MAZDA continue on a roll with the MX-5 Roadster coupe as discovered on his Austrian adventure in this new entrant to the motorsports market.

Fun is the best way to describe the new Mazda MX5 roadster Coupe, recently launched in the beautiful setting of the Austrian Alps.

Road handling combined with comfort enabled this nippy little coupe to cut its way through the winding alpine roads with ease.

Mazda had several challenges when they began to design this model, one of which was the weight and retraction of the hard top.

The interior is relatively unchanged from its soft top counterpart, apart from a few extra buttons and storage space behind the chairs.

The retractable hard top has four motors installed to ensure a speedy transformation, 12 seconds to be precise and the fastest on the market according to the designers.

Releasing the manual locking system, the driver only has to press and hold the button on the dash to retract the roof.

But you would expect to sacrifice some boot space for the storage of the roof, on the contrary. Thanks to the genius of the Mazda designers, the roof tucks in and around the seating area, thus leaving the boot area clear.

The Coupe version weighs in at just 37kg more than the soft top. Of that, 30.2kg is accounted for by the roof itself, the rest made up of small components and a boot lid which houses the complex wiring harness switches.

There are two models on the market, the two litre and 1.8 versions.

Both meet with Euro emission standards and can be five or six speed manual transmission, depending on the engine, but easy to shift.

With precise, short shift travel and low levels of shift effort, these transmissions are perfect complements to the MX-5 Roadster Coupe driving experience.

Safety is always at the forefront of any vehicle’s design and could be the difference between selling or sitting on the shelf.

Mazda have incorporated side airbags to protect head and thorax and the usual front airbag protection.

With its ipod compatible audio system this is a fun and enjoyable car to drive and well worth consideration if you are looking for a two seater coupe.

Factfile:

Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe range

Prices: £18,210 - £20,710
Insurance groups: 11 - 13 [est]
CO2 emissions: 174 - 193 g/km
Performance: [2.0] Max speed 130mph / 0-60mph 8s [est]
Fuel consumption: [2.0 5-speed] 35mpg [est]
Standard safety features: Twin front and side air bags, ABS
Dealer details: For more information see www.mazda.co.uk.