One of the hallmarks of Mazda’s Roadster is the way the car ‘feels’. It’s a difficult concept to describe to some, particularly for people who consider the car mostly as a means of getting from one place to another.

However, anyone who has spent quality time behind the wheel of the Roadster will tell you that this concept isn’t just marketing parlance.

Jinba Ittai is usually translated as “horse and rider as one”. In Japan it was most commonly associated with Yabusame, a form of mounted archery. At the genesis of Mazda’s Roadster you can see how this concept was adopted. The small team at the Hiroshima HQ utilised an Ishikawa diagram to focus on the cause and effect of all the components required to create this ‘essence’.

And while Mazda’s little Roadster has grown a bit over the years that essence is still there. When you jump from NA to NB, NB to NC, the driving experience may differ slightly, but that ‘fun factor’ is never diminished.

All the essential ingredients remain.