Myself, I blame Sara Villiers. She wrote in an article, not long ago, about being green with envy when one of her pals started attracting wolf whistles by driving around in a Mazda MX-5.

Add that to the undeniable fact that more than half of the customers for the 1.6-litre version are women, and you get the impression that the blokes who drive MX-5s are somewhat on the wimpish side.

In fact, this is a car which has always appealed to two different types of buyer. Yes, it is lively and stylish transport. But it is also a modern expression of the kind of sports car British companies used to build in profusion.

Mazda was not exactly the manufacturer you might have expected to take their place, especially with a front-engined rear-drive design when hot hatches and superminis were going almost totally FWD.

But it took a lot of trouble designing the first series MX-5, known elsewhere as the Miata, and gained the benefit in strong export sales.

The original car was visually very appealing, with not a single line or curve out of place, except when the pop-up headlights were raised. Its list of extra-cost options included simply the best presented body-colour hardtop in the known universe. There was a precisely engineered gear change which no front-wheel drive rivals were able to duplicate. And something like 500 different exhaust systems were tried before management finally said ''Bingo!'' to the sound effects.

Mazda has just come out with an improved MX-5, which is more powerful in both 1.6 and 1.8-litre forms, includes added safety features, enjoys a slightly lower centre of gravity, is marginally wider, but has had its weight strictly controlled to the point where it is no more than 1% heavier than the car it replaces.

The new body style has lost some of the simplicity of the original. For instance, I am not very enthusiastic about the ''power bulge'' on the bonnet. There is a slight spoiler effect on the boot lid, and the headlights are now conventionally placed. A better colour range is available, and the general effect is still of a dual purpose cruiser-around and proper sports car.

All three versions have an improved specification including slightly increased luggage capacity, twin airbags and a heated glass (not perspex) rear window. The 1.6i at #15,520 has had its power output boosted from 90 to 110bhp, and the difference in performance over the previous version is quite marked.

At #16,650 the 1.8i now has 140bhp on tap and enjoys meatier mid range torque. You can expect a 0-60mph time of about eight seconds in this version, which reaches a test track maximum around 127mph.

The 1.8iS at #18,775 adds power locking, ABS and a limited-slip differential to the features available on the 1.8i. Both these models come with the behind-the-headrests screen which is called a wind blocker in some of Mazda's paperwork, an aeroboard in others, but is, one way or another, a wind deflector. It is a #149 option on the smaller engined car.

Other options include that hardtop at #1475, and something which may seem daft in a two-seater sports car - air conditioning at #1395. But I can see that this would make sense with the car in winter mode, hardtop in place, or driven hood-up in hot weather.

Mazda still plays it straight in cabin design. The MX-5 is quite wide for a mid-size sports car. There is nothing fancy here, just everything clearly presented and sensibly placed. Hood-up, the cabin is very snug, and the hood itself fastens on tautly with no flapping around.

With the hood down, there is a certain amount of breeze in the hair, but the occupants are generally kept pretty cosy. I drove one test car open when there was a lot of standing water around following heavy overnight rain, and found that even when headed straight into the puddles the Mazda kept the driver almost entirely splash free.

Both versions are great fun being hustled around on country roads. Handling is really sporting, although the MX-5's approach is naturally not the same as that of a front-wheel drive car. The gear change, with even less lost motion than before, just bullets through.

The 1.8-litre types in particular are known to appeal to older drivers, who may have been just able to afford a beaten-up two-seater in their younger days, and now have a chance to go back to the real thing, perhaps a few decades later.