MX-5 Magazine 2015 English

MAGAZINE

4 GENERAT IONS

ROAD TRIPTHE ALL-NEW MX-5 ACROSS EUROPE

HISTORYTHE WORLD’S BEST-SELLING ROADSTER

GOODWOODMAZDA SPECIAL GUEST AT THE FESTIVAL OF SPEED

1 STORY | 4 GENERATIONS

PRESS KITINCLUDED

32

71%Proportion of body-in-white by weight made from light-weight high-tensile steels and aluminium.

12When introduced in 2006, the NC’s retractable hardtop was the world’s fastest.

SECO

NDS

10,000MX-5 owners’ club members across Europe.

more

than 50:50

The perfect weight distribu-tion between the front and rear axles carried on in the ND MX-5, now also with the lowest centre of gravity ever.

900,000The 900,000th MX-5 was produced in February 2011, breaking its own Guinness World Record. The figure, which surpassed 953,000 units in March 2015, is expec-ted to reach 1 million in 2016.

3,000The number of MX-5s being raced around the world, making it the single most-raced model on the planet.

more

than

225Awards to date worldwide.

THE MX-5 IS DEFINED BY MANY NUMBERS. TOGETHER, THEY MAKE UP THE FORMULA FOR THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR SPORTS CAR.

MX-5

IN FI

GURE

S What makes a classic? In literature or film, a classic is a work that reflects the human condition in a way that continues to resonate over the years. A classic expresses artistic and technical quality, enriching the mind. It conveys life, truth and beauty. It influences

and is influenced by other great works. It ages well, and it has an appeal that is widespread, making connections that people appreciate.

This is an important point. As one commentator said: “Classics are classics because they are foolproof.”* It is perhaps the strongest reason why the Mazda MX-5 is a classic. I remember the first time I saw one. It was 1990 when I was a graduate student at the University of Michigan. The top was down as the Mariner Blue Miata rounded a corner by the State Theatre in Ann Arbor. It was snowing. I got it immediately, as countless others have over the past 25-plus years.

When I lived in Hiroshima a decade later, driving a British Racing Green MX-5 on a daily basis with tan leather and a wooden steering wheel and shift knob, I fell in love with it again – like most others who have ever driven one. To this day, the MX-5’s purpose remains clear in an instant. The new-generation “ND” MX-5 ticks all the boxes on the classic checklist. It’s no big surprise we didn’t change the recipe. In fact, we’ve gone further than ever back to MX-5’s roots, cutting around 100kg and 80mm from the outgoing model. That makes the ND the shortest MX-5 ever and almost as light as the original – despite the new model’s cutting-edge safety and infotainment technology.

Maintaining the traits of a classic in a new car is no simple task; technology advan-ces quickly – and with it people’s expectations. The new MX-5 was a balancing act between modernity and tradition. We knew we had to preserve its trademark addictive yet affordable driving fun and exceptional reliability while making it even more attractive.

SKYACTIV Technology, which is the basis for all new-generation Mazdas, was the ideal solution since much of it was inspired by the MX-5 in the first place. For example, the short, crisp 40mm shift stroke, lightweight construction and Jinba Ittai rider-and-horse-as-one responsiveness. The design, too, was aiming for an emotional and passionate response, as its predecessors have done for a quarter century, making the MX-5 the most popular roadster in history.

These are the traits that instil such loyalty in MX-5 fans. They also make it syno-nymous with what the Mazda brand stands for: the unfiltered connection between car and driver experienced on a road less travelled. The MX-5 is at the core of Mazda’s soul and a shining symbol of the company’s challenger spirit. It was the first sports car for so many, and I personally believe it will endure.

EDITORIAL

Jeffrey H. GuytonPresident & CEOManaging Executive OfficerMazda Motor Europe

975kgThe weight of the ND MX-5 base model, around 100kg lighter than its predecessor and the lightest MX-5 since the original NA.

3,915 The fourth-generation MX-5 is the shortest ever, as Mazda cut 105mm relati-ve to its immediate prede-cessor. The seating position is also 20mm lower.

mm

6.0 l / 100 km Combined cycle petrol con-sumption for the ND equip-ped with the SKYACTIV-G 1.5, the most fuel-efficient MX-5 to date.

30%The ND vs. NC reduction in (a) low-frequency road noise and (b) the weight of the engine’s intake system.

* Jonathan Jones in The Guardian, 3 Sept. 2009

MAGAZINE

4 GENERAT IONS

MAZDA MX-5 | 4 GENERATIONS MAGAZINE

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GENERATION FOURRoad trip in Europe | 6

INTERVIEWS N. Yamamoto & M. Nakayama | 16

01 02 03 04

INTRODUCTIONFour generations of roadster | 20

GENERATION FOURA classic is reborn | 22

GENERATION THREEBigger, wider, faster | 32

GENERATION TWOA class by itself | 42

GENERATION ONEThe original MX-5 | 52

0705

ROAD TRIPBack to roadster country | 82

MEDIA QUOTES An encouraging perspective | 88

06

GOODWOOD 2015 The perfect setting… | 90

COUNTRY STORIES Getting with the scene | 94

MOTOR SPORTS Sports car through & through | 96

RELIABILITYIt just keeps going… | 98

AWARDSAnd the winner is... | 100

MX-5 ON THE SCREENFilms & video games | 106

MX-5 FILESEvolution of a legend | 107

4 5

DESIGN HISTORYGot the look | 70

INTERVIEWIkuo Maeda | 72

INTERVIEWShunji Tanaka | 73

CONCEPT CAR HISTORYExploring the potential | 74

LIMITED EDITIONSThe best of | 78

IMPRINTMAZDA MX-5 | 4 GENERATIONS MAGAZINE

Publisher: Mazda Motor Europe GmbH - Public Relations, Hitdorferstr. 73, D-51371 Leverkusen, Germany, www.mazda-press.com

Chief editor: Nicolas Valeano, Copy editor: Brett Reinhart, Photographer (4 generations and road trips): Denis Meunier

Special thanks to: Masashi Nakayama, Nobuhiro Yamamoto, Ikuo Maeda, Takao Kijima, Shunji Tanaka, Hideki Imai, Masato Miura (MZ Racing), Miho Minato and the Mazda PR community in Japan, the USA and Europe, the city of Nice, Alain Petit (Club MX5France) and Mazda Automobiles France (3 generations), Autolink and Mazda Motors UK (road trip), Nürburgring.

A STAR IS BORNGetting the first generation MX-5 to market | 62

INTERVIEWTakao Kijima | 65

REINVENTING THE ROADSTER …with the British originals | 66

THE GENESISThe architect & the visionary | 69

PRESS KITINCLUDED

MAZDA MX-5 | 4 GENERATIONS MAGAZINE MAZDA MX-5 | 4 GENERATIONS MAGAZINE6 7

ROAD TRIP FROM CÔTE D’AZUR TO GOODWOOD

THE ALL-NEW MAZDA MX-501

SINCE DAY ONE, THE MX-5 HAS BEEN ABOUT DRIVING AND ENJOYING AD INFINITUM. THE PERFECT CHANCE TO PROVE THE FOURTH-GENERATION ND MX-5 IS NO EXCEPTION PRESENTED ITSELF IN JUNE: A FIVE-DAY, 2,000KM WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY BETWEEN THE NEW MODEL’S EUROPEAN PRESS LAUNCH ON THE CÔTE D’AZUR AND THE 2015 GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND.

5 DAYS

8 9MAZDA MX-5 | 4 GENERATIONS MAGAZINE

DRIVING SOME OF EUROPE’S BEST ROADS DURING THE LONGEST DAYS OF THE YEAR? THERE ARE CERTAINLY WORSE WAYS TO KILL TIME. PARTICULARLYIN AN MX-5, A CAR IN WHICH THE JOURNEY IS THE REWARD. AND THE MORE CURVES, THE BETTER.


Day one begins in Nice, with the top down taking in the sun, sites and scents of the Mediterranean seaside. Heading east past Monaco, we meet fellow convertible drivers in classic Mercedes-Benz SLs,

MGBs and NA MX-5s. Then onto Italy where we call it a day in Milan, the gateway to the Alps.

After a Sunday morning visit to the Milan Cathedral, Italy’s largest, it’s back on the road past Monza and onwards to Lake Como, where the highways curve between the water below and peaks above. Across the border into Switzerland, the fun ratchets up another notch in the valley of Bregaglia, with its immaculate roads, track-like curves and breathta-king landscape. »

NICE

LIGURIAN COAST

DAY 1

MILANO

MAZDA MX-5 | 4 GENERATIONS MAGAZINE10 11


SWISS PASSES

LAKE CONSTANCE

BLACK FOREST

AUSTRIAN ALPS

DAY 2

The MX-5’s soft top goes up under the overcast skies at St. Moritz, but within an hour it’s back down as we breathe in the 4°C air at more than 2,750m above sea level at the Stelvio Pass. Originally built in the 1820s, it is part of the route Top Gear chose in a 2007 episode as the world’s best driving road. With its 75 hairpin turns, the Stelvio Pass is a magnet for motoring fans. It was a pure delight in the ND. »

Among the many MX-5s seen on the journey was a third generation model belonging to a member of Club MX5France. We met Michel in his blue NC early one frosty morning, and all-new ND immediately gained yet another admirer.



CURVES AND MORE CURVES: THE MX-5 IS MADE FOR THEM, AND THE ALPS SEEM TO BE MADE FOR THE MX-5.

LAKE CONSTANCE

BLACK FOREST

MOSEL VALLEY

AUSTRIAN ALPS

Across the Alps: No other part of our journey was as exhilarating as our jaunt through spectacular vistas along winding roads. We never wanted it to end, savouring every twist in the road and snow-capped peak.

DAY 3

The following day begins cold, but as we head down-hill temperatures climb and the grasses on the steeply banked pastures get greener. Three words best describe this stretch of our journey north to Austria: curves, curves and curves. The views too are stunning as we approach Lake Constance. Having left the Alps, we fortun ately do not have to drive far to find a new setting suited to the ND’s cornering prowess: the Black Forest. »



VIDEO

FLANDERSNÜRBURGRING

SUSSEXGOODWOOD

MOSEL VALLEY

The rain is our steady companion on the fourth leg of the odyssey, modifying scenery, road conditions and average speeds. It was a demanding 500km day via France’s Vosges Mountains and back into Germany through the Moselle valley. It ends, however, at one of the trip’s highlights: a few laps on the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife (“North Loop”), the cult track and former Grand Prix circuit also known as the Green Hell.

The final day is an uneventful open-top jaunt through sunny Belgium then down to the North Sea coast and into the Channel tunnel. On the other side – of the

Channel and the road – we’re back in the cradle of the roadster, driving into the sun as it makes its slow descent over England’s charming south coast.

Within the last few miles before Goodwood, the West Sussex traffic thickens: sports cars, classic automobiles and many, many MX-5s. All are drawn to the Festival of Speed, where Mazda is the subject of the event’s central feature – a spectacular 40m tall sculpture in front of Goodwood House and a monument to the company’s racing heritage (see page 90). The fourth-generation MX-5, too, is a festival magnet. It’s a destination definitely worth – and worthy of – the trip. ⁄⁄

On the bucket list of any true sports car fan, the Nurburgring‘s Nord-schleife puts the world‘s best high performance cars to the test. And the MX-5 passed with flying colours, happily hugging each tight curve while roaring down straight a -ways on a rainy day with the course virtually to itself.

DAY 4

DAY 5


What kind of balance were you aiming to achieve on the ND MX-5?“We had to increase tangible values on the MX-5 like cornering performance while also having outstanding straight-ahead stability. But I think what we focused on above all was Jinba Ittai: To make the car act as an extension of the body, doing exactly what the driver wants it to when moving the steering wheel. We tuned it as such and we hope we have been able to advance the performance and handling accordingly.”

What were you aiming for during this phase?“What was important for us was the feeling of fun. And how do we get that feeling? By creating a sensation we call Kan in Japanese. And in order to make this Kan sensation more tangible and understandable, we got the engineers to drive many different cars at a test event. The objective was to learn what each driver felt about the cars. Things like when the handling and steering were good, and under what road conditions. We then evaluated their experiences, wrote them all down and shared them with the other engineers. That allowed our team to establish what defines good Kan.”

Why did you change from a hydraulic to an electric power assisted steering (EPAS) system on the ND?“It is a company policy that we must adopt an EPAS system in combination with the SKYACTIV-G engine. The holistic approach uses all SKYACTIV Technology together to gain benefits in fuel economy and environmental compatibility, so we simply couldn’t use a hydraulic system. Knowing this, we spent a rather long time trying

to select which EPAS system to use. The easy choice would have been the column-type EPAS already available to us. But we didn’t want to use it, since it doesn’t give the driver very good feedback. A rack and pinion system was an alternative, and with this in mind we identified three viable options. The first was the RX-8 system, where you have the power assist motor on the rack. The second was a single pinion assist motor, and the third type was a dual pinion system with one pinon on the rack and one on the steering side. In terms of packaging and performance, we knew the latter was the most appropriate for the MX-5. But it was also the priciest option. Of course, the finance guys said “no, it’s too expensive”, but we didn’t back down there. After stating our case to senior management, we agreed to provide two options – the dual pinion and an alternative – and we got them to drive each one. It was as our engineers expected: The dual pinion system was better and ended up getting approved.”

