Mazda MX-5 NB

At £41 per bhp, the Mazda MX-5 NB creates an unusual question inside a 600-car catalogue: how can a car ranked 595 of 600 for power and 595 of 600 for 0-100 km/h acceleration still deserve a place among dream machines? The answer begins with its price. With a used price of £6,000, it sits at rank 600 of 600 for cost, making it the least expensive car in the catalogue and the least expensive inline-4 car represented here. It is not a value story built around numbers alone, but those numbers explain the appeal.

The MX-5 NB makes its case through balance rather than headline figures. Its 1.8 litre naturally aspirated inline-4 produces 146 bhp and 168 Nm, with 0-100 km/h in 8.6 seconds and a top speed of 210 km/h. Those figures place it near the lower end of the catalogue, yet the car occupies a specific space that few others can match. Only 22 of the 600 cars combine a naturally aspirated inline-4, and only 30 pair an inline-4 with rear-wheel drive. That places this Mazda in a narrow group defined by a simple mechanical formula: an inline-4 engine, natural aspiration, and RWD.

The case for the MX-5 NB is therefore not about outperforming the other 599 cars. It is about what it contributes to a collection. A two seater convertible with a rear-wheel-drive layout offers a different character from many catalogue choices, while remaining accessible at a price unmatched elsewhere. Its 6,000 GBP entry point makes it a car that can sit alongside more expensive choices without requiring the same commitment.

Mazda’s presence in the catalogue includes 7 cars, while Japan contributes 48 of the 600 cars. The MX-5 NB represents that origin with a compact, focused specification: a Japanese sports car from a manufacturer founded in 1920, built around a naturally aspirated 1.8 litre engine and open-top two-seat body.

The opening question looks different after considering the whole picture. A car ranked close to the bottom for power and speed, yet ranked first for affordability, has a clear role in a dream garage. The MX-5 NB is the choice that adds a rear-wheel-drive convertible experience without chasing the biggest numbers, giving the collection a measured counterpoint to cars defined by excess.