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Winner: Roadster
We knew Mazda would do a good job with the MX-5 RC. But we didn't expect it to be even better than the soft-top
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Twelve seconds. That's how long it takes the hardtop roof on the MX-5 Roadster Coupe to automatically fold.
Twelve seconds is also, according to Google, the length of time it takes a German woman in high heels to run 80 metres.
These are both impressive achievements. But, perhaps controversially, it's the Mazda and its magical roof that we're giving an award to this year.
And not just because it folds up in the time it takes to tie your laces. It also defies all the basic rules of coupe-cabriolet roofs.
For a start, the hard roof hasn't turned the MX-5 steatopygous. Not big-arsed, in other words.
Yes, the rear deckline is 40mm or so higher, but you won't notice it unless you park the RC alongside its soft-topped brother. The RC has managed to stay resolutely slim in the backside department, maintaining its petite, taut proportions.
'The hard roof hasn't turned the MX-5 steatopygous. Not big-arsed, in other words...'
The roof doesn't devour your bootspace either. In fact, the RC has the same luggage space with the hard-top up or down - the roof panels folding into a couple of nifty bins behind the seats.
And it doesn't weigh anything. While most hardtop conversions are the equivalent of wedging a doughnut-fixated sumo wrestler into the boot, the RC's roof is just 18kg heavier than the canvas version. Mazda's engineers shunned steel sections in favour of ultra-light composite materials.
The decision has paid off in spades, because the RC drives just as well as the soft-top. Flat through the corners, pokey at high revs and, most importantly, simply good fun.
That's why we love the RC. It's not a compromised, sensible MX-5. It's an MX-5 that allows you to listen to the stereo at motorway speeds.
And it's far, far prettier than a German woman sprinting in high heels. Trust us.
Don't forget: the only place to get full details of all the winners is in the Awards issue of Top Gear magazine, on sale December 13.
Read Mazda MX-5 Car Review
Mazda MX-5 road tests
Mazda MX-5 RC 2.0i Sport with BOSE - September 29, 2006
Mazda MX-5 1.8 - January 4, 2006
Mazda MX-5 - July 22, 2005
Mazda MX-5 1.8i Sport - June 1, 2001
Mazda MX-5 - August 1, 1999
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