Is this your favourite MX-5?“Yes, absolutely [laughing]. After 25 years, it’s one of those captivating moments when you’ve really grown into the car. We want our custom-ers to feel that this MX-5 is a partner for their lifestyles and something they’re going to like for a long, long time to come.”

Why would you say this is the best MX-5 yet?“What we tried to do with the new model is to understand the true essence of the MX-5. What do people really like about this car? We dug deep, and then we used our new technology to realise the values we were aiming for. In doing so, we stuck to our “innovate in order to preserve” concept. It’s a very simple back-to-basics principle. The car calls out to drivers about beauty and about fun, things that you don’t need to be taught. You just feel them. This hasn’t changed in more than 25 years; it’s why people continue to love this car. And I very feel grateful for the adoration our fans have shown for all those years.” ⁄⁄

Nobuhiro Yamamotoprogramme manager4th generation MX-5


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What do the NA and ND have in common? “Both were developed by looking at their early predecessors, like the Lotus Elan and MGB. For the ND, like the NA, we didn’t look at its competitors.“

The NA looks retro to many people and the ND is very modern.“The NA is not as retro as you think. It actually had a very modern design at the time. It’s only after enough time has passed that you think of a design as retro. So while the ND has a very modern design, it was much the same with the NA in its day. I think you could call it a timeless design, but not necessarily retro. From a design perspective, there are a lot of very modern treatments. I would even venture to say more modern than either the NB or NC.”

Looking ahead 10 or 20 years, will this design still be modern?“It’s not about something you see from the outside. I made sure to create something that has substance inside and brings out emotions. If you create something that truly touches people’s hearts, they will respond. If people instinctively know that something is beautiful, then it becomes timeless.”

Sometimes you see something like fashion, for example, and you like it immediately, but it doesn’t last. Other times you always love it the same as the first day. What makes the difference? “Fashion is a good example. When you purchase clothes, you go to the store and the salesperson says that an article looks good. That’s how you choose your clothes. Your decision is based on other people’s opinions. Designers get together and decide what the trendy colours are for this year, and next year it gets old. But imagine something that is very beautiful for you person-ally. It won’t get old, because your choice is not influenced by other people’s opinions.“

What was perhaps your single most important development goal for the ND?“One issue that was very important to me was the car’s proportions. I explained to the engineers that I wanted proportions you fall in love with regardless of the environment. They instantly understood what I wanted and support-ed me, because people will automatically start comparing a given model to others. If you’re looking for a big vehicle, then you’re satisfied as long as it’s bigger than competing models. But if there’s nothing else around to compare the new MX-5 to, you still have its proportions.”

Do you think the MX-5 has become more masculine in the fourth generation?“Maybe it’s both masculine and feminine at the same time. I would say the model is growing up. In Japanese, I always tell my team members that this child has entered a new phase. You start to see a gender difference: Sometimes it looks like a boy and sometimes like a girl. It depends. What’s more important for the MX-5 is to preserve that “age” and feeling when you find your first love.”

What’s behind the fusion of the exterior and interior?“I have wished to do this for a long time. The practice of having different designers for the interior and exterior has been common for decades – so long that it’s become the standard. Nobody finds this strange anymore. But when you start designing a car, there is no distinction between the interior and exterior. Look at a Caterham Super 7, for example. The windshield doesn’t “divide” the interior and exterior. With a car like that, you have to make sure the interior and exterior design are unified. What such harmonious interplay does is to help express the tautness of a sports car.”

What makes the new MX-5 a classic?“The charm of this car is its beauty. It’s not difficult to understand this vehicle. There is no stress involved. It’s like delicious food. You don’t have to learn why it’s delicious, you just know it. That’s what makes it timeless, and why it will always resonate with people. To gaze upon something beautiful like the MX-5 creates an attachment in your heart. Although it’s a brand-new model, you still feel like you’ve known it for a long time. That’s the beauty of this car.“ ⁄⁄

Masashi Nakayama chief designer 4th generation MX-5

MAZDA MX-5 | 4 GENERATIONS MAGAZINE 1

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INTERIOR

THE MX-5’S COCKPIT-LIKE INTERIOR BRINGS THE DRIVER CLOSER TO THE CAR FOR THAT UNMISTAKEABLE JINBA ITTAI FEEL. DESIGNERS OF THE DRIVER-ORIENTED CABIN ALSO MADE GREAT STRIDES ENHANCING COMFORT AND ERGONOMICS.

Exterior ridgeline extending from the front fender into upper door trim (which is the same colour4 as the body) unites the inside and outside of the all-new MX-5

Cosy cabin like previous generations, only more ergonomic and comfortable, prevent-ing fatigue and reducing distraction

Single axis centred on driver with: • the steering wheel, instrument cluster and

pedals in perfect symmetry • all major controls ideally balanced and

space used as efficiently as possible • lower seating position with added knee

room and head clearance

Improved soft top features an assist spring, making it even easier to operate while re-maining seated

CONNECTIVITY, FUNCTIONALITY & EQUIPMENT

MAZDA’S NEW-GENERATION HUMAN-MACHINE INTERFACE GIVES DRIVERS SAFE AND EASY ACCESS TO THE ALL-NEW MX-5’S ADVANCED LINE-UP OF INFO TAINMENT TECHNOLOGY, INCLUDING MZD CONNECT SMARTPHONE CONNECTIVITY.

Applies the heads-up cockpit concept used in other Mazdas to help the driver get the most from the vehicle’s technology yet still concen-trate on the road

Stylish analogue gauges with a tacho meter in the middle, speedometer to the right and other indicators on the left

Independent 7-inch display5 located on the dash for easy viewing of infotainment and communication-related information

Rotary commander5 on centre console en-ables blind operation of functions viewed via the 7-inch display

Key controls like the pedals, steering wheel, gearshift and rotary commander are ideally positioned, enhancing the feeling that the all-new MX-5 is an extension of the driver

Brings safe on-the-road internet access into the roadster with the MZD Connect5 smart-phone connectivity system:

• operated using the rotary commander or voice command

• connect via Bluetooth for hands-free phone operation, text message send/receive and email readout & reply

• comes with applications like AhaTM and StitcherTM for internet radio, social networking services and other content tailored for in-vehicle consumption

• includes on-board navigation system5

enabling web searches; NAVTEQ map data includes three years of updates and support for 19 audio and 26 text languages

• also includes Mazda apps like Eco-display, which tracks fuel consumption

Nine-speaker BOSE® premium sound system5 specially designed for an open-top roadster, featuring e.g. UltraNearfield™ speakers in the driver and passenger headrests

Rear parking sensor6

Classic compact three-spoke steering wheel harkens back to the MX-5’s roadster heritage while facilitating nimble operation

Sport seats designed for enhanced comfort along with performance-oriented hold

Three interior packages available5: • sporty black leather with red stitching • black fabric with red or black stitching • tan leather with beige stitching in classic

British roadster style (UK only) or black Recaro seats featuring a combina-tion of Alcantara® and nappa leather with red piping (LHD markets)

Boot shape optimised to accommodate two standard carry-on bags

POWERTRAINS

A COMBINATION MADE IN HEAVEN: THE MX-5 MEETS SKYACTIV IN ITS FIRST APPEARANCE IN A FRONT ENGINE, REAR DRIVE LAYOUT. THE HIGHLY EFFICIENT SKYACTIV PETROL ENGINES AND MANUAL TRANSMISSION ARE A PERFECT MATCH FOR THE ICONIC ROADSTER.

SKYACTIV-G direct-injection petrol engines

Naturally aspirated lightweight powerplants delivering linear pull from a standstill to red-line along with outstanding real-world fuel economy

Feature high 13.0:1 compression, countering the drawbacks with a range of innovations such as dual sequential valve timing, multi-hole inject-ors and special piston cavities

Lighter and more compact intake and exhaust systems adapted to heighten MX-5 fun by squeezing the most from these engines

• intake system improves efficiency and weighs 30% less than the outgoing model’s

• extra compact 4-2-1 exhaust optimised for the MX-5’s layout as well as to enhance torque and the engine sound

Two engines available in Europe: the SKYACTIV-G 1.5 and SKYACTIV-G 2.0

SKYACTIV-G 1.5 Redline raised to 7,500rpm by changing cam

timing and rotating parts (e.g. adding a custom steel crankshaft)

Maximum power also hiked relative to existing versions available with the Mazda2 and Mazda3

Offers higher output than the outgoing MX-5’s MZR 1.8 together with far better mileage

Output: 96kW/131PS @ 7,000rpm

150Nm @ 4,800rpm

Fuel consumption & CO2 emissions7:

6.0l/100km & 139g/km Emissions class: Euro 6

EXTERIOR

THE ALL-NEW MX-5’S EXTERIOR FULLY EM-BODIES WHAT A ROAD STER SHOULD BE: LIGHT, AGILE AND GORGEOUS. IN KEEPING WITH THE KODO DESIGN THEME, THE CAR BEAUTIFULLY CONVEYS MOTION EVEN AT A STANDSTILL. BUT IT STILL LOOKS BEST WHEN IN MOTION.

An inspired KODO design strikes the perfect balance between tradition and progress, with its sweeping, powerful lines, short overhangs and wider stance

Sleek, powerful and more aggressive nose features:

• ultra-compact four lamp LED headlamp units • LED daytime running lamps3 highlighting the

MX-5’s broad stance • sharp strength-invoking character lines

stretching from the top of the grille towards the headlamps

Low, wide trapezoidal outline when viewed from the front and back highlights the taut musculature

Rear combination lamps reminiscent of pre-vious generations, but with a new-generation signature

Cabin moved rearward for stunningly bal-anced proportions with the top down or up

Soft top stows neatly into a compact space for a streamlined silhouette

A-pillars, windscreen header, door mirror trim and seatback bars match the soft top, empha-sising the cockpit-style cabin

THE ALL-NEW MAZDA MX-5 TAKES UP THE TORCH FOR THE BEST-SELLING ROADSTER IN HISTORY. MAZDA GAVE THE FOURTH GENERATION OF ITS BRAND ICON A MORE AGGRESSIVE LOOK AND THE TECHNOLOGY PEOPLE TODAY EXPECT, BUT STAYED TRUE TO ITS PROVEN FOCUS ON AFFORDABLE LIGHTWEIGHT SPORTS CAR SIMPLI CITY. AND PURE DRIVING FUN.

A special KODO design with a deeper expres-sion of motion and agility whose perfect proportions look fantastic, top up or down

Lightest MX-5 since the first generation, cutting 100kg1 relative to the outgoing model despite cutting-edge safety and infotainment systems

SKYACTIV Technology for the first time in an MX-5, the most fuel-efficient to date, under-pinning Mazda’s fundamental lightweight sports car principles:

• specially tuned engines and transmis-sion adapted for the front-mid engine, rear-wheel drive layout

• ideal 50:50 front-rear weight distribu tion with shorter overhangs

• a low yaw inertia moment and the lowest centre of gravity yet

• redesigned chassis improves the MX-5’s already legendary agility

Human-oriented interior puts the driver in perfect symmetry with the pedals, steering wheel, gearshift, rotary comman-der and other important controls

Special wind and noise control, new headrest speakers and a remarkably easy to operate soft top amplify the joy of top-down driving

Reduces accident potential thanks to the latest i-ACTIVSENSE active safety technology, also offering outstanding passive protection for passengers as well as pedestrians

Scheduled to go on sale in Europe in August2

1. AT A GLANCE Available on 16 or 17-inch alloy wheels4:

• featuring a sporty eight-spoke design with a four-nut centre hub

• made from durable lightweight cold-cast aluminium

Offered in seven body colours: Soul Red Me-tallic, Ceramic Metallic, Arctic White, Crystal White Pearl Mica, Blue Reflex Mica, Meteor Grey Mica and Jet Black Mica

7) Combined cycle; for more detailed fuel consumption and CO2 emissions data, please see the Technical Spec-ifications section at the end of this press kit.

6) Availability depends on trim level and market4) Depending on trim level and market3) Availability depends on trim level and market1) Depending on market and vehicle specification2) Depending on market

5) Depending on trim level and market

SKYACTIV-G 2.0 Specially tuned for wider low- and mid-range

torque output

8kg lighter than the outgoing MX-5’s MZR 2.0, delivering more torque, quicker acceleration and superior fuel economy

Available with Mazda’s i-stop idle-stop system (for engine restarts in only 0.5 seconds) and a lightweight version of Mazda’s i-ELOOP brake energy regeneration system1

Output: 118kW/160PS @ 6,000rpm

200Nm @ 4,600rpm

Fuel consumption & CO2 emissions2:

6.9l/100km & 161g/km 6.6l/100km & 154g/km

(with i-stop & i-ELOOP1) Emissions class: Euro 6

SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual transmission

Delivers the MX-5’s legendary crisp shifting and short throws

Direct-drive sixth gear, lower final ratio and simplified shift link structure re duce resis-tance, improving real-word mileage while smoothening shifting

Around 7% lighter than the outgoing six-speed manual thanks to e.g. die-cast alumin-ium housing and better oil flow control

Smaller, lighter differential unit cuts another 7-10kg (depending on the engine) relative to the outgoing MX-5’s, also lowering the energy transfer loss by one-quarter

CHASSIS & BODY

MAZDA HAS MANAGED TO IMPROVE UPON THE MX-5’S JINBA ITTAI HANDLING AND AGILITY, UNPARALLELED FOR AN AFFORDABLE LIGHT-WEIGHT SPORTS CAR. THE ALL-NEW GENERA-TION IS NOT ONLY LIGHTER AND SHORTER WITH A LOWER CENTRE OF GRAVITY, IT’S ALSO STIFFER AND SAFER.

