Mazda MX-5 RF Makes European Debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed
Mazda’s newest version of its MX-5 Miata is headed overseas this June to hit the roads at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Chichester, England.
The Mazda MX-5 RF made its debut two months ago at the 2016 New York International Auto Show after teasing the new model’s retracting hard roof with the phrase “help us blow the roof off” in its press invitations. As opposed to previous MX-5‘s convertible tops, the RF sports a “targa top,” where a rail and some body structure remains behind the seats, giving the model increased rigidity. At the time, Mazda’s Nobuhiro Yamamoto (the MX-5 Program Manager) said, “Our aim was a convertible sports car with gorgeous fastback lines when the roof is closed and an exhilarating feeling when open.”
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an annual event that traces its origins back to 1936, when the Duke of Richmond and racecar driver Freddie March hosted a hill climb race for a group of friends and Lancia owners. Fifty-seven years later, the first Festival was a rousing success, and automakers soon came to see Goodwood as an opportunity to display their historic models while also bragging about their racing history to all who came to experience this event. Today the Festival features many different events, however the Mazda will make it’s European debut at the showcase without racing.
The European model of the MX-5 RF will retain the 1.5- and 2-liter engines of the softtop. This will make it have the option to be not quite as powerful as it’s American neighbor, which will feature only the larger four-cylinder powerplant. However, despite the diminished displacement, visitors of the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed will still be able to appreciate the sleek, KODO-inspired exterior, even if it is taller by a whole fifth of an inch.
News Sources: Car Scoops, The Telegraph
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