2023 Mazda MX-5: Around the Bay in a Day

Melburnians will be familiar with the annual Around the Bay in a Day cycling event that encircles Port Phillip Bay. Growing up cycling as a kid, I always held it as a goal to be able to complete the 210km journey in a day – but the cycling addiction didn’t stick long enough for me to get involved and I subsequently fell in love with cars instead.

Although I did a few large-scale cycling tours around Victoria, I never ticked the Around the Bay trek off the to-do list. So it was a white whale worth harpooning – this time with less lycra.

The vehicle for the daytrip is arguably aligned closer to the elements than most – the open-air 2023 Mazda MX-5 Roadster is the entry-level model grade in the iconic sports car range and is all the MX-5 you’ll need.

It’ll set you back $38,340 before on-road costs (in six-speed manual guise) and contains all the features and niceties you’ll require – but nothing over and above. To name a few items, the base-spec scores a retractable soft-top, limited-slip differential, a 7.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, black cloth upholstery, climate control, and tyre pressure monitoring.

It feels like a no-frills affair once you’re inside the cockpit – there are very few places to store loose items like phones or wallets, and little technology to get excited over. It’s an ergonomic compromise both for legs (as the transmission tunnel cuts into the driver’s footwell) and side-to-side (especially with the removable cupholders fitted).

But, given I’m 194cm tall it was always going to be a stretch. In fact, I’m genuinely impressed at how well I fit inside even with the roof up. Otherwise, setting up Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay is quick and painless – however, the touchscreen functionality can only be used at a standstill. You’ll have to use the rotary controller on the move.

Hopefully one of the next updates for the MX-5 involves the addition of the new Mazda Connect infotainment screen and software, because the old MZD system is wearing thin in 2023. It’s functional and remains simple to use, but is really starting to look dated in comparison to the newer Mazda software.

I’m usually a diehard proponent of the Roof Down Unless Raining school of thinking, but my passenger wasn’t so keen on the open-top adventure (in fairness it was a typically cool Melbourne summer’s day), so we set off down the Princes Highway, Geelong-bound in the rain – particularly apt for the most boring stretch of the drive.

Granted, the MX-5 is no grand tourer, but there is little refinement to make freeway journeys comfortable. There’s a wallop of wind noise over your right shoulder as the roof – although dead easy to fold down and redeploy – doesn’t cut out much noise. The seats lack lumbar support and feel as though you’re sitting on a frame rather than a sports seat. This is arguably the biggest downside to the MX-5 and makes long journeys tiresome.

The tiny two-door body feels positively minuscule on the freeway in the company of SUVs and dual-cab utes, but this lithe nature is just perfect everywhere else. City-sized U-turns are breezy, and the car is so easily placed on the blacktop of your favourite set of twisty roads.

Making a pit stop in Geelong, we pass by bustling Pakington Street for a quick coffee and then roll on through East Geelong and out towards Ocean Grove. Growing up in Melbourne as a kid, Geelong seemed to get a bad rap, but it’s genuinely starting to turn the tides and become Melbourne’s cool neighbour city.

There’s plenty of history to immerse yourself in and a gorgeous waterfront to admire on warmer days. Food and café opportunities are dotted around the quieter suburbs, and there are even fancy wineries out near Clifton Springs such as Jack Rabbit Vineyard or Bellarine Distillery across the road.  

More highways out towards Ocean Grove mean more chance to wring out the 135kW/205Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. It’s a great pairing to the 1059kg vehicle, and much better suited than the discontinued 1.5-litre. There is genuine perkiness to the engine as you press the throttle down, but the engine does its best work high up in the rev range.

It builds smoothly right up to its indicated 7500rpm rev limit, and the experience is accentuated by a great little burble from the exhaust tips. Being in the right gear for overtakes is a necessity as there’s a distinct lack of torque low down in the rev range, but the MX-5 has the right amount of oomph to back up its sports car nature.

The manual gearbox is a joy in this type of car with an unfussy throw through the gate and a light clutch action that doesn’t grow old.

Down on the foreshore at Ocean Grove, the weather finally breaks into mottled sunlight and the top briefly comes down to appreciate the atmosphere. The region was bursting with holidaymakers over the break, as evidenced through the time taken to find a park on the main strip.

There was less than we thought to check out in town, so it was a quick stop before motoring on down to Queenscliff and the ferry terminal. Queenscliff was originally designed as a strategic defensive outpost, given its proximity to The Heads, and there are still remnants of its history at Fort Queenscliff.

The main strip of Queenscliff features heritage facades and wide streets, and the railway operates a series of heritage trains between Queenscliff and Drysdale.

If it was cold on the land, by the time the ferry pulled out of port the weather was abysmal and rendered the outdoor top deck all but deserted. Unfortunately, no dolphin sightings this time around.

Disembarking on the other side of the bay in Sorrento, it was equally as busy with campers down on the foreshore and daytrippers browsing Ocean Beach Road. We made time to check out the newly revamped Continental Hotel before setting course for the roads hugging the bay.

While it’s a processional drive out of Sorrento with the holiday traffic, the route starts to become enjoyable once you pass through the 'whale’s belly' tunnel in Mount Martha. The road becomes quieter, and although it’s a 60km/h speed-limited stretch, there are plenty of tight and twisty turns to steer the MX-5 through.

The steering is beautifully feelsome and direct, allowing the small footprint’s darty nature to shine through. Snicking through the gears is a delight, and the simple ingredients of a manual gearbox, high-revving naturally aspirated engine and minimal electric gadgetry are refreshing.

It’s certainly not the ideal car for everyone, and it’ll exhibit everyday annoyances, but for the few that’ll appreciate its simplistic, fun-loving nature, the Mazda MX-5 is one of the few remaining analogue sports car experiences.