June, Belmonte, and at 10:00 am the air temperature was already at 35ºC. It was the first hot days of the year, but that didn't matter. He had a Mazda MX-5 (ND) in his hands and the hood was asking to be opened. That's how another tour of the Club MX-5 Portugal began, and I couldn't wait to “attack” the perfect curves of Beira Alta with that Miata.
Belmonte was the starting point, where the “MX-5 family” got together, but my adventure started in Lisbon, the day before. It was just after 7pm when I “caught” the A1 — and then the A23 — towards the district of Castelo Branco. But first, a “technical stop” in Santarém, at the Taberna Ó Balcão restaurant, owned by Chef Rodrigo Castelo.
And it was still with the flavors of Ribatejo in my memory, after 10 pm, that I walked the next 222 km towards Pousada Convento de Belmonte, the meeting point of the tour the next day.
I know that driving an MX-5 on the freeway can be heresy for the more purist Miata fans. This little roadster asks for back roads and curves, lots of curves. But that didn't worry me, I knew this was the "menu" for the next day.
And here among us, that nobody listens to us, the MX-5 — especially in the 132 hp version 1.5 Skyactiv-G — is very competent on the highway. The 45 liter tank capacity and the average consumption of around 6.5 l/100 km make a longer journey not even a challenge.
It's tight? Slightly, especially if they are over 1.85 m tall. But even that is a good excuse to stop halfway and have a cup of coffee. Is it noisy? A little bit. The absence of a frame on the doors and the canvas roof allow some noises from the outside to “enter” the cabin. But with the roof open and the soundtrack of an atmospheric engine in the air, none of that counts.
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And let's face it, the Bose sound system with nine speakers — two of which are built into the seat headrests — standard on Excellence (and higher) versions does a magnificent job of muffling outside noise.
Visit to the Jewish Museum and Belmonte Castle
The next day, 30 Mazda MX-5 gathered in the Pousada's parking lot. And what a view to have right at breakfast. Of all colors and with the four generations represented, I would venture to say that there was a Mazda MX-5 there for all tastes.
After a light briefing and many meetings — this was the first tour of the Club MX-5 Portugal in 2021 (the pandemic didn't let it happen before…), we continued by caravan to the center of Belmonte, where we visited the Castle and the Museum Jewish. This mix of cars, roads, friends and culture is always a concern of the Club.
The heat was too much and the desire to return to the MX-5 too. And after completing the two activities that were stipulated for this stop, we returned to the road, almost all with open top and hair in the wind.
And it was with the beautiful landscapes of Guarda as a backdrop, on the N233, that we went to Sabugal, where we visited the local Castle. And quickly the pace of the ride gave way to higher revs climbs and more incisive gear changes.
The roads asked for it and the MX-5s too. Not “mine”, which was a 2021 unit and which I “caught” with just over 200 km on the odometer. But all the others, who for several months were “stuck” in garages waiting for this day.
This is the fourth MX-5 ND I've driven, but I couldn't remember how much I liked this six-speed manual gearbox — very direct and precise, with a very mechanical feel and a short stroke — and this engine.
Compared to the 184 hp 2.0 liter block, this 1.5 has 52 hp less, but it is by far the engine I would choose for “my” MX-5. I notice him always more alive, especially in intermediate regimes, and in longer “draws” he manages to be much more spared, offering the same levels of emotion.
Lunch to “charge batteries” and escape the heat
From Sabugal Castle, we went to the Hotel das Termas do Cró, where we had lunch. The hunger wasn't too much yet, but the heat begged for a break. Remember: hot days in an MX-5 call for sunglasses, a hat and sunscreen. OK? Oh, and water. A lot of water.
The break of almost two hours served to charge batteries, but quickly the 30 Miata caravan wanted to return to the road, after all there were still two more stops planned: the first in Almeida; the second in Vilar Formoso.
And the recipe was the same. Snakes of curves alternating with almost infinite straight lines, which let us admire almost all the cars on the sidewalk. As a team — read formula — what wins doesn't change, right?
And after a stop at Picadeiro d'El Rey, in Almeida, where not even the beauty of the 14 horses that “live” there could challenge the elegance of the MX-5s that were parked at the door, the final stop at Quinta do Prado Verde , half-walls with Spain.
It was there that I said goodbye to those responsible for Mazda Portugal, which takes care of the famous Japanese roadster's club in our country, and to all the owners who during this day made me feel “at home”, as if I belonged to the family. But the farewell of the MX-5 was still far away.
For me, the last stop of the day was almost 200 km away, in Bairrada. Until then, time for a reflection on that journey. And there, at that moment, I didn't worry about anything else. All of a sudden, this MX-5 looked like the best car in the world. And having a car like this is a lot of that. It's the feeling. It's time.
It's not the fastest, it's not the most powerful, and it's not the most exquisite. But it's a reminder of everything we love — yes, us petrolheads … — about an automobile.
Driving an MX-5 is always an unforgettable experience. And being able to do it on a family outing, surrounded by other Miatas, only makes everything even more special.
