Iconic Mazda MX-5 turns 20

The new 2009 Mazda MX-5 has hit the showrooms and marks the sporty two-seaters 20th anniversary. Benefiting from a face lift, tweaked driving dynamics and more kit as standard Mazda hope to tempt the next generation of thrill seekers into opting for the iconic car.The new front end incorporates a new five-point air intake which visually aligns it with the Mazda6, Mazda3, Mazda2, and the RX-8 while other highlights include new front and rear lights, restyled bumpers and new side sills. Inside the 2009 version Mazda has tried to accommodate extra storage into the cabin, with a new storage tray infront of the gear stick, while the two cupholders can be removed to create a further large storage area.Also available on the car is a new Powershift automatic transmission, complete with paddles located behind the steering wheel.“The 2009 MX-5 effectively builds on the qualities that have made Mazda’s two-seater roadster the best-selling sportscar in the world,” says Mazda UK’s managing director Jeremy Thomson.   Arriving with immaculate timing to a motoring audience crying out for fun and affordable roof-down driving, the perfectly proportioned roadster was brilliantly conceived and engineered to deliver undiluted driving pleasure.  It was an instant hit, its record-breaking sales success underlining the Mazda MX-5’s global appeal.“The unbridled dynamism and driver engagement of this 2009 model range can trace a clear and direct line to the 1990 original, a car that single-handedly resuscitated the small and affordable roadster market. Over the last 20 years more than 94,000 Mazda MX-5 models have found homes in the UK, and I’m positive the 2009 model will continue this unprecedented success.”For 2009 customers have the option of four powertrains, the 126ps 1.8i, the 160ps 2.0i with five-speed gearbox, the same engine with a revised six-speed manual gearbox, and the aforementioned Powershift automatic mated to the 2.0i 160ps engine.

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