We take our MX-5 RF in search of some driving roads

We’re approaching 10 months with ‘our’ little Mazda now. During that time, it has well-served the office as a person hauler — but it’s been in dire need of some spirited driving, the way the JDM gods intended.

Well, the chance for that came one damp Saturday afternoon, with the Mazda in my possession for a weekend with no plans.

Now was the time for some real driving. Where, though? Still relatively new to Hampshire, I wasn’t too familiar with the good roads of the area. Time to head to Twitter.

I was directed towards Winchester and Morestead Road, one that looked rather promising from a glance at Google Maps.

That was that settled, then. A 40-minute drive from near our Gosport HQ followed (rather uninspiring it must be said, taking place largely on the M27) before our arrival at the scene.

What lay ahead for myself and VN66 ZHZ on Morestead road made every bit of the motorway drive worth it — a flowing country lane, with plenty of gradients, tight turns followed by full throttle straights and dips in all the right places, all surrounded by beautiful autumn scenery. Ever driven around Maple Valley in Forza Motorsport? It’s like the real-life version of that.

It almost felt like our MX5 was born for this road. It matched perfectly, with the incredibly capable chassis proving its worth on the twisty bits, while the power-plentiful 2.0-litre engine coupled to that crisp six-speed manual provided about as much performance as anyone could ever need on that incredible stretch of tarmac.

Sure, some of the RFs flaws did creep in — the ever-noticeable body roll compared to the soft-top MX-5 being the big one — but none of them could prevent a rather large grin on the face.

The initial plan had been to do a couple of runs on the road and head back. We stayed for three hours — a testament to both the road and the car.

Now, it’s not just fun driving we’ve done in the MX-5 this month. It’s also proven itself as a capable carrier of large Scalextric sets, as well as a surprisingly comfortable long-distance cruiser — having twice carried myself to my Northern homeland.

With the harsher winter months about to strike, it’s going to be a real test of how the MX-5 RF can cope as an every-day machine in frosty, cold conditions. On the face of things, a rear-wheel-drive sports car absolutely has no right to be the perfect car at this time of year.

Then again, it didn’t have one to be a long-distance cruiser, or a decent luggage carrier, so we won’t be surprised if it comes out the other end of winter as a choice car among the office.

Highlight of the month: Discovering the twists and turns of Morestead Road

Model: Mazda MX-5 RF
Price: £27,165
Engine: 2.0-litre petrol
Power: 158bhp
Torque: 200Nm
Top speed: 134mph
0-60mph: 7.2 seconds
MPG: 40.9mpg
Emissions:161 g/km
Mileage to date: 15,010