Test Drive - 2007 MX-5 Preview

New MX-5 Model News for 2007 by Rich Velardo

Did you know that 2007 is almost here? No? Ah, but it is, and so is the 2007 MX-
5 Miata. For 2007 Mazda has made some changes to our favorite car.

The bad news first; there is a "reduction" in horsepower from 170 to 166 (166 to
160 for the automatic transmission cars), this drop was brought about purely by
the means of measuring horsepower; in reality it's the same as last year. That's it
for the bad, everything else is good.

The good news? Besides the normal bits of twiddling and fiddling that an auto
maker does each year, Mazda has some big news too; this is the year the first
MX-5 Retractable Hard Top (RHT) appears. While GM cannot even manage a
rag top that'll fold away and allow for trunk space in it's Solstice ands Sky, in it's
new Retractable Hard Top Mazda manages to retract a hard top into the space
behind the seat with no loss of trunk space. As of this writing I cannot find any
information about price, increases in weight for the RHT or what material the top
is made of. The official introduction for the RHT will be in July at the London
(England) Auto Show.

There will be three models available as either soft or Retractable Hard Top;
Sport, Touring or Grand Touring. Changes for the Retractable Hard Top vs the
soft top are; the premium package #1 will not be available, but there will be a
chrome grille garnish, chrome outer door handles, chrome front headlamp bezels
with a lens that is a little slimmer in height, open and close switches for the power
top are added inside and, of course, the power retractable hardtop replaces the
soft top. The Marble White exterior color will not be available but all of the other
'07 colors will be available. The '07 colors will be True Red, copper Red, Galaxy
Great Mica, Black, Sunlight Silver, Marble White and new colors Storm Blue and
Highland Green. Winning Blue and Nordic Green will be dropped for '07.

More info and a test as soon as possible.