Mazda MX-5 RF Retractable Fastback Limited Production Launch Edition

The all-new Mazda MX-5 RF Retractable Fastback goes on sale from the 4th March 2017

With production having started at Mazda’s Ujina Plant in Hiroshima Japan, the all-new Mazda MX-5 RF Retractable Fastback will go on sale in the UK on the 4th March 2017. With the first cars produced heading to Europe and North America, UK drivers will be able to get behind the wheel of Mazda’s exciting new MX-5 Retractable Fastback early next year.

With a limited run of just 500 cars, the six-model range will be heralded by the flagship Launch Edition. Powered by a 160ps 2.0-litre SKYACTIV-G engine, the Launch Edition is marked out by its unique twin-tone roof, BBS wheels, black door mirrors and black rear spoiler. Available with a choice of free-of-charge Soul Red or Machine Grey metallic paint, it also comes with a Safety Pack as standard, while the exclusive feel continues inside with Alcantara trim and Recaro seats.

Designed to offer a new dimension of open-top driving fun, while at the same time staying true to the underlying principle of the previous generation MX-5 retractable hardtop, the all-new Mazda MX-5 RF’s ‘fastback’ styling gives it a unique appearance roof up or down, broadening the appeal of the world’s best-selling two-seater sports car.

As with the established Mazda MX-5 convertible, all models powered by the 2.0-litre 160ps engine feature a limited slip differential and 17-inch wheels; while Sport Nav models (and the Launch Edition) feature Bilstein dampers and strut brace to further enhance their dynamic set up. Plus, with the introduction of the £27,095 Sport Nav Auto, the current generation of MX-5 is offered with an automatic gearbox for the first time in the UK. Offered in both SE-L Nav and Sport Nav trim, RF’s powered by the 1.5-litre 131ps engine will arrive in dealerships in May.

Developed to deliver enhanced cabin comfort and a refined ride, while at the same time maintaining the agility, performance and driver engagement of the MX-5 convertible, the suspension and electric power steering parameters of the all-new Mazda MX-5 RF have been specifically tuned for the Retractable Fastback. In addition, a sound-absorbing headliner used in the front and middle roof panels combines with sound insulation around the rear wheel housings to deliver a significantly quieter cabin when the roof is closed.

“With the all-new Mazda MX-5 RF, we freed ourselves from traditional ways of thinking and took on fresh challenges in order to create something new. Our aim was a convertible sports car with gorgeous fastback lines when the roof is closed and an exhilarating open-air feeling when open,” commented Nobuhiro Yamamoto, Mazda MX-5 Programme Manager.

The MX-5 RF’s retractable hardtop consists of front, middle and rear roof sections, and a rear screen. When the top is lowered the front and middle portions are stowed together, while the rear glass sits behind the seats, leaving the rear roof section in place to create a unique open-topped look, and a cabin feeling that combines a sense of open-air freedom with the impression of being securely ensconced within the car.

On the Launch Edition the front and middle roof sections feature a piano black finish that contrasts with the Soul Red or Machine Grey metallic paint, which both use Mazda’s unique “TAKUMINURI” paint process to deliver glossy depth and nuanced shading that intensifies the contrasts between light and shadow with its high-density finish, giving the impression that the body was sculpted from a solid block of steel.

Building on the all-new Mazda MX-5’s award-winning design, the RF’s roof up style will set it apart when it arrives on UK roads early next year. A 5mm increase in roof height aside, the RF retains the same overall length, width and wheelbase as the MX-5 convertible, but thanks to gently downward sloping buttresses that tuck in at the sides to create a teardrop shape, the RF’s elegant fastback silhouette accentuates the MX-5’s dynamic and contemporary sports car proportions in a completely unique way.

“If we consider the convertible model to represent the purist of lightweight sports car appeal, the new Retractable Fastback epitomises a new type of MX-5 that aims to be a compact sports car with a natural charm that everyone will find beautiful,” commented Masashi Nakayama, Mazda MX-5 Chief Designer.

With pre-order now open, the all-new Mazda MX-5 RF will arrive in dealerships on the 4th March 2017 and promises to add another chapter in the MX-5 success story. Jeremy Thomson, Managing Director of Mazda Motors UK said, “We’re very excited about the arrival of the all-new Mazda MX-5 RF. It will add a unique and stylish model to our range, one that stands distinct from the MX-5 Convertible, yet retains all the award-winning driver appeal our sports car is famed for.”

Adding, “With over 120,000 sales since its launch in 1990, the UK has played a huge part in the MX-5 success story. The last generation of retractable hardtop accounted for a large percentage of MX-5 sales and we expect the all-new RF to continue that trend.”