Mazda MX-5: the next chapter - Introduction

If the weather’s still sunny this weekend you might be tempted to visit a Mazda dealer and put your name down for the all-new MX-5, which arrives in September.

Although official pre-orders for the car don’t start until July, most dealers are likely already to have a list of buyers keen to be among the first to get into the new roadster.

The first 300 or so customers will receive a special launch edition with a red leather interior and chrome detailing. Mazda hasn’t decided how much these will cost, but they will use the more powerful 158bhp 2.0-litre engine.

Although these first editions are due to hit the road in September, standard models aren’t expected until October. The old 1.6-litre engine has been dropped, so you can choose between a 124bhp 1.8-litre petrol, priced from around £16,500, and the 2.0-litre which is expected to cost £17,000.

Click through the rest of this feature to find out more about the newcomer, what our verdict is and what variants are in the pipeline.

Should one of the new models be out of your reach, we’ve included a section on the sort of deals you can get on the outgoing MX-5 this weekend.

In case your budget’s tighter still, we’ve also run through how much, or how little, you could expect to pay for a second-hand car.