RX8 and MX5 NC testdrive!
The new MX-5 NC has just been released here in Norway and to celebrate the occasion Mazda Norway invited the MX5-Miata club for a test-drive and a snack + free tickets in the rain at Tusenfryd theme-park.
Before we got to take the cars (they had brought six of them) we had to listen to some info and see some really corny commercials .
The test-drive was limited to 20 minutes and a predefined course from Tusenfryd to Tyrigrava kro.
This is an excellent place to test the car with lots of twisty roads mixed with some straights.
I was lucky and got the 2.0 Sport edition with 160hp instead of the underpowered 1.8
The car was really impressive to drive with both good comfort and good handling when pushing it in corners.
The engine was smooth and had a nice kick at about 5K which lasted to the red-line.
I can’t wait to see what FM and other MX-5 tuners will do with this car in the years ahead.
The only part that I saw was the same as the NA and NB is the gearbox.
Later the same day I got a test-drive in a 180hp RX8.
This was my first wankel experience and I have to admit I loved the way the rotary engine feels. The response in the engine was really good with a muffled “BRAAPPP” in the last couple of K RPM.
It didn’t feel any faster than the NC though.. It might have to do with the even electric-car-like torque curve or the more refined handling and noise dampening.
Great car but way too expensive. As an added expense the Renesis engine is said to be really thirsty.
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