Sometimes it’s the simplest ideas that are the best – as the Mazda MX-5 has shown countless times. Occasionally, however, you need to move with the times and embrace new technology – and that’s exactly what Mazda has done with the MX-5 RC.

The big news is, of course, the availability of a new folding hard-top roof, which we reckon gives the two-seater Mazda an even greater edge over its competitors. In an area of the market that has seen some big players pack up and go home, the Japanese firm has continued to sell cars as fast as it can make them.