Mx5

As I sit and start to right this review, Real Madrid are having their backsides handed to them by Lionel Messi in the semi final first leg of the Champions League.

In what has been an awful and heated encounter, Messi has yet again managed to shine and show why he is without doubt currently the best player in the world and quite possibly of all time!

Now this will open up a debate with those football loving women and homosexuals who are reading this. I'm guessing that the readers are women and homosexuals because this is a review about the Mazda MX-5 and only those are the only people that drive them....or so you'd think!

You see the MX-5 is one of the best sports cars money can buy and enthusiasts all over the world know this. 900,000 of them have brought one, in one form or another, since it was first released way back in 1989.

Now I know that not all owners will have been enthusiasts and in the same way, I know that they aren't all women or homosexuals! So, why then is a car that has always had fantastic engines, a superb drivers chassis and a near perfect driving position always been associated with that sort of stereo type? Seriously, the MX5 is a really good car!

Maybe it had something to do with the Mk1 and MK2's rather feminine looks! I mean they looked more feminine than Joan Collins in Dynasty. Thankfully, it looks like Mazda have sorted that issue with the MK3 (facelift) as the current MX5 looks a tad BUTCH!

On the exterior, Mazda have used Joan's 80's shoulder pads to accentuate the wheel arches, sorted out the cross eyed look the original MK3 had by slightly restyling the headlights and have also given the car a more aggressive stance. The improvements continue inside the car as the plastics have a much more quality feel to them than the previous plastics they recycled out of 70's Mazda's.

On the road, the 1.8 SE demo that I have been given to review is punchy enough with a 0-62 time of 9.9 and a top speed of 121MPH, but where this car really comes alive is through the bends. I honestly think that you'll struggle to find a convertible sports car that's this much, fun and inspires so much confidence through the bends, brand new for sub �25k (unless you go for the 2.0i MX5). Yet this 1.8 SE, brand new is only �17,990 or �249.00 with No Deposit through Eurolease Direct.

The main thing with this new MX5 though is that it doesn't matter if you're a homosexual hairdresser or a heterosexual electrician, you will not look out of place in this car.

Its perfect with the top down on a rare British sunny day yet just as much fun and sure footed in the wet with the roof up.

Either way you will always have a massive smile on your face every time you drive it.

Thanks for reading

Stuart McKay