Mazda MX-5 RF 2.0 Homura

Our retractable hard-top long-termer meets its soft-top equivalent - which is peak MX-5 spec?

- James Taylor (@evojamest)

OUR LONG-TERM DEEP CRYSTAL BLUE MX-5 is the RF model (for Retractable Fastback), with the motorised folding hardtop. Having a Soul Red soft-top MX-5 Roadster on test for issue 338's evo Eras 2020s feature gave us the chance for an impromptu twin test, to see which flavour of MX-5 is sweetest.

Helpfully, both cars were in the exact same spec otherwise: the top Homura trim, with Bilstein dampers, 17-inch BBS wheels and Bridgestone Potenza S001 tyres. In terms of raw figures, the RF weighs around 43kg more than the soft-top Roadster and has a higher centre of gravity, with that extra metal and plastic above the chassis. Perhaps for that reason, its ride quality is a bit lumpier than the soft-top's. On my first drive in evo’s long-termer, I was a little surprised at just how abrupt the ride felt on bumpy roads; the red car rides noticeably more smoothly than the RF. Subjectively, there's perhaps also just a tiny bit more deftness to the soft-top's movements, the way it handles its body upon its suspension, like a footballer feinting past an opponent on their toes.