As a general rule, most segments of cars have grown significantly since the 1980s, when North American downsizing measures came to fruition. A new midsized Honda Accord is very nearly the same length as a full-sized W126 Mercedes-Benz S-Class from the mid 1980s, for example. That explains why the new Accord feels so capacious, then.
However, not every segment of car has seemingly grown to what used to be the next size class up. On Monday, Autopian Discord member Fuhrman16 pointed out something interesting. It turns out that the current Mazda MX-5 isn’t far off from the length and height of British roadsters sold some 60 years ago, and the MGB is a prime example.
We’re leaning on a fun little website called Carsized for this, which lets you virtually line up two cars in a row and compare their actual sizes. While the photos don’t exactly convey scale perfectly, the dimensions are pretty accurate. It turns out that a fourth-generation Mazda MX-5 is 1.15 inches longer and a quarter-inch taller than a chrome-bumper MGB, a seriously impressive feat considering the MG didn’t have crumple zones.
So far so tiny, but things change a bit when you move around to the front and compare widths. The ND MX-5 is more than eight inches wider than an MGB. If we’re comparing it to old-school icons, the MX-5 is less than an inch narrower than a C3 Corvette, a sports car which wasn’t exactly small in the late-’60s. To an extent, this is the price of side impact protection, but there’s just something right about a wider track.
When you think about what you’re getting for the extra width, roughly eight inches doesn’t sound so bad either. A boatload more power, two more forward gears, side airbags, modern door impact beams, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a cabin air filter, substantially wider tires, and telescopic front dampers instead of lever units are all some serious upgrades.
Weight’s kept nicely under control too, with a 2025 MX-5 spinning the needle on the scale to 2,372 pounds. For context, a 1962 MGB has a curb weight of 2,030 pounds, and a roughly 342-pound penalty for modern performance and amenities doesn’t sound like a terrible hardship.
I have to say, well done Mazda for not just keeping size relatively in check compared to earlier MX-5s, but also keeping it within the sightlines of the model’s spiritual predecessors. By not giving into pressure to build something bigger, the MX-5’s kept its appeal. No wonder it’s the only affordable roadster left.
[Hat-tip to Furhman16!]
Top graphic images: Bring A Trailer; Mitutoyo; Mazda
Support our mission of championing car culture by becoming an Official Autopian Member.
-
The Mazda MX-5 35th Anniversary Edition Seems Accidentally Retro In The Best Way
-
Mazda Sells A Hand-Controlled MX-5 In Japan Because Everyone Should Be Able To Drive A Fun Car
-
Miata Is Still Always The Answer
-
Why Mazda Miata Owners Are 3D Printing Their Own Parts From Scratch
-
This Absurdly Nice $40,500 Miata Just Set A Bring A Trailer Record
Please send tips about cool car things to tips@theautopian.com. You could even win a prize!
Damn, the Miata is only 342 lbs heavier? That’s an acceptable penalty when you consider that you won’t die after being rear-ended by a Nissan Versa in the Miata. And that it like, runs and stuff is also a bonus.
I have such an appreciation for smart packaging and a love for the handling and other benefits that come from a lower weight and smaller footprint. I have always liked dailying smaller cars and found that unless you’re hauling several people on a regular basis, you can easily get by with a modern compact since they’ve gotten so big. Europeans have it figured out, hatchbacks are the way to go for anyone who isn’t hauling their whole family around every day. Instead we have giant truck guys who never use the bed, and folks driving ever-growing crossovers or SUVs, often by themselves.
One of the best designs for efficient use of space that I’ve owned was my first-gen CR-V. You could fit anything in there, as well as several people comfortable, in a footprint slightly bigger than a civic that never felt big to drive. The big keys to that were the doors being noticeably thinner and the windows were way larger (stellar visibility from inside) due to the lesser safety requirements of the time, so we won’t see anything like that ever again. But man I loved that car.
I have an ND and feel like, at 5’11”, I am about at the limit of comfort. In college (30 years and pounds ago), a roommate had a Triumph Spitfire that I would drive often, and it felt much roomier inside. But the doors were about an inch thick, and it was so low you could almost touch the ground reaching out with your left hand.
I have an MGB and find it surprisingly spacious inside. Even with the top up. I think they used some TARDIS technology in them. Also, you just die in a crash, so there is that.
My brother’s Triumph GT6 was the same way – much larger inside than it seemed like it would be. But as you note, everything was thin, and we recognized that crash safety wasn’t even a consideration, so my brother’s motto during his ownership was “If you wreck it, make sure it was doing something worth dying over!”