Speed and power are two things that put the Advertising Standards Authority in a tizzy whenever it has to judge complaints about car commercials.
This must give carmakers a headache when it comes to ensuring their sports cars grab the attention of the UK’s petrolhead community. Of course, a plethora of motoring magazines and websites do their best to give these halo models a good going over, but as sports cars need to be, well, sporty, we felt it was time to see how our long-term MX-5 RF compares with other new roadsters on paper.
The evidence shows our car is the third slowest to 62mph, and despite having the joint-largest engine (many rivals use smaller, turbocharged units) it has the third-lowest power output. But the MX-5 combines sportiness with value better than any of its peer group – buyers seeking stats for their pub banter will be delighted it delivers 6.16PS power output per £1,000 spent, which is better even than premium rivals. Even the more closely priced Fiat and Abarth 124, which share much of the MX-5’s underpinnings, cannot match it.
It’s easy to understand why the MX-5 remains the world’s best-selling sports car.
| Car | PS | Engine | 0-62mph | List price | PS per £1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mazda MX-5 RF 2.0 Sport Nav | 160 | 2.0 | 7.3 secs | £25,995 | 6.16 |
| Abarth 124 Spider | 170 | 1.4 | 6.8 secs | £29,620 | 5.74 |
| Alfa Romeo 4C 1750 Spider | 240 | 1.7 | 4.5 secs | £59,820 | 4.01 |
| Audi TT 1.8TFSI Roadster Sport | 180 | 1.8 | 7.2 secs | £30,250 | 5.95 |
| Fiat 124 Spider | 140 | 1.4 | 7.5 secs | £23,800 | 5.88 |
| Jaguar F-Type Convertible | 300 | 2.0 | 5.7 secs | £55,385 | 5.42 |
| Mercedes-Benz SLC180 AMG Line | 156 | 1.6 | 7.9 secs | £32,039 | 4.87 |