SKYACTIV-Chassis Built to feel even more like an extension

of the driver than any MX-5 yet

Adapted various components of the front double wishbone and rear multi-link suspension to cut weight while heightening cornering stability, for example:

• raising the front caster angle to improve traction and reduce understeer

• adding a rear cross-member truss structure to stiffen the suspension

• repositioning the rear links for more control in corners

• Bilstein sports suspension for top-of-the- line model with SKYACTIV-G 2.0

Adopted a space-saving dual pinion electric power assist steering while also:

• positioning the system closer to front wheels for more direct feedback

• changing the steering gear ratio to make the car respond more faithfully and enhance driving enjoyment

Enhanced the boosters to deliver better and more refined braking

Improved control over load shifts smoothens the transition when braking and releasing the pedal for more comfort as well as a better cornering experience

Suspension system weighs 12kg less than the outgoing model’s yet is stiffer thanks among other things to enhanced structures and the use of lighter materials

SKYACTIV-Body Stronger yet lighter with a considerably

higher ratio of high-tensile steels and aluminium, which now make up 71% of the body-in-white, up from 58%

• aluminium used for numerous components, including the front fenders, bumper rein-forcements, bulkhead and soft-top header panels, and seatback bars, raising the total proportion from 0.1% to 9%

Uses a straight, continuous framework wherever possible, e.g. a straighter high-mount backbone frame with a larger cross-section, while also bolstering connections between frame sections

New ring structure improves the rigidity of the body’s suspension supports

Reinforced rear suspension towers stifle body deformation from road input

Local stiffness enhanced by mounting the seats directly to the B-frame

A range of measures to improve NVH makes the all-new MX-5 smoother and quieter despite being so light, such as:

• redesigning the A-pillars, windscreen header and back hood edge to optimise air flow and cut unpleasant wind noise, especially with the top down

• automatically raising the side windows to improve the seal with the soft top when up

• reworking the soft top to absorb more noise and inhibit fluttering

• high-frequency cabin wind noise cut by around 40%3

3) According to in-house measurements 4) System availability depends on trim level and market

SAFETY

MAZDA PROACTIVE SAFETY, NOW FOR THE ALL-NEW MX-5: MAZDA’S i-ACTIVSENSE LINE-UP OF ACTIVE SAFETY TECHNOLOGY HELPS DRIVERS AVOID ACCIDENTS IN THE FIRST PLACE. AND BECAUSE THEY STILL MAY HAPPEN, THE ROAD-STER’S INNOVATIVE NEW SKYACTIV-BODY IS DESIGNED TO LIMIT THE HARM TO OCCUPANTS AS WELL AS PEDESTRIANS.

i-ACTIVSENSE – cutting-edge active safety4

Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) uses 24GHz radar to keep an eye on the road to the sides and rear of the MX-5, warning of vehicles approaching in adjacent lanes with a flash-ing indicator in the side mirror and a buzzer sound should the driver signal a lane change

Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) system extends BSM functionality, using its sensors and signals to alert the driver of other vehicles when reversing

Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) examines the lane markings and warns the driver of unintentional lane changes

High Beam Control (HBC) uses a camera to monitor oncoming headlights and the tail-lights of preceding vehicles, switching au-tomatically between high and low beams to avoid impairing the vision of other motorists

Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS) predicts bends in the road ahead and points the low beams in the intended direction of the vehicle.

Hill Launch Assist (HLA) controls brake pressure to prevent vehicle from rolling during hill starts

Passive safety – a truly modern roadster

The SKYACTIV-Body structure, modified for the MX-5’s open-top architecture, uses a continuous framework and straight beams wherever possible to disperse impact forces through a multi-load path structure

Increased stiffness with strong yet light-weight materials such as:

• 1,500MPa hot-stamped and 1,180MPa high-tensile steels around the cabin

• high-strength 7000 series aluminium for the front and rear bumper beams

Easily replaceable bolt-on parts absorb en-ergy while limiting engine damage and repair costs following a minor frontal impact

Enhanced framework improves side impact protection with e.g. an additional seatback cross-member as well as reinforced A-pillars and side sills

New double-hat cross-section structure with high-tensile steel improves rear impact re-sistance, while deformation control beads, the rear suspension and large section kick-up structure form a multi-load path protecting the cabin and fuel tank

Seats and door trim designed to provide more support and to prevent injury

Standard front and side airbags provide addi-tional protection, even with the top down

Seatbelts equipped with pretensioners and load limiters

Passenger seat accommodates ISOFIX child seats

Evolved active bonnet uses sensor technol-ogy to limit pedestrian head injury, while the front bumper beam’s energy-absorbing foam and lower bumper stiffener help protect the legs

5) Depending on powertrain1) LHD markets only 2) Combined cycle; for more detailed fuel consumption and CO2 emissions data,

please see the Technical Specifications section at the end of this press kit.

MAZDA HAS SPENT MORE THAN 25 YEARS BEING OBSESSED WITH EVERYTHING A LIGHTWEIGHT SPORTS CAR CAN BE. ALL THE JINBA ITTAI INSPIRATION GAINED OVER THREE MODEL GENERATIONS HAS GONE INTO THE ALL-NEW MAZDA MX-5.

Its aggressive looks are, in a word, moving. Even at a standstill, the MX-5’s flowing KODO-inspired lines seem to be in motion. But it still looks best – as do those inside it – in its main element: Namely driving down the open road with the top down.

Jinba Ittai, the rider-and-horse-as-one-body doctrine that has defined the relationship between drivers and their MX-5 from the beginning, applies in more ways than one. For example, in the way the interior design and remarkably clever packaging of the fourth- generation model melt away the bound aries between the cabin and the exterior.

More traditional Jinba Ittai trademarks were also edged that much closer to perfection. Like weight distribution, which is now nearer than ever to the centre of gravity of a car that is lower to the ground with shorter overhangs. Starting at under 1,000kg5, the all-new MX-5 weighs some 10% less than the outgoing model and is the lightest since the first gener-ation. And that in spite of the advanced active and passive safety, smartphone connectivity technology, and evolved ergonomics with a human-machine interface that enables the driver to make the most of it all.

MAKING MORE FUN A REALITY

2. INTRODUCTION

THE ALL-NEW MAZDA MX-5 IS A HEAD TURNER – A DESIGN MASTERPIECE INSIDE AND OUT. IT REPRESENTS THE PINNACLE OF MAZDA’S EFFORTS TO CREATE A PERFECT-LY PROPORTIONED LIGHTWEIGHT SPORTS CAR FOR A TRULY ELECTRIFYING DRIVING EXPER IENCE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE TOP DOWN.

The design starts with the people. After all, a roadster is meant to be driven with the top down, and driver and passenger are meant to be seen. That has been a key part of the MX-5’s allure for more than 25 years. Another is the patented Jinba Ittai driver-and-car-as-one feeling. Mazda’s KODO – Soul of Motion design for the fourth- generation MX-5 unites both concepts in a powerful visual expression of its essential character: quick, agile and above all fun to drive.

Exterior: Beautifully balancedA hallmark of the all-new MX-5, perhaps more than any of its predecessors, is its ideal propor-tions. Occupants are seated literally at the vehi-cle’s midpoint, closer to the ground than in past MX-5s, reflecting the new model’s lower centre of gravity. The shortest MX-5 ever is also sleeker. Every single line and curve is intended to do one thing: set the onlooker’s heart racing.

At the front, the low-slung nose and short over-hang hint at the car’s adept road-hugging profi-ciency. Sharp character lines running from the upper edge of the grille towards each headlamp emphasise the glinting nature of the wildcat eyes, which conceal ultra-compact four-lamp LED head-lamp units. Situated at the lower corners of the front bumper, the LED daytime running lamps1 underscore the MX-5’s broad stance.

Designers looked to the Japanese tradition of calligraphy when crafting the exterior, achieving a strikingly efficient flow down the sides of the car. Moving the cabin slightly rearward perfectly balances the roadster’s proportions with the top down or up. Matching the soft top, the black A-pillars, windscreen header, door mirror trim and seatback bars highlight the cockpit style of the cabin and robust top-down look. As for the soft top itself, besides stowing away neatly into a remarkably compact space and streamlining the MX-5’s silhouette, it also enhances the car’s overall appearance when up, not to mention its aerodynamics.

Teeming with uniquely beautiful forms, the sides of the body appear to be “tucked in” at the cor-ners, also narrowing above the tires. Front or back, it all spotlights the MX-5’s design efficiency, with a low and wide trapezoidal outline front and back that further highlights its wiry musculature. The rear end, too, leaves a lingering impression. This is where all the lines converge through the flared fenders, which visually magnify the car’s volume. The rear combination lamps, meanwhile,

give a nod to previous generations while at the same time reflecting Mazda’s unique new- generation lighting signatures.

Underpinning the new roadster are sporty 16- or 17-inch eight-spoke alloy wheels2 with four-nut centre hub finished in either gunmetal or silver (16-inch) and gunmetal or bright silver (17-inch). Whatever the choice, they should res-onate with driving enthusiasts: Made from cold-cast aluminium, they’re both lightweight and durable.

The colours of unadulterated fun

The all-new MX-5 is available in seven body colours chosen to reflect pure roadster pleasure. They include Soul Red Metallic, the launch colour, and Ceramic Metallic, which changes hue depending on the lighting. The fourth-generation MX-5 can also be had in Arctic White, Crystal White Pearl Mica, Blue Reflex Mica, Meteor Grey Mica and Jet Black Mica.

Ceramic MetallicSoul Red Metallic

Crystal White Pearl MicaArctic White

Blue Reflex Mica Meteor Grey Mica

Jet Black Mica

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

3. DESIGN

The MX-5 was a source of inspiration for Mazda innovations like SKYACTIV Technology, since implemented across the model line-up. Now SKYACTIV comes home to the latest MX-5 with two specially modified high-compression SKYACTIV-G petrol engines, a SKYACTIV-MT man-ual gearbox that takes the roadster’s smooth, crisp shifting up another notch, a lightweight yet exceptionally strong SKYACTIV-Body, and a SKYACTIV-Chassis adapted to further enhance the already outstanding agility of Mazda’s icon.

One with its inspirationsIt’s also safer, featuring i-ACTIVSENSE active safety systems and passive protection built into the SKYACTIV-Body and SKYACTIV-Chassis that is simply outstanding for an affordable roadster. Because peace of mind is also part of the fun.

And ultimately, pure driving fun is what the world’s all-time best selling roadster is about. The fourth-generation MX-5 is without doubt the most memorable edition yet.

1) Availability may vary depending on trim level and market2) Availability depends on trim level and engine specifications

The all-new MX-5 seems to erase the boundar-ies between the car, driver, road and scenery. For example, the ridgeline extending to the front fender from the upper door trim is the same colour3 as the exterior, uniting inside and outside. The effect also underscores the tradi-tional Jinba Ittai connection: It’s cosy as always in the MX-5, only now even more comfortable and ergonomic.

Interior: A second skinA single axis in the cabin centres the driver on the steering wheel and instrument cluster in perfect symmetry with the climate control louvers to the sides and indeed all major con-trols, including the pedals and gearshift. Again here, the emphasis in the all-new MX-5’s cabin space is clearly on driving. These details boost comfort while preventing fatigue and reducing distraction potential.

Steering wheel: Classic, compact, chic

In true lightweight sports car tradition, the unpretentious steering wheel says “hop in and drive”. With a compact 366mm diameter, it features a black leather cover with red stitch-ing and three satin chrome spokes matching the climate control dials and shift boot ring*. It works like it looks, too: On winding roads, the grip and rim facilitate quick, precise operation and hand-over-hand action, also letting the hands slide smoothly along the surface. The switches, meanwhile, are mounted inside the left and right spokes for easy access, recessed just enough not to interfere with operation.

* Depending on trim level

And the details are many, from the compact steer-ing wheel (see box) and ergonomic gearshift knob to the improved design of the soft top. It now fea-tures an assist spring reducing the force neces-sary for operation. The soft top is thus quickly opened or closed while remaining seated in an intuitive one-step manoeuvre – practical when the skies suddenly open up into a downpour.

The enhanced driving position offers occupants more knee room as well as head clearance. In fact, despite sitting lower to the ground, the driv-er’s field of view is greater on the all-new MX-5 than on the out going model in every direction: up, down and horizontally.

