What is the connection between this zen-like concept and me tooling around Manchester in an open-top sports car, drawing envious glances? Well the car in question is the latest incarnation of the Mazda MX-5 - all new when it was launched late last year - and the perky pocket rocket has, from the start, aspired to the ideal of Jinba Ittae.
As you climb down into the MX-5, feel yourself gripped reassuringly by the black leather driver's seat, rest your left arm along the top of the transmission tunnel and grasp the stubby, short-shift gear stick, you begin to understand the concept. By the time you have thrown the MX-5 around a few bends and come to appreciate the harmony between pin-sharp steering, well-fettled chassis and a rorty 158bhp 2-litre engine driving the rear wheels, you are won over.
Reliable
When you also discover the MX-5 has rock-solid residual value and is, a survey by Warranty Direct has just revealed, the third most reliable used car you can buy, you start to have a conversation with yourself as to whether a soft-topped sports car may just be feasible year-round transport. An on-the-road price starting at £15,650 for the 1.8i does not help that quandary.
Of course, this, the third generation of the MX-5 is a very different beast from the first, which was unveiled way back in 1989. It was the spiritual successor to the likes of the old Lotus Élan - a proper little roadster which evoked a halcyon era of British motoring but without all the attendant breakdowns, leaky roofs and mysterious electrical problems.
Some would argue that the MkIII MX-5 has got fatter, lost some of its distinctive styling hallmarks and become something other than it set out to be. Yes the idea of four drinks holders and heated seats does seem a bit incongruous in a car designed for two hardy folk to get closer to the elements, but who says you can't have a comfy bum and a coffee to hand while getting the wind in your hair?
Those who have carped about the loss of what Mazda call the "cola bottle waist", the widening of the car, the bulging of the bumpers and the flaring of the wheel arches in the MkIII have also conceded that the car now has a better interior, smarter instruments, more storage space, an improved hood mechanism and a much stiffer feel to the body shell.
All of these seem like good things to me. Never having had the acquaintance of the MkI or MkII, I came to the MkIII fresh and was won over.
Handling
The appeal is almost entirely down to the handling. That 2-litre engine is a joyous combination of smooth but urgent power delivery, with a slightly raspy note to it when you press on. But straight-line power is only a small part of the MX-5 story. It's the go kart-like dexterity round corners which is so intoxicating that you find yourself snicking down a ratio or two on the six-speed box and blipping up the revs just to get the best fun from even the most mundane of roundabouts.
How easy is the hood? Ridiculously simple. Push a release button, pull back the large fastening latch just above the rear view mirrors and the hood falls willingly back into the cavity behind the seats, the top of the hood forming its own tonneau cover. To re-erect it when rain threatens, simply lift a release catch between the seats, pull the hood back up into place and re-fasten the main latch. You could complete the whole process - hood down, hood up again - in less than 20 seconds without even leaving the driving seat.
The drawbacks are blindingly obvious. This is strictly a two-seater and, though Mazda have designed in the facility to carry a dozen bottles upright in the boot at the request of the thirsty European market, the MX-5 is only ever going to pack in enough gear for a weekend break, unless you travel very light.
So you may not need to sell your grandmother for a car like this, but you will need to leave the kids behind. Perhaps that is why the MX-5 is such a popular choice with empty-nesters, the lucky lot.
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