mazda mx-5 2015

There are many things to love about a third-gen Porsche Boxster - while the Spyder is the most sought-after, the baseline Boxster is already an all-rounder that's desirable enough on its own. The two-door coupe has a respectable 2.7 litre flat-six that does the 0-100 km/h in under six seconds, handles and brakes well, and its 1,309 kg mass means power-to-weight ratios are likewise impressive.

Still, why not get a 2016 Mazda Miata (MX-5) instead? That's what Mazda Parts USA, the part retailer for Mazda in the US, is asking. While both carmakers are not immediate rivals, in this case it's being made out that they are - the Mazda outfit has come up with a very clever comparison chart to show how the Mazda MX-5 is not too far off from the base-model Porsche Boxster in terms of performance figures.

To give you a clearer picture of key items detailed, while the MX-5 has a smaller 2.0 litre in-line four SkyActiv engine when paired up against the Boxster's 2.7 litre flat-six, it still manages the century sprint and the quarter mile run with haste, coming in at only 0.6 seconds slower than the German offering.

2015-miata-vs-boxster

The chart then compares the braking distance between the two; while the Porsche has the upper-hand, the MX-5 manages a braking distance just a tad longer (13 feet, or four metres) compared to Boxster. As for the fuel consumption figures, the chart has no issues identifying the obvious winner - the 2.0 litre MX-5, of course.

But where it may have somewhat similar figures in the technical department, a substantial difference that the MX-5 has compared to the Boxster is that the former is much more affordable. With a starting price of US$52,395 (RM200k) for the Porsche, the Mazda only costs US$24,955 (RM95k), a difference of more than US$27k (RM105k).

Towards the end, the retailer then goes on to claim, very boldly, that "the Miata has about 90% of the performance for less than 50% of the cost." Mazda recently made an ad that showcased the MX-5 very passionately, this however, might or might not be the start of a new ad war.