Completely redesigned, the elegantly detailed three-gauge analogue instrument cluster with satin chrome rings is centred around a large tachometer with the speedometer to the right and an information display on the left. The latter includes fuel and mileage indicators as well as a performance-oriented water temperature gauge featuring a wider range than previous models.

The symmetry continues along the sleek wing-like dash, which stretches out horizontally to create a sense of roominess on the passenger side while further diminishing the boundaries between the MX-5 and its surroundings. The ef-fect endures with the seamless flow of the pan-els into and along the trim of the doors. Their shapes express a dynamic pattern flowing from front to back. Highlighting the sculpted look, the soft material with decorative stitching on the armrests and central door trim sections con-trasts pleasingly with the exterior coloured3

upper-door sections.

3) Depending on trim level and market4) DIN volume; capacity tested using soft sided carry-on bags

* Availability depends on trim level and market

The all-new MX-5 features high-quality sports car seats in leather or fabric that blend sophis-ticated beauty with maximal functionality (see box). Snug in longstanding MX-5 tradition, the cushions and seatbacks have a new net struc-ture that enhances comfort, fitting occupants perfectly but still firm enough to hold them se-curely in place in tight corners.

Another clever enhancement, the luggage compartment of the all-new MX-5 is 35mm lon-ger and 36mm deeper than its predecessor’s and can thus accommodate a pair of 550mm x 400mm x 220mm carry-on bags, despite the smaller overall boot volume of 130l4.

Upholstery: Refined, sporty class

The all-new MX-5 comes with a choice* of sporty black leather upholstery with red stitching or black fabric with either red or black stitching. Tan leather with beige stitching is also offered in right-hand drive models (UK only) for the authentic feel of a classic British roadster, while left-hand drive MX-5s are available with black Recaro seats in a combination of nappa leather and Alcantara® with red piping accentuating the seat edge. In all cases, the door trim and lower dash is finished in the same look.

The leather seats feature a pleat in the centre section with the diamond-shaped stitching used for the KODO Chair exhibited at Milan Design Week in 2013. The detailing and precision of the sleek three-dimensional appearance are an-other prime example of the craftsmanship that went into the roadster’s new interior. The grid-like woven pattern of the fabric seats, meanwhile, not only gives them a light, func-tional appearance, but also enhances body grip, fostering the Jinba Ittai feel.

LIKE OTHER NEW-GENERATION MAZDAS, THE ALL-NEW MX-5 SAFELY AND EFFORTLESSLY CONNECTS DRIVER AND PASSENGER WITH THE WORLD AROUND THEM. AND WITHOUT DISTRACTING FROM WHAT MATTERS MOST: THE JOY OF THE ICONIC ROADSTER.

Mazda’s new-generation human-machine interface and smartphone connectivity play a central role in cabin functionality of the all-new MX-5. Important controls – the pedals, gearshift, steering wheel and rotary command-er – have been thoughtfully designed and posi-tioned to create that Mazda Jinba Ittai signature feel: As if the MX-5 were an extension of the driver’s body.

Based on the heads-up cockpit concept, the lay-out of the controls allows drivers to leverage a wealth of useful information from an impressive slate of advanced technology and still safely fo-cus on the road. By emphasising greater usabil-ity via simplicity, developers enhance driving satisfaction.

An independent 7-inch display1 is mounted on top of the dashboard of MX-5s with MZD Con-nect1 (see box), Mazda’s smartphone-based sys-

MZD CONNECT: ALWAYS ON

Keep up with social media or send and receive emails, voice or text messages: MZD Connect*

seamlessly synchs with the smartphone via Bluetooth or USB, safely connecting occupants to the internet while on the road in the all-new Mazda MX-5. MZD Connect offers an enriched multimedia experience, including:

Access to AhaTM, a cloud-based platform pro-viding access to tens of thousands of radio stations, podcasts, audio books and more

StitcherTM internet radio app also included

Twitter and Facebook audio feeds with the latest tweets and updates, allowing users to reply with “like” entries or post audio mes-sages using the Shout function

1) Availability depends on trim level and market

tem now available for the first time on an MX-5. Drivers can use the rotary commander on the floor console (or voice command for many functions) to effortlessly control the MX-5’s infotainment offerings shown via the display. The driver need simply to lower one hand from the steering wheel to the centre console-based control in one quick, easy motion without taking his or her eyes off the road. Many infotainment functions are also accessible using voice com-mand, including the audio system’s play, stop and skip functions or to zoom in and out of the navigation system’s map displays. All audio systems, meanwhile, support DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) as well as RDS.

The display itself is ergonomically positioned at the ideal height and distance from the driver. The screen thus minimises visual distraction, allowing for safe enjoyment of media, communications and online content.

Visually alignedThe instrument cluster, too, received a complete redesign with a large analogue tachometer be-tween the speedometer on the right and another display to the left with the fuel gauge, fuel con-sumption, water temperature and other vehi-cle information. Logically, urgent safety system warnings appear in the tachometer. In “line” with the perfect driver-oriented symmetry of the MX-5 cabin, the centre of the instrument cluster is on the same axis as the middle of the steering wheel.

The system can be personalised with location-based services, enabling users for example to:

• search the navigation system’s map data by voice command to show potential destinations

Includes Mazda’s own apps such as Eco-display, which tracks fuel consump-tion, as well as maintenance reminders and warning guidance

Can be operated using the rotary commander or voice command

MX-5s equipped with MZD Connect also in-clude an on-board navigation system with map software viewed on the 7-inch centre display. The system:

Can tether to a smartphone for web searches to find specific destinations, like nearby filling stations and even the price of petrol, while providing ongoing traffic congestion data and other information on road conditions

Uses SD cards with NAVTEQ map data for Europe** including three years of free bi-annual updates and support for 19 audio and 26 text languages

Can set destinations using voice command searches for points of interest, weather, restaurants, etc.

BOSE® SOUND SYSTEM FOR MazDa MX-5

9 HIGH-PERFORMANCE SPEAKERS

1 Two 2.5-cm neodymium tweeters in the a-pillars.

2 Two 16.5-cm wide-range speakers in the doors.

3 Four 5-cm UltraNearfi eld™ speakers in the seat headrests.

4 One 13-cm woofer in a 6-litre custom- engineered bass enclosure under the foot well on the right side.

SYSTEM ELECTRONICS 5 Digital amplifi er below the convertible-top storage space with Bose Digital Signal Processing: l 7 channels of customised equalisation with automatic sound optimisation for top-up and top-down situations l audioPilot® 2 Noise Compensation Technology l TrueSpace® signal processing circuitry l Microphone for audioPilot® 2 in the interior.

1

3

5

2

1

4

3

Each part of the Bose sound system has been carefully engineered to work with the others for better performance. Replacing the factory-installed headunit (i. e. radio-CD/navigation system) or any other sound system component can significantly reduce system performance.

1. 1.

2.

3. 3.

4.

5.

THE MAZDA MX-5 HAS NEVER BEEN ABOUT BREAKNECK SPEED, BUT RATHER THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN POWER, WEIGHT, RE-SPONSIVENESS AND AGILITY. THESE ARE THE INGREDIENTS FOR MAXIMUM FUN, AND THE ALL-NEW MX-5 WITH ITS SKYACTIV POWER-TRAINS TAKE THE LEGENDARY ROADSTER THAT MUCH CLOSER TO PERFECTION.

Under the bonnet of the all-new MX-5 is one of two proven direct-injection petrol engines – the

SKYACTIV-G 1.5 or SKYACTIV-G 2.0 – specially tuned for the Mazda’s newest icon. Both are mated to an especially crisp SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual adapted for the MX-5’s classic front mid-engine, rear-wheel drive (FMR) layout.

They share much with the naturally aspi rated powerplants found in other new-generation Mazdas, like piston cavities, high tumble ports, multi-hole injectors, dual sequential valve tim-ing and other efficiency enhancing features (see box). But many – in fact most – components of the smaller SKYACTIV-G 1.5 were modified for the MX-5’s layout, size and in the name of more out-put along with further weight reduction. And for a pleasingly light and immediate response to accel-erator pedal input matching precisely the driver’s intentions.

For example, Mazda changed the cam timing and rotating parts to raise the SKYACTIV-G 1.5’s redline to 7,500rpm, adding a custom steel crankshaft to support the engine’s free-revving nature. It also hiked maximum output relative to the versions found on front-wheel drive Mazdas to 96kW/131PS at 7,000rpm to go with 150Nm of peak torque at

* Availability depends on trim level and market

TUNE IN, TURN ON AND DRIVE

4. CONNECTIVITY, FUNCTIONALITY & EQUIPMENT

PUNCHING ABOVE ITS

PRICE TAG

5. POWERTRAINS

* Availability depends on trim level and market ** Service availability and tariffs may vary according to country

BOSE® PREMIUM SOUND SYSTEM

MAZDA AND BOSE® HAVE TEAMED UP TO DEVELOP A PREMIUM SOUND SYSTEM* TAILORED TO THE ALL-NEW MX-5 FOR AN OUTSTANDING LISTENING EXPERIENCE EVEN WITH THE TOP DOWN.

Featuring UltraNearfield™ speakers in the driver and passenger headrests combined with TrueSpace® signal processing circuitry, it

produces an individual sonic zone at each seat. TrueSpace® creates a perceived sound stage that is much wider than the actual distance between each speaker for sound that seems to extend beyond the confines of the cabin, top up or down.

The system features nine high-performance speakers, including BOSE® UltraNearfieldTM speakers in each headrest and a 13-cm woofer in a custom bass enclosure under the footwell on

the right side of the cabin. The digital amplifier located below the soft-top storage space fea-tures BOSE® digital signal processing with:

7 channels of customised equalisation with automatic sound optimisation for both top-up and top-down operation

AudioPilot® 2 Noise Compensation Technology

TrueSpace® signal processing circuitry

High-performance speakers

1. Two 2.5cm neodymium tweeters in the A-pillars

2. Two 16.5cm wide-range speakers in the doors

3. Four 5cm UltraNearfield™ speakers in the seat headrests

4. One 13cm woofer in a 6-litre custom-engineered bass enclosure under the footwell on the right side

System electronics

5. Digital amplifier below the soft top storage space with BOSE® digital signal processing

4,800rpm. That’s more power than the MZR 1.8 offered on the outgoing MX-5, and with signifi-cantly better fuel economy, too. The SKYACTIV-G 2.0, meanwhile, has been tuned for more low and mid-range torque, improving acceleration as well as mileage relative to the current MZR 2.0-powered model. The 118kW/160PS of max-imum power arrives at 6,000rpm, with peak torque of 200Nm at 4,600rpm.

To amplify the fun factor, both engines feature new lighter and more compact intake and ex-haust systems built to tap the full engine poten-tial. The intake system, which weighs some 30% less than that in the outgoing MX-5, significantly reduces airflow resistance while cleverly remov-ing exhaust heat to better sustain intake effi-ciency. The 4-2-1 exhaust manifold – an anti- knocking and pro-efficiency SKYACTIV-G main-stay feature – was also redesigned for the RWD layout as well as for an ideal torque curve and a pleasing engine sound. Not even the radiator was spared: Smaller and lighter, it now features air ducts and flaps to regulate air pressure from the fan, further enhancing cooling efficiency. The radiator was also repositioned closer to car’s centre of gravity – just one of several measures to optimise weight distribution in the engine compartment. This enhances the MX-5’s already superb agility, not to mention durability and NVH.

The unique SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual was originally developed to bring the MX-5’s cele-brated short, direct shift stroke to the rest of the Mazda model line-up. Now it comes full circle with a lively SKYACTIV-MT designed exclusively for the roadster’s FMR layout, amplifying the Jinba Ittai driver-and-car-as-one experience.

Adaptations here include simplified shift link mechanisms to reduce sliding resistance in the gearbox linkage, but without undermining the crisp shifting. The result: smooth, light gear changes that seem to “draw” the gearshift into the right position, but with the same short 40mm shift stroke common to all MX-5s since day one.

Perfecting the traditionThe direct-drive sixth gear, meanwhile, lowers the final gear ratio, raising real-world fuel economy by decreasing resistance. It also allows the use of a lighter ultra-compact limited-slip differential unit, which itself reduces energy transfer loss by about one-quarter relative to the third-generation MX-5. And because Mazda wholeheartedly be-lieves there is always room for improvement, its engineers even tweaked the clutch pedal stroke length and pressure for more graceful gearshift-ing and minimal driver burden.

