3005 more than a soft top in Grand Touring trim and $2755 more as the Club version. In a Club test car, 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF had a base price of $32,430 and was optioned with the $3400 Brembo/BBS package consisting of 17-inch BBS forged aluminum wheels, keyless entry, and Brembo front rotors and calipers.
The 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Manual is almost exactly 100 pounds heavier than the first ND MX-5 that was tested two years ago. The car was set the exact same zero-to-60mph time of 6.1 seconds and an identical 14.8-second quarter mile sprint at 93 mph.
According to News Sentinel, Mazda widely refrained from packing its Miata cars with weighty sound deadening to help extract maximum zing from the 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Manual's naturally 2.0-liter inline-four. This car was said to have a spirited powerplant with 155 horsepower on tap at 6000 rpm, a 6800-rpm redline, and no turbocharger to take the edge off the exhaust note.
The 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Manual's engine secret weapon is a hearty low end with sufficient thrust above 3000 rpm so that the boomy resonance that arrives beyond 5000 rpm can be saved for special occasions. The RF registered an ear-tickling 88 decibels at full throttle which settling down to 75 decibels during cruising.
For the fact, all Mazda Miata cars are throwbacks with creature comforts held the bare minimum. This keeps the concentration on pure driving joy delivered with every snick of the shifter and each increment of steering lock. Mazda introduced this vast improvement on the archetypal British sports car nearly 30 years ago.