Mazda MX-5 30th Anniversary Edition 2019 review

The MX-5 is an automotive icon. It’s affordable, it's attractive, and it's an utter joy to drive. Mazda has lapped up the attention over the decades and seems to have created more special edition versions of the model than any other car I can think of. And why not? They’re rightly proud to be the manufacturer of such a legendary car.

Over the last 30 years, Britain has seen over 50 special editions, with each model greatly cherished by dyed-in-the-wool MX-5 enthusiasts. The latest is the 30th Anniversary MX-5, which – as you might have guessed – marks 30 years of this iconic little car.

So what’s different about this one?

Unlike many of these special editions, this 2019 model will have a limited production run with just 3,000 Mazda MX-5 30th Anniversary editions made worldwide. And out of that, no more than 550 will be shipped from Japan to the United Kingdom. That number includes 180 'Retractable Fastback' (RF) variants and 370 convertibles. The RF is £29,895, and the soft-top comes in a little cheaper at £28,095.

You can’t miss the 30th Anniversary special edition – and you certainly won’t mistake it for any other MX-5. Why? Well, because it’s orange, and when I say orange – I mean hardcore Racing Orange. The 3,000 MX-5s have been sprayed this shade in homage to 1991’s Le Mans-champion Mazda 787B.

But it’s not just the colour that distinguishes this car. There’s a variety of other exclusive charms, like the set of distinctive RAYS 17-inch aluminium alloys with '30th Anniversary' inscribed on the wheelrims. Then there’s the de rigueur numbered plaque on the driver’s side sill. Oh, and I mustn’t forget the attractive brake callipers that are coated in – you guessed it – orange paint. And, for the first time in Britain, this is an MX-5 fitted with Brembo front brakes.

What’s it like on the inside?

Step inside and there are further dashes of orange. You also get semi-Alcantara and semi-leather Recaro sports seats which come with orange edging. There’s additional Alcantara on areas of the dashboard, as well as the MX5’s stubby gear-lever and gaiter. Then there are '30th Anniversary' emblems on the carpeting and orange stitching on the sporty steering wheel.

Since the 30th Anniversary special edition MX-5 uses the 2.0-litre Sport Nav+ trim as its base, all models get LED headlights, sat nav, parking sensors and a brilliant Bose sound system. However, that’s where the commemorative extras come to an end, as the 30th doesn’t get a mechanical boost – even though it looks faster with its flashier than usual image.

How does it handle?

The rare MX-5 is propelled by the same 184ps 2.0-litre petrol unit (which superseded the former 160ps 2.0-litre powerplant at the end of 2018) as the MX-5 Sport Nav+ version. And it's coupled to the same six-speed gearbox sending clout to the Mazda’s back wheels. As you’d expect, it’s equipped with that model’s limited-slip differential and Bilstein dampers. It also houses a strut brace under the hood.

Behind the wheel, the MX-5 is one of the best handling vehicles of its kind. Unsurprisingly, the 30th Anniversary model basks in this benchmark car’s radiance with an old-school charm many big-ticket sports cars can’t equal. The incisive steering, the precise short-throw gearbox, the nimble chassis and the progressive brakes all turn the most everyday drive into an awesome one – even on a gloomy Monday morning. The car is fast, too, as the powerplant can be stretched up to 7,500rpm. Mazda’s up-to-the-minute sports seats are cossetting, as well. Indeed, the 30th Anniversary model’s chairs feel as though they have superior upper body and thigh support, making it a more easy-going long-distance machine than the regular MX-5.

Mostly, there's a suppleness to the 30th's ride that makes it a laid-back car to pilot every day. Mind you, the car does seem to be stiffer around corners than the Sport Nav+ model – and that’s bizarre, as the 30th Anniversary edition’s suspension hasn’t been altered. So the only negative aspect of 2019’s orange MX-5 is that it could feel just a tad different.

What extras are available?

To complement the 30th Anniversary MX-5, there are a few mechanical and visual options. For example, Mazda’s Cup Pack drops the special edition model by 25mm. This is achieved via a bunch of Eibach springs and sees a Bastuck sports silencer added to the exhaust, too.

It would have been better to have had these included as standard at the factory. Had that happened, the Japanese automaker would not only have made the 30th Anniversary’s driving characteristics superior, but it would have enhanced its exclusivity.

On the other hand, as almost all Mazda’s 550 30th Anniversary MX-5s have been snapped up already, perhaps the model doesn't need to be anything more than it is. Furthermore, it doesn’t take a genius (or a motoring journalist) to work out that this is bound to become a collector’s car amongst MX-5 buffs.

At the media launch of the 30th Anniversary MX-5, Managing Director of Mazda Motors UK, Jeremy Thomson, commented: ‘In the 30 years since the launch of the model, more than 130,000 Mazda MX-5s have been sold in the United Kingdom. This is a sports car that has resounded with enthusiastic drivers ever since its introduction, and four generations later, it's as popular as ever. Along the way, the MX-5 has remained true to the original principle of being a lightweight, affordable, and fun roadster.’

Pros and cons

• Racy looks √
• Awesome handling √
• Precise gearbox √
• Supportive seats √
• Old-school charm √
• Is it special enough? X