Two lightweight petrol engines offered with the all-new Mazda MX-5:

The SKYACTIV-G 1.5 (96kW/131PS @ 7,000rpm & 150Nm @ 4,800rpm), built for maximum agility and fuel economy

The SKYACTIV-G 2.0 (118kW/160PS @ 6,000rpm & 200Nm @ 4,600rpm), enhanced for more re-sponsiveness throughout the engine’s range

Both engines feature: A special 4-2-1 exhaust manifold, which lowers

the temperature by reducing the quantity of residual gases in the combustion chamber to:

• prevent knocking • enhance combustion (improves scavenging) • produce more torque (especially low-end)

Dual sequential valve timing (S-VT) on the in-take and exhaust valves minimises pumping losses to enhance fuel economy, especially at low load, also suppressing knocking under heavy load operation

Multi-hole injectors for an ideal air-fuel mixture

A high tumble port, which enhances ignition and flame distribution, also increasing torque production

Piston cavities in the crown of the pistons to help reduce cooling losses

Quick, smooth and responsive acceleration from a standstill to redline

• natural aspiration for outstanding low-end response rather than turbo lag

• exceptional real-world fuel economy with no compromising on performance or fun

High 13.0:1 compression

Special modifications for the all-new MX-5: Both engines feature lighter and more com-

pact intake and exhaust systems adapted to tap the full engine potential and maximise the car’s fun factor

Intake system reduces air-flow resistance to maintain efficiency in these higher output, free-revving SKYACTIV engines • weighs 30% less than the intake system on

the outgoing model • features enhanced air cleaner and hose

capacity

SKYACTIV-MT: SMALLER, LIGHTER, CRISPER

Originally inspired by the MX-5, the SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual has now been adapted for the first time on the all-new MX-5 for a front engine, rear drive layout.

Maintains the precise quick shifting praised on all MX-5s going back to the first generation

• same sporty 40mm shift stroke as previous models

Direct-drive sixth gear lowers the final gear ratio to improve real-world fuel economy by reducing resistance in top gear

• also enables an ultra-compact lightweight differential unit to be used, trimming energy transfer loss by around 25%

Shift link structure simplified to reduce sliding resistance for smooth and light yet still crisp shifting that seems to draw the gearshift into the right position

Newly developed transmission oil maintains consistent viscosity and with it light, easy shifting even in cold weather

Clutch pedal stroke (length and pressure) tweaked to minimise driver burden when changing gears

Lightweight design – some 7kg lighter overall than the outgoing six-speed man ual transmission – with low internal friction helps save fuel

• new die-cast aluminium transmission hous-ing with varying thickness for the best pos-sible balance of weight and strength

• better oil flow control optimises the amount of transmission oil in the casing

• plastic used on clutch pedal and cylinder

Rear differential unit also lighter and smaller thanks to:

• enhanced gear rings for the direct-drive sixth gear

• aluminium casing • 7-10kg lighter (depending on engine) than

the outgoing MX-5’s differential • revised shape and structure of powerplant

frame (connecting the transmission to the differential) cuts more weight without af-fecting rigidity

• new air guide duct uses air from electric fan to remove excess exhaust heat

4-2-1 exhaust system redesigned and simpli-fied for the MX-5’s FMR layout and the given space, also retuned for the desired torque output and sound

• wider exhaust and straighter manifold reduce resistance

• two catalytic converters used rather than three thanks to advance emissions technology

21mm shorter and 2mm thinner radiator placed in a more upright position closer to centre of gravity for better overall weight dis-tribution with a shorter front overhang • flaps added that open and close in response

to air pressure from the cooling fan

Engine weight reductions: SKYACTIV-G 2.0 engine block is 8kg lighter and

SKYACTIV-G 1.5 block 14kg lighter than on the outgoing MZR 2.0 by opti mising engine block material thickness and rib shapes

Both engines use a dedicated lightweight fly-wheel and a lighter crankshaft and pistons

Smaller, thinner radiator and lighter intake and exhaust systems

Attractive and thin (1.7mm) die-cast alumin-ium engine-head cover (reminiscent of early MX-5s) weighs about the same as a plastic cover

The SKYACTIV-G 2.0 is also available with the i-ELOOP brake energy regeneration system and i-stop, one of the world’s fastest idle-stop systems4

i-ELOOP4: Converts deceleration energy into electricity

that is used to run the car’s electrical equip-ment (headlamps, climate control, etc.)

Saves fuel by conserving engine output nor-mally needed to drive the alternator

Mazda’s first i-ELOOP version to use alumini-um wiring, cutting weight by 500g

i-stop4: Cleverly switches off the engine in the

ignition/expansion stroke, the ideal position for restarting

Allows continued use of electrically powered systems when the vehicle is shut off

Uses combustion energy for restarts, requir-ing the starter only to provide momentum during the initial restart phase

Restarts the MX-5 in only half a second

THE REDESIGNED CHASSIS AND BODY MAKE THE ALL-NEW MAZDA MX-5 THE MOST USER- FOCUSED AND CONFIDENCE INSPIRING GEN-ERATION YET. IT’S A TRULY AN ASTONISHING ACHIEVEMENT CONSIDERING THE MX-5 AL-READY OWNS THE HANDLING AND AGILITY BENCHMARK FOR AFFORDABLE LIGHTWEIGHT SPORTS CARS.

The all-new model is the lightest since the first generation MX-5 at only 975kg5, which is perfectly balanced between the front and rear of the car. In fact, this car feels more than ever like an ex-tension of the driver. It’s that special relationship Mazda calls Jinba Ittai, a Japanese term referring to the connection between the rider and horse in a traditional form of Japanese archery. 1) LHD markets only

2) Under Mazda test conditions3) Combined cycle; for more detailed fuel consumption and CO2 emissions data,

please see the Technical Specifications section at the end of this press kit.

Engine SKYACTIV-G 1.5 SKYACTIV-G 2.0SKYACTIV-G 2.0 (with i-stop &

i-ELOOP)1

Transmission SKYACTIV-MT (six-speed manual)

0-100km/h2 secs. 8.3 7.3 7.3

Top speed km/h 204 214 214

Fuel consumption3 l/100 km 6.0 6.9 6.6

CO2 emissions3 g/km 139 161 154

PERFORMANCE & FUEL ECONOMY

SKYACTIV-G: PURE DRIVING FUN

IN THE REAL WORLD

SKYACTIV-G 2.0

JINBA ITTAI: FOR THE

LOVE OF DRIVING

6. CHASSIS & BODY

4) LHD markets only 5) Kerb weight with SKYACTIV-G 1.5 and no driver

Improving on a good thing and making the fourth- generation model even more fun presented a challenge – one that Mazda’s engineers confront-ed with their vast experience developing the SKYACTIV-Chassis to convey the MX-5’s forgivingly enjoyable handling onto other new-generation Mazdas. Their goal here: Further enhance the iconic roadster’s confidence-building nature by transferring the SKYACTIV principles to the fertile ground of its front mid-engine, rear drive (FMR) layout.

They retained the front double wishbone and rear multi-link suspension set-up, re working various components in the name of lightweight strength and superior stability, particularly in corners. To enhance traction and reduce understeer, for example, they raised the front caster angle. A new truss structure for the rear cross-member, meanwhile, improves suspension rigidity, while a repositioning of the rear links increases cornering controllability.

Direct, precise feedbackAs for the steering, the all-new model is the first MX-5 with a space-saving dual-pinion electric power assist steering system, which replaces the outgoing MX-5’s hydraulic power assist system. It delivers even more direct feedback, since Mazda situated the steering system closer to the front wheels – and therefore the road surface. Enhanc-ing the system’s stiffness below the steering column improves linearity, especially in the high g-force range, while changing the steering gear ratio from 15.1 to 15.5 makes the new model more fun to control. The result is lighter steering over-all that responds even more faithfully, transmit-ting road input directly and precisely - just like a fun lightweight roadster should.

Thanks to revised brake booster characteristics,

the MX-5 delivers a linear response at low g- forces and solid power at higher loads for more refined stopping capacity overall from the front ventilated and rear solid disc brakes. By heighten-ing control over load shifts, these measures boost stability, smoothening the transition between longi tudinal and lateral g-forces upon releasing the brake. And that enhances control as well as comfort. Taken together, it makes for a cornering experience that actually improves upon the wide-ly established prowess of previous MX-5s.

The all-new model’s SKYACTIV-Body, too, fed on the sum total of Mazda’s experience building rigid yet impact-resistant structures that weigh not a gram more than necessary. Like other Mazdas, the roadster’s body uses a straight, continuous framework whenever possible. The high-mount backbone frame – a critical component of the open-top design – is straighter with a larger cross-section than on the outgoing model. The connections to the front and rear sections of the frame were also bolstered.

Stronger, lighter, quieterTo cut weight at no cost to safety or stiffness – and by extension agility – Mazda significantly increased the use of high-strength steels as well as aluminium. A new ring structure joins the front shock absorber mounts and suspension mounts to fortify the body’s suspension supports. In the back, reinforcing material on the rear suspension towers suppresses deformation from road input via the suspension. Even the seats are mounted directly to the B-frame, heightening local rigidity.

The all-new MX-5 is not only stronger and lighter. It’s smoother and quieter too, thanks to a range of measures to curb vibrations and noise. The engineers focused on key areas like the engine mounts, the interaction between suspension com-ponents and the traits of the body panels. Shapes played a big role here. For example, the A-pillars, windscreen header and rear edge of hood are de-signed for optimum air flow, considerably reduc-ing high-frequency wind noise – particularly with the top down. And to ensure a calm interior with

the top up, the side windows automatically raise 6mm after the door is closed to secure an effective seal with the top. The soft top itself absorbs more sound than the out going model’s, also featuring a new header cover and aluminium panel to prevent fluttering when on the move. All in all, Mazda managed to cut high-frequency road and wind noise by some 40 %1 for a comfortable cabin in which occupants can converse while en-joying the sporty sound of the engine.

SKYACTIV: Shedding the weight but not the muscle

Highlights: The SKYACTIV-Body’s multi-load path structure,

which distributes impact energy around and away from the cabin, optimises the suspension cross-members to cut weight by around 20kg while retaining structural strength

Adopting cross-shaped cross – sections for the front frame members and crush cans along with a double-hat cross – section for the rear side frames enabled a reduction in the thick-ness of frame members

Utilising more lightweight high-tensile steels and aluminium on the body-in-white (71% by weight vs. 58% on the outgoing MX-5), includ-ing 9% aluminium (vs. 0.1%)

• the front and rear bumper reinforcements use 7000-series aluminium, cutting 3.6kg compared to the hot-stamped steel found on the outgoing model

• aluminium front and rear bumper reinforce-ments, front fenders, seatback bars, under-body cross-member, tunnel brace bar, bulk-head panel, and soft-top header panel and links trimmed another 16kg

• around 20% of the total weight reduction is owing to aluminium parts

The SKYACTIV-Chassis’s suspension system weighs 12kg less than the previous model’s

Diagonal rigidity increased while lowering weight by using a portion of the body frame as the rear suspension cross-member and joining it in a truss shape

Holes were added to reinforcements where they did not affect strength and end sections removed wherever they did not impact the welds

The front knuckle is now made from alumin-ium, as are the front upper and lower arms, powerplant frame, rear hub supports and undercover material

780MPa high-tensile steel employed for the front cross-member

THE MAZDA MX-5 IS THE EPITOME OF LIGHTWEIGHT SPORTS CAR FUN. IN THE FOURTH-GENERATION MODEL, THE FUN FACTOR EMBRACES THE PEACE OF MIND OF MAZDA PRO ACTIVE SAFETY, MEANING A REMARKABLE LEVEL OF ACTIVE AND PASSIVE SAFETY FOR AN AFFORDABLE TWO-SEATER.

The Mazda Proactive Safety philosophy uses state-of-the art technology to reduce consider-ably the potential for accidents and thus take pressure off the driver. And should an accident occur, the goal is to protect passengers and pe-destrians to the greatest degree possible.

Always on guard, i-ACTIVSENSE is Mazda’s line-up of active safety technology – now available for the first time on the MX-5 in the form of sev-eral systems2. The first, Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM), employs 24GHz quasi-millimetre wave radar to detect ap-proaching vehicles in blind spots to the side and rear of the car. Operating from speeds as low as 15km/h, BSM flashes a visual warning in the respective door mirror and sounds a buzzer if the driver signals to change lanes into the path of an approaching vehicle. It also incorporates Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), which uses BSM’s sensors and warning signals to alert the driver of other vehicles when reversing.

The Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) monitors the lane markings on the road, notify-ing the driver should its camera detect the vehicle straying unintentionally from its lane. Models with the BOSE® audio system channel a rumble-strip sound through the speaker on the appropriate side of the car to elicit a quick driver response. LDWS is calibrated to avoid false alarms.

High Beam Control (HBC) uses a camera to detect the headlights and taillights of other vehicles, automatically switching between the high and low beams to improve night-time vis-ibility while reliably preventing the impairment of other motorists’ vision. HBS also switches off the high beams in the city and at speeds of 30km/h or less.

Mazda’s Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS) makes driving at night even safer by predicting bends in the road ahead and pointing the low beams in the intended direction.

When a crash is unavoidable, the all-new MX-5 is designed to protect the cabin and its occupants from harm. At the forefront here is Mazda’s SKYACTIV-Body. It employs a unique structure with lightweight high-strength materials featur-ing a continuous framework and straight beams wherever possible to deliver exceptional col-lision protection, particularly for an open-top sports car. And that in spite of the shorter front and rear overhangs relative to previous MX-5s. The trick is how it absorbs and disperses impact energy to prevent the cabin from deforming.

