Its no secret that I am a fan of the Mazda MX5. I have had two and both have been fun to drive and extremely reliable. I think the appeal is that is nearest modern car to a Lotus Elan, a car which I have owned for 42 years,
The Mazda MX-5 has long held the record for being the world’s best-selling two-seater sports car – it took this accolade way back in 2000 – and 25 years later its position as the two-seater roadster with the biggest cumulative volume is unrivalled. Across four generations, since 1989 total global MX-5 cumulative sales currently stands at over 1.2million cars – with 1,256,158* produced at Mazda’s Ujina plant in Hiroshima to date.
In a global market where the number of convertible and sports car models are reducing, the MX-5 now stands out even more as a lightweight, driver-focused, open-air driving fun. In fact, data from Jato has highlighted that in 2024 the MX-5 was the world’s best-selling convertible of any kind. Global sales of 27,669 meant it out-sold all cabriolet rivals across the globe – a trend continuing in 2025.
In the UK, SMMT data highlights that the MX-5 is Britain’s best-selling two-seater roadster and ranks second in overall convertible sales. Total MX-5 sales in the UK now stand at over 135,000 so the place the MX-5 holds in the hearts of UK sports car fans is clear. With the fourth-generation car having made its debut in 2015, total UK sales of the Mk4 MX-5 are now approaching 30,000 cars, and to date, 859 MX-5s have been delivered in the UK during 2025, making it the UK’s best-selling sports car outside of luxury offerings the Porsche Cayman and Porsche 911.
With a choice of fabric roof Roadster or RF Retractable Fastback hard-roof models, the MX-5 also offers unrivalled choice in the style of open-air motoring customers want. And with just 22 per cent of cars sold in the UK now coming with a manual gearbox, the MX-5s famed six-speed gearbox is another key attribute to its unrivalled driver engagement.
The MX-5 was originally inspired by the British roadsters of the 1960s, and was tested on UK roads in prototype form. Today, the eight-model range features four Roadster and four RF models and a choice of Prime-Line, Exclusive-Line and Homura trim grades. Prime-Line cars are powered by the 132ps 1.5-litre Skyactiv-G engine, while Exclusive-Line can be chosen with either the 1.5-litre or the 184ps 2.0-litre Skyactiv-G engine. The range-topping Homura is exclusively matched to the 184ps unit.
Over more than three decades and across four generations, the Mazda MX-5 has always been the benchmark pure lightweight sports car with driver engagement at the centre of its appeal. This Jinba Ittai philosophy – of driver and machine working in perfect harmony.
A further example of the MX-5s appeal to enthusiasts is that since its launch in the UK in 1990 there have been 56 special edition models sold here – adding to the wide choice of MX-5s in the used marketplace. If you buy one now, it will still be giving you excellent service in 15-20 years.