Driven: the Electrogenic Mk1 Mazda MX-5

Can an electrified version of Mazda’s Mk1 MX-5 really live up to its iconic reputation?

The process of electrifying classic cars has been around for years, and while many side with the idea, many others see it as tarnishing – “An electric Mazda MX-5? Pfft, that’ll ruin everything!”, was a common response I received. Sure, I also thought batteries and electric motors would add weight, consequently killing the MX-5’s charm.

Two-seater sports cars come in all shapes and sizes, but the 1989 MK1 Mazda MX-5 is arguably one of the greatest. Its lightweight design, affordability, and sublime handling embodied the joy of driving, creating an unstoppable cult following worldwide. Engine swaps, forced induction, and brake upgrades were, and still are, encouraged, but an electric powertrain?

To try and set the record straight, I headed for Oxfordshire to drive the Electrogenic Mazda MX-5 for myself. around Bicester Heritage’s test track.

After a seven-hour drive from Scotland to Oxford, I’ll admit I was eager to meet the team that not only once electrified a DeLorean DMC-12, but furthermore, a 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II that belongs to Aquaman star Jason Momoa.

Nestled in an industrial estate in Kidlington is the spotless Electrogenic workshop, the home to these magnificent creations and the boffins that create the electrified kits that power them. After a tour of its main workshop, Electrogenic founder and chief executive Steve Drummond led me into a warehouse where six immaculate electrified classics, including the MX-5, popped against the warehouse’s white backdrop.

The MX-5 looked the business when wedged between two other electrified icons. Its open bonnet showcased a 42kWh battery tidily tucked beneath a suspension strut brace. “There’s not much room in an MX-5, and the battery takes up the whole engine bay,” explained Steve.

Retaining the MX-5’s darty character was project-crucial, therefore additional batteries were installed in the rear subframe where the fuel tank would usually be. This keeps the MX-5’s weight distribution identical to the original. “The motor is attached to the back of the battery box on anti-vibration mounts and then one of our proprietary fixed reduction gears drives the prop shaft,” Steve added.

It was all very neat, despite being packed to the brim with electrical gubbins like an inverter, VCU (vehicle control unit), a 12v supplementary fuse box, an electric power steering pump and a bespoke air conditioning compressor. “Our kits come with a series of standard additional high voltage outputs,” explained Steve;. “The air compressor runs on HV. It can also provide HV to the heating system and there’s a third for additional inputs. Things run more efficiently when they are high voltage.”

A few things distinguish an Electrogenic kit: they run off bespoke software that tailors the driving experience. This means they aren’t generic, and the kits are also complete ‘plug-and-play’ setups, meaning they are easier to install. This MX-5 was finely tuned to maximise range (150 miles fully charged) and performance while reflecting the OEM’s intention.

That last point is an interesting one. Mazda didn’t just make a sports car, but something that could conjure a smile even on the gloomiest days. You needn’t drive it hard. Simply looking at it was, and still is, enough. It was serious but cute, practical but impractical (its boot was big enough for a weekend away, but the car had just two seats). EV boot floors are often raised nowadays to accommodate electronics, but not here. Popping the boot of the Electrogenic MX-5 reveals the same old luggage area.

Similarly, Electrogenic hasn’t tampered with the MX-5’s exterior and if you spotted this in a car park you’d be fooled. The only real giveaway is the lack of exhaust. There are no futuristic bodywork accents, funky LED lighting or shiny plastic trim. It’s a car that can slot, in a unique way, into the existing MX-5 cult following.

It’s much the same story inside. Between the gear lever, indicating a five-speed manual, and the armrest are two rotary controls. One reads: 20, 30, infinity and the other: E, N, S. The former is a speed controller as requested by the client and the latter are drive modes (efficiency, normal and sport). The instrument cluster is original, too, but the rev counter is fixed at 4,000rpm. There are no engine revolutions to gauge, so this works as a power reserve monitor instead.

I had never driven an electrified icon, and the one I was about to put through its paces was near and dear to the Electrogenic customer who owned it. Nervous? I was. After a quick tour of the Bicester Heritage test track as an Electrogenic MX-5 passenger, it was my turn.

Rotating the knob to eco mode replicates MK1 ICE performance. Power and torque are low. There’s no brake regeneration in this setting either so the car will glide to a halt if you let it and despite the gear lever’s indication, it’s an auto.

Knocking it into normal mode turns things up a bit. It feels more like a MK3 2.0-litre MX-5 in this setting and there’s regen here too. Really, this is commute mode, as the name might suggest. It’s ideal for tootling around town but there’s still plenty of torque for when the national speed limit sign appears.

On the small, tight track, normal was more than enough. The MX-5 ballet danced through the first corner set. Next was the first hairpin, again very Swan Lake-like, and nailing it out of the corner resulted in a slight squirm before it whizzed down straight rather linearly. Touching on the latter, it feels more ICE than EV when tasked with heavy acceleration, minus the engine note, of course. Peak torque arrives mid-range, meaning it behaves a bit like a VVT engine does.

And then there’s ASBO, or sport, mode, meaning the car produces 160bhp and a mighty 229lb ft. It also means extra care is needed. When engaged, it was like I was shaking hands with an elderly gentleman who was three energy drinks deep: the cabin looked and felt old, but the car was running on modern fizz. The sharper throttle response was certainly noticeable and booting it out of corners now required careful feathering otherwise it would’ve easily gone backwards through a hedge. Once level, however, it was more whoosh than whizz.

Torque and weight aside, it also had ‘Rapid P309’ tyres fitted to the rear which did it few favours. It still felt nimble, but harder concentration was required to keep the rear from overtaking the front. After getting used to the car, I felt myself pushing it further and further. Eventually, the limit would appear, which forced me to emit some odd sounds, but it was still very controllable despite the rubbish rear tyres.

My 30-minute track slot felt like three hours. They say time flies when you’re having fun, and I was having heaps, so I’m not sure why it felt longer. Still, this was the better outcome as I bonded further with each lap. Hitting me was how the additional 100kg from the battery and electronics was barely noticeable, if at all.

This is more than just an electrified MX-5. What I was driving felt a bit like two MX-5 generations (arguably three) squeezed into one chassis. I say arguably three because sport mode felt peppier than a current-gen MX-5 in a straight line, despite them sharing a similar sub-6-second 0-62mph time. Each mode felt like it paid homage to existing generations – an odd feeling when sat in a MK1 cabin peering through a windscreen onto floppy headlights.

Whatever the naysayers might think, it’s daft to look at this conversion as simply chucking in a battery and motor and adding software. Heaps of thought, research, precision, and advanced engineering have gone into this car, and I can’t wait to see what rolls out Electrogenic’s doors next.