The interior is also stripped bare of all extraneous bits of kit, although they've managed to squeeze a couple of cupholders into the doors. Frankly, if you ever use them, you don't deserve this car. The one on the driver's side is wedged between the steering wheel and the door handle, which should make for some amusing spillages.

Other than a couple of cubbyholes in the back panel and the arm-rest and the mandatory glove box, that's the lot. The boot is reasonable compared with an Audi TT, and should swallow up a day's shopping as long as you stay away from items bigger than a shoebox.

I'm not impressed by the plastic centre console, but the leather seats are comfortable and apparently have warmers. I can't imagine that driving long distances would be much fun for tall people, but we don't have far to go in Hong Kong, so that's not likely to be a problem.

The Mazda catalogue says that driving the MX-5 is supposed to be like jinba ittai, a Japanese phrase that means horse and rider 'becoming one'. This is a bit of a sore spot after my recent horse-riding accident, and I start my test drive hoping that the marketing people have got things very wrong. There's a tingle of excitement when you turn the key in the ignition and all the needles on the instrument panel move upwards in the style of an F1 film - at least for two minutes, until I manage to confuse first with third gear and we come to an ignominious halt. Once we get over this initial hiccup, we cruise off smoothly and I'm stunned by how light the handling is. The clutch is effortless and the six-speed manual box is easy to handle when you get used to how close together the gears are.

This is what motoring is all about. We skim across the road. This third-generation MX-5's engine is 135mm closer to the centre of gravity and gives better stability. The chassis is stiffer, too. I'm on tricky ground here because MX-5 fans swear that the quirky handling of early models is part of their charm, but I'd argue that I need all the driving help I can get.

Having said that, the car is utterly responsive and I feel as though I'm really in touch with it. We're so used to being surrounded by gadgets that cushion us from the realities of driving that it's exhilarating to again experience the fun of a seriously good engine.

Less exhilarating is having to drive a manual through Wan Chai traffic. After 10 minutes of leaping on and off the clutch, I'm starting to panic that I'll end up with one set of calf muscles bigger than the other. Heading for the open road is the only sane option.

This is a perfect car for the Shek O Road. All those lovely curves just fly by and the all-aluminium, four-cylinder DOHC 16-valve engine really shifts - particularly through the middle ranges. I have a lot of fun just feeling the car readjust itself as I change. But just as I'm getting confident, the cloud comes down, leaving us crawling along in the middle of a dense fog. The car sits low on the road and I'm reassured to hear about the Mazda advanced impact distribution and absorption system that absorbs the energy of impact and distributes it along the car. There are also seat-belt pretensioners and head and side airbags. Panic over, I relax to the fantastic sound of the Bose stereo.

Crucially, the brakes use 11.4-inch ventilated discs in front and 11-inch solid discs behind to allow for swift and controlled stopping. You also get four-wheel ABS, traction control system, dynamic stability control and limited slip differential. There are Bilstein gas-filled dampers fitted as standard as part of the suspension, meaning you can risk driving over the patchwork of tarmac that passes for road surfaces safe in the knowledge that your teeth won't rattle.

Convertibles are great fun when you're out of the pollution of Central, and the rag top opens with a simple handle, snapping back in seconds. It closes in a minute. The mechanism is manual, but it's a lot quicker than having to wait for an electric roof, particularly when it's lashing with rain.

The MX-5 is basic but effective and the focus is on where it counts: the engine and handling rather than gadgets. If I had to do a regular commute, I'd prefer an auto, but 'carefree' sums up this drive. I reluctantly leave the MX-5 feeling that all's well with the world and smile serenely at passers-by.

It may not be as individual as a Mark I but the Mark III is a fun car. Do you benefit from having a bigger engine? Not massively, but the handling is a definite improvement on earlier models. Better than a major shopping spree and less effort than a yoga session, the MX-5 is a mobile happy potion.