Frontal impact forces are channelled around and underneath the cabin along a multi-load path structure via the side sills, B-frame and tunnel section. For more effective protection with-out adding weight, 1,500MPa hot-stamped and 1,180MPa high-tensile steels were used in the frame around the centre of the cabin along with high-strength 7000 series aluminium for the front bumper beam. During a mild frontal colli-sion, easily replaceable bolt-on parts absorb the energy, limiting damage to the engine compart-ment and with it the associated repair costs.

As a soft top, the MX-5 lacks the uninter rupted ring structure that on other Mazdas joins the roof and B-pillars to the underbody to bolster side impact protection. Instead, the all-new roadster adds a seatback cross-member con-necting the right and left sides of the body at the rear edge of the side sills above the number 3 cross-member. Together with other enhance-ments, like reinforced side sills, A-pillars and seatback brackets, the all-new MX-5 effectively disperses side impact energy throughout the body.

Advanced protection At the back, a new double-hat section structure on the rear side frames, which are reinforced with high-tensile steel, improves resistance during a rear impact. Deformation control beads have been positioned on the back edge of the rear side frame members, while the rear sus-pension and a large section kick-up structure on the rear side frames form a multi-load path to protect the cabin and fuel tank. Also featuring 7000-series aluminium, the rear bumper beam is much lighter than the steel on the out going model.

Inside, front and side airbags are standard equipment, whereby the side airbags use a special bracket on the outside shoulder of the

UNCOMPROMISING PEACE

7. SAFETY

OF MIND

1) Based on in-house measurements 2) System availability varies according to trim level and market

seat to protect occupants’ heads, even with the top down. The seats provide better head and upper body support during a rear impact and were - like the door panel trim - also redesigned to enhance side impact protection. The seatbelts come with a double (driver’s side) or single (pas-senger) pretensioner to tighten the belts during a collision as well as load limiters to protect occupants’ chests. The crushable steering shaft, meanwhile, absorbs impact energy and secures space for the driver, while the passenger seat comes with anchors and a top tether for ISOFIX child seats.

As for pedestrians, the evolved active bonnet automatically raises during an impact to protect a person’s head by expanding the space be-tween the bonnet and engine components. Here new sensor technology more than compensates for the all-new MX-5’s lower bonnet by raising it higher during a collision. The new inner struc-ture of the bonnet itself along with impact- absorbing beads above the engine also soften the blow. At the front, energy absorbing foam in the bumper beam protects the knees, while a lower bumper stiffener prevents the legs from sliding under the car.

DIMENSIONS

Body type Convertible roadster

Doors 2

Seating capacity 2

Exterior

Overall length (without number plate holder) mm 3,915

Overall width mm 1,735

Overall width (mirror to mirror) mm 1,918

Overall height mm 1,225 / 1,2301

Wheelbase mm 2,310

Overhang front (without number plate holder) mm 760

Overhang rear mm 845

Track front mm 1,495

Track rear mm 1,505

Ground clearance between axles (unladen) mm 141

Interior

Headroom mm 950

Shoulder room mm 1,325

Hip room mm 1,320

Legroom mm 1,096

Hip point (distance from floor) mm 145

Boot

Volume2 l 130

Boot floor, distance from ground mm 430 / 4371

Depth to boot floor mm 455

Load floor length mm 640

Width at floor mm 1,100

Boot opening threshold, distance from ground mm 821 / 8281

Boot opening width mm 808

1,225 / 1,2301

1,495

1,505

1,735

2,3103,915

1) With 16 / 17-inch wheels2) DIN value

ENGINES: SKYACTIV-G SKYACTIV-G 1.5 SKYACTIV-G 2.0

Engine type I4 DOHC 16 valves I4 DOHC 16 valves

Displacement cm3 1,496 1,998

Bore x stroke mm 74.5 x 85.8 83.5 x 91.2

Camshaft drive Timing chain Timing chain

Fuel injection system

Direct injection Direct injection

Compression ratio 13.0:1 13.0:1

Exhaust type 4-2-1 4-2-1

Emission control system

Three-way catalyst

Three-way catalyst

Max. powerkW(PS)/

rpm96(131)/7,000 118(160)/6,000

Max. torqueNm/ rpm

150/4,800 200/4,600

Fuel type 95 RON 95 RON

Fuel tank capacity l 45 45

Engine oil capacity

l 4.1 4.1

Battery 46B24L-S 46B24L-S / N-55(S)3

TRANSMISSION: SKYACTIV-MT SKYACTIV-G 1.5 SKYACTIV-G 2.0

Transmission 6MT 6MT

Powertrain RWD RWD

Gear ratios

1st 5.087 5.087

2nd 2.991 2.991

3rd 2.035 2.035

4th 1.594 1.594

5th 1.286 1.286

6th 1.000 1.000

Reverse 4.696 4.696

Final drive ratio 2.866 2.866

3) LHD models with i-stop & i-ELOOP4) May vary according to country or region

SUSPENSION AND STEERING SKYACTIV-G 1.5 SKYACTIV-G 2.0

Suspension

Front suspension Double wishbone

Rear suspension Multi-link

Shock absorbers (front & rear)

Monotube

Steering

Steering type Rack and pinion

Power assist type Double pinion electric power assist

Steering gear ratio 15.5

Steering wheel turns (lock to lock)

2.7

Turning circle radius (kerb to kerb)

m 4.7

Turning circle diameter (wall to wall)

m 10.4

WHEELS AND BRAKES SKYACTIV-G 1.5 SKYACTIV-G 2.0

Wheels & tires

Wheel size 16 x 6.5J 17 x 7J

Tire size 195/50 R16 205/45 R17

Brakes

Type (front) Ventilated discs

Type (rear) Solid discs

Diameter (front) mm 258 280

Diameter (rear) mm 255 280

Vaccum booster diameter

inches 8 8

Scheduled maintenance

Every 20,000km / 12 months4

8. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

1) LHD markets only2) Under Mazda test conditions

PERFORMANCE AND WEIGHTS SKYACTIV-G 1.5 SKYACTIV-G 2.0 SKYACTIV-G 2.0

(with i-stop & i-ELOOP1)

Powertrain RWD RWD RWD

Transmission 6MT 6MT 6MT

Performance

Top speed (with limiter) km/h 204 214 214

Acceleration 0-100km/h2 secs. 8.3 7.3 7.3

Fuel consumption

Urban l/100km 7.9 9.3 8.7

Extra urban l/100km 4.9 5.5 5.4

Combined l/100km 6.0 6.9 6.6

CO2 emissions (combined) g/km 139 161 154

Emissions rating Euro 6 Euro 6 Euro 6

Weight and payload

Min. kerb weight kg 975 1,000 1,015

Min. kerb weight (with 75kg driver) kg 1,050 1,075 1,090

Max. permis sible weight kg 1,215 1,260 1,260

Permissible front axle weight kg 610 645 645

Permissible rear axle weight kg 605 615 615

0

50

60

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80

90

100

110180

40

160

30

140

20

120

100

80

60

40

20 10

2,0001,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000

Torq

ue (

Nm

)

Engine speed (rpm)

Pow

er (

kW)

150 Nm at 4,800 rpm96 kW at 7,000 rpm

0

0

200

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240

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80

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2,0001,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000

Torq

ue (

Nm

)

Engine speed (rpm)

Pow

er (

kW)

200 Nm at 4,600 rpm118 kW at 6,000 rpm

0

SKYACTIV-G 2.0SKYACTIV-G 1.5

Engine performance curves

For further information on official fuel consumption and official specific CO2 emissions for new passenger cars, please refer to the “Guide about fuel consumption,

CO2 emission and electric energy consumption of new passenger cars” (“Leitfaden über den Kraftstoffverbrauch, die CO

2-Emissionen und den Stromverbrauch neuer

Personenkraftwagen”), which is available free of charge at all Mazda showrooms and at Mazda Motors (Deutschland) GmbH, Hitdorfer Str. 73, 51371 Leverkusen.


MORE THAN A QUARTER CENTURY ON THE ROAD

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THE 1980s

Excess, greed...big hair: There was nothing subtle about the 1980s. Automakers, too, were producing brashly designed cars with sharp, hard edges and plenty of size. Yet as the decade came to a close, a new spirit emerged. The Berlin Wall fell, the Cold War ended and a new threat emerged: global warming. Automakers began building smaller, fuel-sipping models, and front-wheel drive had become dominant.

THE 1990s

As the 20th century came to an end, the world was in the midst of a dramatic transformation. Much of Europe was overcom ing the growing pains that followed the fall of the Iron Curtain. But rapidly advancing technology caused economies to prosper as the World Wide Web began its one-way rise to omnipresence. The period marked a new golden age for automobiles, too. Harnessing the growing power of computers, carmakers were building vehicles that boasted superior fuel economy as well as en hanced safety.

THE 2000s

A globalised world where offshoring and outsourcing be-came household words, the 2000s were turbulent times. The market stability of the 1990s gave way to volatility in the decade that brought you euro notes, the war on terror, skyrocketing fuel prices and the rise of renewable energy. The internet went mobile, and one disruptive technology after another changed the order of things as the genera-tion of “digital natives” who never knew a disconnected world started growing up. Some thought the world was going to end. It didn’t.

THE 2010s

From the ashes of the Great Recession, a renewed sense of optimism has emerged in the second decade of the new millennium. The Internet of Things is now a reality, creating an increasingly interconnected world where computing power grows exponentially. Smartphones are now as powerful as desktops. And there really is an app for everything, even your car. Rapidly evolving technological advances are pushing us closer to a world of self-driving cars, perhaps marking the end for driving as we know it. Well…not in the MX-5.

FOUR GENERATIONS, ONE ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY02

3 rdGENERATION

CODENAMED

NC MK III 4 th

GENERATION

CODENAMED

ND MK IV2 nd

GENERATION

CODENAMED

NB MK II 1st

GENERATION

CODENAMED

NA MK I

A CLASSIC IS REBORN

For over a quarter century, the Mazda MX-5

has won over drivers everywhere with a

simple yet ambitious premise: a reasona-

bly priced, lightweight two-seater sports

car that drives as beautifully as it

looks. So when it came to developing

the fourth generation “ND”, it’s safe

to say the bar was set exceedingly

high: How do you re-imagine and

ultimately improve upon a be-

loved icon without detracting

from the essence that has

made it so popular?

AGAINST THE ODDS, MAZDA’S LATEST ROADSTER DOESN’T JUST EXCEED EXPECTATIONS, IT BLOWS THEM AWAY

02 FOUR GENERATIONS, ONE ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY

23

24


25

It was not enough for Mazda’s Hiroshima-based deve-lopment team to come up with a roadster worthy of its fans’ undying love. Drivers needed to fall head

over heels all over again the first time they laid eyes on it.

And then, once behind the wheel on the open road, they had to quickly realise a deep sense of fulfilment: a sports car that does more than merely react exactly as intended, gripping the road confidently from one turn to the next. Without question, the ND had to be the best MX-5 they’ve ever driven.

A better-suited group for the job could not have been assembled. Their rever-ence for the MX-5 is unparalleled; they are arguably the most hard-core fans in the MX-5 tribe. As with other generations, Programme Manager Nobuhiro Yamamoto says they realised that the MX-5’s success has always been its minimalist aesthetic. He likens the thrill of driving the two-seater to his childhood memories strad-dling the fuel tank of a mo-torbike as it raced down an open stretch of road in the Japanese countryside – a truly exhilarating sense of freedom.

Despite featuring for the first time many of the latest advances offered across the Mazda line-up, such as SKYACTIV Technolo-gy, the ND remains

faithful to the original NA, above all as a lightweight, fun-to-drive

throwback to the British roadsters of the 1960s.

Indeed, the newest MX-5 is the light-est since the first-generation, weigh-

ing some 100kg less than its direct predecessor. And it retains the format

that made prior generations so enjoyable: a rear-wheel drive two-seater with a front

mid-ship engine (located behind the front axle) for optimum handling in true Jinba Ittai

rider-and-horse-as-one spirit. Only now with the engine moved a bit farther back and the

car closer to the ground for a lower centre of gravity and even more ideal weight distribution.

TIMELESS, CAPTIVATING BEAUTY

Even before you get behind the wheel, the ND’s flowing KODO – Soul of Motion design, a trademark of Mazda’s

new model generation, telegraphs its prowess. The redesigned exterior makes a bold statement: Here stands

an instant classic worthy of the MX-5’s rich history. Masashi Nakayama, the chief designer, says the ND is “a car that can

be driven for 20 years,” remaining as delightfully pleasing as the day you bought it.

