Mazda MX-5 RF sold out until next year, soft-top wait times cut

The Mazda MX-5 with a retractable hard-top is sold out until next year – but the wait times for soft-top are coming down.

The Mazda MX-5 RF sports car is sold out until next year amid high demand and limited stock – and wait times for the soft-top version stretch beyond six months.

Mazda Australia has advised “due to high demand” it is “currently sold out of its MX-5 RF allocation for 2023″, and any new orders may come with a “different specification and/or … price point” when they are delivered next year.

The surge in demand comes despite the MX-5 nearing its eighth year in showrooms – and is the second-oldest model in the under-$80,000 sports-car category. A new model believed to be at least 18 months away.

Mazda Australia said it is “still confirming 2024 production with Mazda Corporation [head office in Japan],” when asked by Drive when in 2024 new MX-5 RF orders would be delivered.

Dealers canvassed by Drive forecast wait times of about 12 months for orders placed today – in line with comments from Mazda Australia executives earlier this year.

Buyers who don’t want to wait indefinitely can opt for a soft-top MX-5 Roadster. Mazda Australia says orders placed today are due to go into production in November 2023 – for delivery at the start of 2024.

“On current [RF] allocation we are sold out into 2024, however as Australia a priority market for Mazda Corporation globally, this may change as production into the future is confirmed and supply improves,” a Mazda Australia spokesperson told Drive.

The spokesperson said: “Availability for the MX-5 soft-top and RF is tighter by comparison to the rest of the volume models within our range … a customer who walks into a dealership today [to order an MX-5 soft-top] would be buying a November production car.

“There are pockets of unsold MX-5 soft-top inventory though and customers are best placed to contact their local dealership for availability.”

Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi told Drive earlier this year the company has no plans to pause orders for the MX-5 to help clear the backlog.

“We are absolutely telling our dealers and also our customers on our website that [for] certain models there is a long wait list. Some customers might say okay, I understand there is a waitlist, but I’d rather get in the queue. It’s important for us to be very transparent,” Mr Bhindi told Drive.

The current-generation ‘ND’ Mazda MX-5 is entering its eighth year of a life cycle expected to last 10 years, if it follows the trend set by its ‘NC’ predecessor, sold from 2005 to 2015.

The next-generation model is expected between 2024 and 2026 – with hybrid power, according to overseas reports – but exact arrival timing is yet to be confirmed. Reports out of Japan from reputable car magazines differ in their estimates.

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