Dr Octopus' new sportscar

Sometimes you just want to smash your head into a wall screaming "Why? Why? who makes these decisions? Are you taunting me Lord?" On other ocassions you simply register an impotent dull disatisfaction that things are just a little bit worse than they were. And to be honest I don't know which I prefer. At least a passionate howl at the forces of idiocy can be cathartic.

Upstanding, fragrant and dare I say good looking friends of mine have tried the new Mazda MX5 and pronounced themselves dissapointed. Gone is the bewitching ride and handling that we know from Miata of yore, replaced with something altogether more lumpen and dull.

Yes the interior has more toys, and the quality is much better - and for many potential buyers that will be enough. But the enthused driver will need to look elsewhere for their driving thrills, my pulchritudinous pals ended up buying one of the last of the previous models instead.

And if any of you doubt that this dumbing down is happening, I leave you with this little nugget.

The current model Mazda MX5 has four cup holders.