Notably sleeker with a low, wide stance emphasising strength and agility, it has a more aggressive face and lines than past genera-

tions. The roadster’s sweeping form instils a sense of motion even at a standstill, a quality that could not have been achieved with

sketches and computer modelling alone. »


2726 MAZDA MX-5 | 25TH ANNIVERSARY



THE HUMAN TOUCHYukiharu Asano, one of the people behind the all-new MX-5’s stunning exterior, believed his craft – clay model-ling – had already had its day. Industrial streamlining and computer-generated design have largely displaced what once had a pre-eminent role in automotive design. In fact, he had entirely given up modelling cars. Yet when it came time to envision the exterior of the fourth-generation of Mazda’s iconic two-seater, the development team turned to Asano. Only the hands of a master could sculpt a legend: Try closing your eyes and running your hands along a computer model... Basing his work on the sketches of a promising young designer, Asano breathed life into the ND, giving form to its soul. That’s why latest MX-5 speaks to your heart.



TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 2015Instead Mazda looked to the traditional design technique of clay modelling, enlisting its master modeller Yukiharu Asano. He painstakingly crafted an exterior emphasising the interplay of light and shadow (see box). The outcome is sweepingly graceful lines that turn heads as the car glides down the street. It’s a natural beauty that makes the MX-5 look great anywhere. And this sense of effortless fluidity continues inside.

The fourth-generation roadster’s interior balances the two-seater’s traditionally reassuring snugness with tangible roominess. The interior design starts, of course, with the driver: A single axis in the cabin marries intent with action: All controls, including Mazda’s new MZD Connect infotain-ment system, are accessed in simple motions so the driver’s eyes remain focused on the road.

So much for ergonomics. But the designers also wanted the interior to meld with the exterior, helping blur the boundary between the automobile and its surroundings. This further leverages the pure joy of driving with the top down.

More than anything, the MX-5 is “a seamless extension of the driver’s body,” according to Tetsuo Fujitomi, in charge of powertrain development. While its electrifying exterior and second-skin-like interior reflect this concept, it’s the ND’s performance that fulfils its design’s promise.

The powertrains are the product of Mazda’s SKYACTIV Technology, customised exclusively for the MX-5. Here the development team engaged in a delicate balancing act. Power versus fuel efficiency: two goals that normally come at the expense of one-another. Not with the ND, however, whose two high compression direct-injection petrol engines options – the SKYACTIV-G 1.5 and SKYACTIV-G 2.0 – provide enough oomph to entertain while using less petrol and emitting fewer CO2 emissions than any other MX-5s to date: A fact owing to a combination of internal combustion innovation and the car’s weight. Also specially tuned for the all-new MX-5 is a crisp SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual adapted for its front mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout. Here the engineers raised the bar in terms of smooth, responsive shifting, with the legendary short stroke anyone

who has ever driven an MX-5 knows and most probably loves.

Of course unifying all the advan-cements in combination with Mazda’s demanding weight-cutting ambitions did present an immense challenge. Yet, according to Shinichi Yasui, staff manager at production and planning, integrating everyone’s aspirations – while demandingly complex – was paramount to building a classic for the ages (see box). » * Under Mazda test conditions

** With i-stop & i-ELOOP*** With 16 or 17-inch wheels

SKYACTIV-G 1.5 SKYACTIV-G 2.0


Transmission 6-speed manual

Max. power kW(PS)/rpm 96(131)/7,000 118(160)/6,000

Max. torque Nm/rpm 150/4,800 200/4,600

Top speed km/h 204 214

0-100km/h* secs. 8.3 7.3

Min. kerb weight kg 975 1,000/1,015**

Length/width/height mm 3,915/1,735/1,225 or 1,230***

Suspension (front / rear) Double wishbone / Multi-link


LESS IS MORE Underpinning the entire project is the belief that less is more. Every aspect of new MX-5 was subject to scru-tiny: How can it be improved? How can it be even lighter? Besides details like shaving down the width of the exhaust catalyst, advances resulting from its new, custom designed SKYACTIV Body helped make the development team’s task a little easier. Incorporating more high-strength steel and alumi-nium than ever makes it lighter yet stronger than its predeces-sors. A clever multi-load path structure to channel crash energy, meanwhile, means a safer MX-5 too, bolstered by its i-ACTIVSENSE active safety technology.

The end result is a sports car that lives up to its iconic lineage. As Yamamoto puts it, the ND connects on a “gut level”. It’s a one-of-a-kind car that “stirs the senses and awakens the universal joy dormant within each and every one of us.” Sound a bit too romantic? Then take a test drive. Indeed a classic, the MX-5 is destined to be a target of adoration for the next 25 years. ⁄⁄

MANY MINDS, ONE VISIONThere is no single mastermind behind the ND. Rather it is the product of a collective effort – many innovations coming together to build an ideal roadster. Each engineer and designer focused on a specific task while pushing the limits of what they thought possi-ble – difficult tasks in themselves. An ever-bigger challenge, however, was harmoniously incorporating them into the new MX-5. It was a responsibility that fell on the shoulders of Shinichi Yasui, staff manager for production and planning.

Yasui is all too familiar with curbing the enthusiasm of engineers and developers, often directing them back to the drawing board because what they’ve conceived is not compatible with the realities of mass automobile production. This time he took a different tact, asking each member what their ideal vision of the MX-5 was. And then he told them he would do everything possible to steer their aspirations into the production model. A daring strategy, it might have been unwise too if it were anything other than the MX-5. Yet Yasui accommodated almost every vision. To him, there was no other way break new ground and build a new generation of the icon worthy of its following.


3130 MAZDA MX-5 | 4 GENERATIONS MAGAZINE

rdGENERATION


BIGGERWIDERFASTER

The third generation “NC” was the roomiest MX-5 yet, which isn’t really saying all that much. Make no mis-take: It was still a cosy two-seater, but slightly bigger and heavier in the name of more power and features than those that came before it. Like the fourth generation, it featured even more dramatic lines than its ancestors. However, its heart remained true to the MX-5’s essence: Built for the thrill of the road, the windier, the better.


Now a teenager, the MX-5 “grew up”, adding size and technology – and later a solid roof

3534

The deeper grille and new bumper design from the 2012 facelift expressed a lower, wider stance and a more assertive face, while the new fog lamp bezels and chin spoiler also improved aerodynamics.

Like previous genera-tions the NC MX-5 was

powered by an inline four-cylinder DOHC en-

gine, available in 1.8- and 2.0-litre versions. Both came with a five-speed manual; the latter was

also available with manual or automatic six-speeds.

Whereas the automotive industry had fully embraced the technological revolution of the early 2000s – navigation systems became ubiquitous and active safety technology began

performing wonders – the MX-5 NC was still decisively old school in this regard. It remained a sports car built to be driven. Yet Mazda knew continued success meant keeping with the times.

Safety was upgraded with the addition of side airbags, dynamic stability control and larger brakes. And a more upscale feel too. It was roomier with more storage and a larger 150-litre boot. It had keyless entry and start, a seven-speaker Bose premium audio system suitable for open-top listening, and a clever mechanism requiring just one hand to open and shut the soft top.

The NC retained its classic roadster look, only more ag-gressive – a foreshadowing of things to come. Its predator visage was complemented by 20mm of additional length, a 65mm longer wheelbase, a wider track and bigger, wider 17-inch wheels surrounded by boldly flared fenders. Yasu-shi Nakamuta, its designer, described the new model as a “synthesis of modernity and tradition.” And it was more powerful, as the 93kW/126PS 1.8-litre was joined by a new 118kW/160PS MZR 2.0, available with the standard five-speed or a new precision shifting six-speed manual. The 1.6, meanwhile, was dropped for good. »

20052006

20072008

20092010

20112012

2013

2005Video-sharing website YouTube goes online, irreversibly changing the world of broad-casting. Instant fame is only an upload away (maybe).

2006Nintendo’s Wii console with motion sensing technology brings together exercise and video gaming for the first time.

2007Apple launches the first-generation iPhone, the start of the touchscreen revolution.

2008 Seeking to unlock the secrets of the universe, the Large Hadron Colli-der goes into operation near Geneva. It’s the highest-energy particle accelerator ever built.

2009Beam me up, Scotty: The University of Maryland’s Joint Quan-tum Institute teleports the quantum state of one atom to another located a metre away.

2010First it was spray-on cheese, then hair in a tin. Britain’s Fabrican takes spray-cans to new heights with aero-sol applied fabrics.

2011No animals harmed: Researchers at the University of Maas-tricht grow beef in a lab.

2012Formlabs’ Form 1 personal 3D printers bring the power of plastic production to the people.

2013Motorola develops the password pill. Just swallow it and forget having to remember the password to your bank account.

A timeline of innovation



Faithful to its roots, the MX-5 remained a genuinely lightweight sports car: All the extras added up to a minimal weight gain vis-à-vis its predecessor, another demonstration of Mazda’s “gram strategy” to painstakingly reduce every possible bit of weight.


Yet the MX-5 NC remained a genuinely lightweight sports car: The extras added up to a minor weight gain vis-à-vis its predecessor. It was another demonstration of Mazda’s “gram strategy” – the painstaking reduction every possible bit of weight during the model development phase. For example, using aluminium for the double wish-bone front suspension as well as the bonnet and boot lids. And a bigger proportion of high and ultra-high tensile steels in, among other places, the body frame and A-pillars. Indeed, Mazda would extend such weight-saving measures to all next-generation Mazdas in a process that continues today.

And the driver still drove, which was a very good thing because the third-generation model further enhanced the classic FR layout for even better handling. Weight distribution was edged that much closer to perfection by pushing the engine a hand-width (135mm) towards the rear and relocating the battery and fuel tank nearer to the vehicle’s centre of gravity. A sports suspension featuring Bilstein shocks all around was now available for Sport 2.0 models. At the same time, the new monocoque body shell delivered an even lower centre of gravity along with increases to torsional and flexural stiff-ness of 47 per cent and 22 per cent, respectively.

All theright moves

The reception? Immediate and overwhelming. Continuing in the tradition of its ancestors, awards rolled in for the uncompromising new two-seater, including Car of the Year Japan 2005-2006 and Top Gear’s 2005 Roadster of the Year – among the first of almost 100 for the third-generation MX-5.

Responding to market demand in 2006, Mazda introduced the Roadster Coupe featuring a retractable power hardtop. And not just any top, either. Opening or closing in only 12 seconds, it is still among the fastest retractable hardtops around, folding neatly away behind the seats without affecting boot space.

The third-generation MX-5 received two facelifts. The first, in 2009, saw Mazda take Jinba Ittai one step further, starting with the powertrains. The 2.0-litre’s redline was increased to 7,500rpm with enhanced sound and its six-speed manual upgraded for even smoother shifting. A six-speed automatic was also added for the 2.0. Together with improved aerodynamics brought about by modifying body shapes like the front bumper and side sills, these MX-5s offered fuel efficiency gains of 4-7 per cent. »

As retractable hardtops became popular in Eu rope in the mid-2000s, Mazda too wanted to offer one for the MX-5. But without compro-mising any aspect of its little legend.

What the carmaker came up with was an ultra-lightweight hardtop that, made from a synthetic composite material, added only 37kg when com-pared to a soft top MX-5. And not to be outdone by the competition, the three-panel top was at the time the fastest on the market, opening or closing in only 12 seconds.

The MX-5 Roadster Coupe, as it is known in Europe, blends convertible flexibility with the practicality and comfort of a coupe. But what about the pure MX-5 fun factor? Happily, there is minimal difference. Despite the slight weight gain, Mazda preserved the car’s ideal 50:50 bal-ance, maintaining the same handling with minor suspension alterations like larger front stabilisers and retuned spring and damper units. In fact, the car even has a slightly more comfortable ride than the soft top, with less interior noise, of course, especially at higher speeds. And what the heavier Roadster Coupe loses on the 0-100km/h sprint, it gains in top speed* thanks to better aerodynamics.

As for the looks, designers kept the changes to a minimum to preserve the MX-5’s lightweight sports car aura. And they really are virtually imperceptible, with more prominent rear wheel arches, a 40mm higher rear deck and the boot lid raised by 20mm to smoothen the drop-off from the roof. The car is also 10mm higher overall, not that one would notice. While modern, the look remained true to the classic sports coupe.

* Sprint times and top speeds with the 2.0-litre and six-speed manual: 7.9secs and 218km/h for the Roadster Coupe vs. 7.6secs and 213km/h for the soft top

In tune with the times: Mazda’s got it covered


41

Technicalspecifications2005-2015

MZR 1.8 MZR 2.0 MZR 2.0


Transmission 5-speed manual 6-speed manual

6-speed automatic

Max. power kW(PS)/rpm 93(126)/6,500 118(160)/6,700 (7,000 from 2009) 118(160)/6,700

Max. torque Nm/rpm 167/4,500 188/5,000

Top speed (soft top / Roadster Coupe) km/h 194/198 212/217 213/218 192/194

0-100km/h (soft top / Roadster Coupe) secs. 9.9/9.9 7.6/7.9 7.6/7.9 8.5/8.9

Min. kerb weight* (2005 / 2009) kg 1,080/1,075 1,095/1,090 1,100

Length/width/height mm 3,995/1,720/1,245 or 1,255 (hard top)

Suspension (front / rear) Independent double wishbone / Multi-link

* add 37kg for Roadster Coupe version

The same MX-5, just better

The suspension was updated as well to improve roll performance and provide a more natural lin-ear response to steering input, particularly when cornering, as well as better overall ride quality. As for the looks, the most prominent changes in-cluded a sportier front end, whose new headlamp design and five-point grille expressed the next stop on Mazda’s design roadmap.

