The 2009 Roadster's Facelift

Introducing The NC2 Upgrades

In 2009 Mazda introduced a facelift version of the Roadster. This NC2 MX-5 (Mk3.5) model featured a fairly comprehensive list of upgrades over the original. The most obvious change is the exterior appearance, but underneath there were many tweaks and refinements to improve the 'performance feel' of the car. So what's new?


Exterior Upgrades

• Styling that looks more dynamic and is more aerodynamic
• New single front fascia bumper that is more aggressive and aerodynamically efficient
• New five-point bar-type grille (soft top)
• New five-point mesh-type grille with chrome trim (coupe & some special editions)
• New headlamp design with clear indicator lenses
• New highly-sculptured triangular front fog lamp bezels
• New wider side skirts with more sculptured look and aerodynamic improvement designed to smooth airflow over the rear wheels
• New design 17" and 16" alloy wheels
• New rear bumper design that is more integrated with the body, slanting inward and upward to be flush with the lower part of the new tail light
• New design rear bumper features sculpted lines behind the rear wheel to match the new side skirt
• New rear tail lights with more aerodynamic shape extend outwards to reduce turbulence, also feature a reflective sideways 'U' shape when illuminated by following cars' headlamps
• Two new colours, Aluminium Metallic and Metropolitan Grey Mica
• Aluminium Metallic colour contains aluminium particles that diffuse light and cause diverse kinds of reflections and shadow depending on light conditions
• Extended spoilers below each front fog lamps with optimized shapes
• More protruding lower front grille lip
• Wider under body front tyre deflectors
• New shape door mirrors optimised for low drag
• New appearance package options include rear diffuser trim, new design rear spoiler, more aggressive looking upgrade side skirt, and new front lip spoiler

Interior Upgrades

• Improved levels of quality feel and interior comfort
• Decorative dashboard panel changed from piano black to dark silver
• New instrument graphics spaced further apart for better readability
• Wider red zone (2.0-litre petrol with manual transmission)
• New red-backlit LCD trip meter/odometer display
• New LCD display between main instruments now shows average fuel consumption and ambient temperature
• Climate control knobs now silver ringed
• Latest factory installed audio system with a cleaner look
• New interior colour scheme for a sportier look
• Redesigned seats with larger side bolsters and revised cushion surface with horizontal stitch pattern instead of vertical
• Driver's seat height adjustable on all models
• Heated and driver's height adjustable Recaro sports seats now available (depending on grade and market)
• New five-position seat heating (depending on grade and market) for leather and Recaro seats
• New door cards with new door pockets and Redesigned lower door cup holders for more side leg room
• New soft pads on top of door armrests and centre console lid for more comfort
• Larger storage compartment in front of gear lever with rubber mat to minimise rattling noise
• New AUX jack at bottom of centre console for connecting MP3 player to car’s audio system
• New centre console’s two cup holders now have a new removable partition that allows the use of either two cup holders or one large storage space and rubber mats for better support and the prevention of rattling noises
• Cruise control now available (depending on grade and market)
• Bluetooth phone system with voice recognition for hands-free telephoning (depending on grade and market)
• Bose and Mazda worked together to develop a refined premium audio system exclusively for the MX-5 upgrade

The new improved Bose stereo uses seven speakers, digital sound processing and an extra two equalizer channels, bringing the total to six. These extra channels mean that almost every speaker now has it's own individual equalizer channel for very precise sound tuning and optimisation. The new system also uses signal crossovers to seperate the high and low frequencies and send them to the correct speaker. This results in better sound quality with less distortion at high volume levels. The Bose stereo also uses an improved version of the AudioPilot noise compensation technology. This is a microphone in the dashboard that monitors noise level in the cabin and automatically adjusts the sound from the stereo. While the previous AudioPilot only monitors interior noise, AudioPilot 2 works by adjusting the sound to both interior noise and vehicle speed.

Performance Upgrades

• MZR 2.0 engine is revised for better performance feel and top speed (manual transmission only)
• The engine now produces 160 PS at 7,000 rpm (up from 6,700 rpm) maximum torque of 188 Nm remains at 5,000 rpm
• Rev limit fuel cut-off increased by 500 rpm to 7,500 (around 7,200 in some markets) for livelier acceleration feel
• Surge tank optimised for rigidity for improved contribution to engine sound
• New forged steel crankshaft to minimise vibration at high engine speeds
• Fully floating pistons with higher pin-boss reliability
• Newly-designed valve springs that suppress valve ‘bounce’ at high revs
• Higher-durability materials for the connecting-rod bearings
• Added an engine oil cooler
• Revised six-speed manual transmission for improved gear shifting, 3rd – 4th gear synchromesh diameter is now increased by 6 mm, all synchronizer cone specifications are revised and a carbon coating is used on some of the meshing surfaces of the 1st through 4th gear synchronizer cones
• The upgrades to the six-speed gearbox improve acceleration performance 0-100km/h in 7.9 seconds for the soft top and top speed 218km/h (135mph)for coupe
• New induction sound enhancer (ISE) on six-speed manual cars amplifies pulse sounds created when the throttle valve opens for a more sporty engine sound This sound is transmitted to the dash panel through the air, but also to the dashboard, the outside dash top and the windshield frame through a special duct
• The sound transmission to the outside dash top creates an even more intense sound when the roof is open
• New to UK six-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel paddle shift and two new control technologies: Direct Activematic and Active Adaptive Shift
• All powertrains fine-tuned to improve fuel economy
• MZR 1.8 with five-speed manual uses 7.0 litres of fuel per 100 km (4% reduction)
• MZR 2.0 with five-speed manual uses 7.4 litres of fuel per 100 km (4% reduction)
• MZR 2.0 with six-speed manual uses 7.6 litres per 100 km (7% reduction)
• MZR 2.0 with six-speed automatic transmission uses 7.9 litres per 100 km

Chassis Upgrades

• The front suspension geometry was revised by altering the ball joints’ vertical pivot position, lowering the height of the front roll centre by 26 mm
• Decreased fluctuations in vertical load on the outer wheel when cornering so that roll movement caused by steering input is now more linear
• New suspension tuning for even more precise reaction to steering input
• Yaw and roll feel more natural for a higher quality ride
• Tyre pressure monitoring system now available in most markets
• Dynamic stability control (DSC) now standard in most markets

Roadster Coupe

The retractable hardtop coupe model was repositioned as the premium model with some added trim:

• New mesh-type front grille with a chrome-look fascia edge for more sophistication
• Chrome-finish inner bezel for the headlamps
• Silver inner bezels for the front fog lamps
• Chrome-finish exterior door handles
• Clear type high-mount rear stop lamp

The inside is also quieter when driving with the roof raised due to the front suspension cross member being filled with urethane to reduce transmission of road noise to the cabin. There is also additional sound damping material in the front section of the roof. These changes resulted in the cabin being 2.7 dB quieter than the previous coupe model (measured at 60 km/h on a coarse road), helping to give the car a more premium feel.