Then, in 2012, the NC was given an even more aggressive face as well as a reworked interior. Pedestrian protection was enhanced, this time with a new active bonnet system that automati-cally raises the hood during an impact to expand the crumple zone. The lower section of the front bumper was also reinforced to better protect people’s legs. Fine-tuned acceleration control de-livered a more linear response to throttle input, especially at lower speeds. An enhanced vacuum brake booster, meanwhile, improved brake return control. All told, even better handling and even more fun. ⁄⁄

Still making smiles after all these years

As a young engineer, Nobuhiro Yamamato recalls the infectious enthusiasm at Mazda for the light-weight sports car project. “I was sure the MX-5 would be a success, because I knew the passionate, tal-ented engineers who were working on it,” he says.

Now, more than a quarter century later, the continued success of this iconic sports car is his mission and his passion. “I joined the project to work on the second-generation with Takao Kijima [programme manager of the second and third-generation] and, when he retired in 2007, the torch was handed to me.


”I feel an immense gratitude to all those who have bought an MX-5 and a duty to them to continue develop-ing the car. There are five principles we will always retain for the MX-5. It must be light and compact, have a front-midship engine and rear-wheel drive, 50:50 weight distribution, a low yaw moment of inertia [agile], and be affordable. These ensure the MX-5 is fun to drive and accessible. We are not just making a vehicle, but an experience for our customers that puts a smile on their faces.”

It’s all about balance, and the essence of perfect interaction

Jinba Ittai or “rider and horse as one body”: The expression can be traced back to the Yabusame ritual, where a mounted archer shoots an arrow at a target while riding a horse, controlling the animal with his knees. Rider and horse need to perform in harmony if there is to be any chance of hitting bull’s eye.

At Mazda, it is a philosophy that emphasises the communication and thus the connection between the driver and the car. Jinba Ittai served as guiding principle behind the driving behaviour of the MX-5.

Hence the tight fit of the cockpit, particularly on the original model (this was deliberate), the direct responsiveness and feel (thanks to the unique powerplant frame and exceptionally stiff body), the short and snappy gearshift stroke, and extremely effective braking. Even the MX-5’s look and sound oozes a sense of agility and dexterity. Instead of focusing on power and speed, developers worked to achieve the ideal of a balanced driving machine that delivers pure fun.

Maintaining this balance through three genera-tions (and now into its fourth) was a real battle at times: against bigger, heavier engines, against the horsepower faction and the culture – particularly in the U.S. – of “no replacement for displacement”. But Mazda has stuck with its approach, and with any luck always will.

FOUR GENERATIONS, ONE ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY02P

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GENERATIONA CLASS BY ITSELF22


RENEWING THE IMMENSELY POPULAR ROADSTER FOR A NEW GENERATION, MAZDA AVOIDED THE PITFALLS THAT HAD SUNK MANY CAR MODELS BEFORE IT.


Keep the momentum going – that was gambit for the second generation MX-5, the NB. And it certainly carried the torch admirably, evolving its sporty ground-hugging looks by adding fixed headlamps

and a little muscle. Yet no dramatic departures: Why mess with a winning formula?

But even though the original MX-5 had set a high standard, the NB was indeed new and improved. Perfection was in the details: numerous tweaks made to advance and enhance a good thing. The success was founded in the groundwork, as the carmaker began preparing for the second chapter of the MX-5 epic midway through the 1990s.

It was no small feat: The original had single-handedly re-suscitated the market for affordable sports cars. With sales rapidly approaching the half-million mark by the time the second generation was launched in 1998, the original had more than surpassed its creators’ wildest expectations.

The little roadster had started a revolution with hundreds of thousands of proud owners. Competitors were trying to

emulate its success. And Mazda, of course, was determined to main-tain its commanding lead in the segment.

Mazda’s design and engineering team faced the tremendous chal-lenge of improving upon the original. For Takao Kijima, the project manager, there was no margin for error. As always, incorporating new electronics and lightweight materials was crucial to raising the bar. One thing was certain: The Jinba Ittai driver-and-car-as-one spirit would remain the central theme.

ONWARD TO THE ROOTS

Premiering at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1997, the NB was not a dramatic departure from the original, dimension-wise. Aside from minor tweaks and adding a few millimetres here and there, it stuck with the notion that a whole lot of driving exhilaration could be intelligently designed into a diminutive frame.

The NB shared much in common with the original that a devoted fan base had come to know and love. While the overall weight in-creased a little, improvements on numerous fronts more than »

FIXED OVAL HEADLAMPS WERE ONE OF SEVERAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE MX-5’S TRADEMARK FLOWING LINES AND ROUNDED EDGES.

“We didn’t just rekindle an old flame. We threw gasoline on it,” says a 1998 U.S. advertisement for the new Miata, as the MX-5 was known there.

Evolution Orange was the launch

colour for the second-generation MX-5.

22


“No conceptual revision whatsoever,” said Koichi Hayashi, chief designer of the second-generation MX-5, when asked by an automotive writer to describe the new design concept.

“Our team cherished the original MX-5’s inborn soul, which is perpetual, not a mere concept. And rather than ‘exterior’ and ‘interior’, we believe the new car has ‘physique’, which is the structure, strength and form of the whole car.”

Also a core member of the original model’s design squad, Hayashi started by defining the most emotional in-gredients of the roadster, such as its simple, smooth surfaces and sensuous styling.

The course was set. Similar to the first MX-5, Mazda’s four design centres (two in Japan and one each in Germany and the U.S.) created their own proposal based on the same FMR configura tion and lightweight sports car princi ple. All four expressed the soul of the MX-5, differing only in the details. And there was one winner…

offset the modest tipping of the scales. Among the first thing buyers noticed was the absence of the first generation’s round pop-up headlights.

Its new fixed oval headlamps were just one of several modi-fications to the MX-5’s trademark flowing lines and rounded edges. Overall, the NB had a more toned and muscular ap-pearance, as if that cute little two-seater had filled out into a handsomer and more mature version of itself.

Its “eyes” and “mouth” remained inviting as ever, only with more purpose and function. Painted polypropylene plastic bumpers front and rear emphasised a more natural flow to the body while at the same time enhancing safety – and saving almost 2kg. In fact, the engineers and designers turned every aspect of the project into an exercise in trimming excess kilograms. Thanks to computing advances, Mazda was able to analyse every millimetre of the new model to ensure each component was as light as possible.

For example, the redesigned soft top was not only foolproof, but also weighed 1.3kg less despite having a defrosting glass rear window in place of the plastic original. The inner seat structure, meanwhile, cut 2.4kg. And getting rid of the pop-up headlights eliminated another 5.6kg along with the safety hazard they represented for pedestrians.

Although the MX-5’s rear-end design remained relatively unchanged, maintaining the distinctive oblong tail-lamp clusters, the European model now featured integrated fog lamps. In the front, a larger air intake improved cooling of the engines, which (alongside the entry-level 1.6) now included a more powerful 1.8-litre delivering 103kW/140PS at 6,500rpm and 162Nm of torque at 4,500rpm. While the aluminium powerplant frame remained the same as the first-generation, each engine component was subject to painstaking scrutiny and upgraded with new technology and materials whenever sensible.

These alterations included a new precision aluminium cylinder head to house the twin overhead camshafts. The intake port was placed in more of an upright posi tion, contributing to better airflow and improving combustion stability. But while many of the changes were small – Mazda had essentially got it right the first time – they all added up to more output and better fuel economy. And the aggregates remained straightforward, with no turbo or supercharger. »

THE NEW MX-5 HAD A MORE TONED AND MUSCULAR APPEAR-ANCE, AS IF THAT CUTE LITTLE TWO-SEATER HAD FILLED OUT INTO A HANDSOMER AND MORE MATURE VERSION OF ITSELF.

1997The start of WiFi consumer technology helps cut the tethers of wires, ushering in a new era of couch-based web surfing.

1998Stanford students Larry Page and Sergey Brin receive $100,000 in seed funding and incorporate a search engine company called Google.

1999Blackberry markets the first wireless email pager – the humble forerunner of today’s smartphone.

2000Big things really do come in small pack-ages after the arrival of the USB flash drive.

2001Attack of the pods! Apple introduces the first iPod, bringing portable digital music to the masses.

2002Sweeping was yester-day: The big brains at MIT invent the Roomba, a robotic vacuum.

2003The European Space Agency launches its first unmanned mission to Mars, while China sends its first manned spacecraft into orbit.

2004Facebook is founded, connecting “friends” around the globe.

19971998

19992000

20012002

2003

A TIMELINE OF INNOVATION

THE NEW MX-5: A NATURAL EVOLUTION

DESIGN:




1998-2005 MZR 1.6 (1998-2001) MZR 1.8 (1998-2001) MZR 1.6 (2001-2005) MZR 1.8 (2001-2005)

Displacement cm3 1,597 1,840 1,597 1,840

Transmission 5-speed manual 5-speed manual 6-speed manual

Max. power kW(PS)/rpm 81(110)/6,500 103(140)/7,000 81(110)/6,500 107(146)/7,000

Max. torque Nm/rpm 134/5,000 162/4,500 134/5,000 168/5,000

Top speed km/h 195 197 191 205 208

0-100km/h secs 9.7 8.5 9.7 8.5 8.4

Min. kerb weight kg 1,015 1,025 1,035 1,065 1,100

Length/width/height mm 3,975/1,680/1,225

Suspension (front & rear) Independent double wishbone

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS1998-2005

PRESERVING THE CHARM

The MX-5 NB also demonstrated Mazda’s increased commit-ment to safety. Besides the addition of a passenger airbag, the frame was upgraded to increase strength, adding rigid-ity that also improved the already exceptional handling.

Inside, the original MX-5’s cockpit feel lived on, ensuring the driver would feel close to the road. Designers sought to improve form and function, emphasising above all sight, sound and touch. The T-shape theme of the instrument panel made controls easier to see and thus operate. Most models also featured a new retractable wind-blocker behind the seats to prevent airflow turbulence when driving with the top down. This, too, made for a more comfortable and more enjoyable driving experience.

Starting at DM35,500 in Germany – just like the original – the MX-5 NB continued to be a people’s roadster, helping propel it to record-breaking heights. By May 2000, almost 532,000 first- and second-generation MX-5s had rolled off the assembly line at Mazda. At this point, Guinness World

Records officially certified the model as the best selling two-seater sports car in history.

A 2001 model upgrade saw mostly minor design changes, like a new front fascia with reshaped air intake, and head-lights and taillights slightly altered for a leaner look. Underneath the skin, variable valve timing and higher compression (10:1) boosted maximum output from the 1.8-litre to 107kW/146PS and 168Nm, and with it perfor-mance. Top speed on the new sport model with six-speed manual, sports suspension with special Bilstein dampers and high-performance tires on larger 16-inch wheels was raised to 208km/h. There was even a turbocharged 134kW/182PS MX-5 from the Mazdaspeed performance division, although this model was not available in Europe.

By 2004, overall global sales had surpassed 700,000 – over-whelming confirmation of the second-generation’s success. Having successfully avoided the generational dangers, Mazda’s development team – and the MX-5’s fundamental principle – were in a good position with an eye to future generations. ⁄⁄

INSIDE, THE ORIGINAL MX-5 COCKPIT FEEL LIVED ON IN THE NEW GENERATION, EN-SURING THE DRIVER WOULD FEEL CLOSE TO THE ROAD.

Intake and exhaust system enhancements hiked power output and torque: Both the 1.6 and 1.8 were smoother rev-ving and more efficient.

Handling, too, was quicker and more responsive: lock-to-lock took only 2.6 turns of the steering wheel.

Safety: The NB MX-5 featured a

highly rigid body structure, seat

belts with preten-sioners and dual

SRS airbags.

The precise, short throws of

the improved M-type five-speed

manual would prove delightful to MX-5 owners

everywhere.


BY MAY 2000, ALMOST 532,000 FIRST- AND SECOND-GENERATION MX-5s HAD ROLLED OFF THE ASSEMBLY LINE AT MAZDA. AT THIS POINT THE MODEL WAS OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED BY GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS AS THE BEST SELLING TWO-SEATER SPORTS CAR IN HISTORY.

Fith its round corners, pop-up headlamps, all-around light-ness, and a facial expression that sticks in the mind like a

classic radio hit, the first-generation model was an instant sensation. Affor-dable, reliable and a blast to drive, it broke the mould, laying out a blueprint for enduring success.

For Mazda’s designers and engineers, 1989 capped a decade of development and innovation, nurturing an idea sketched on a chalkboard by Bob Hall a decade earlier. The very first Mazda MX-5 production model was about to hit showroom floors. At the time, many were sceptical that a lightweight two-seater could be commercially viable as more buyers sought practicality over style. Indeed, it was an unconventional car for a conventional world. »

W



Back when it all began,with a dream of a new breed of affordablesports car built fordriving enthusiasts

Generation oneThe birth of

an icon


The naysayers couldn’t have been more wrong. The MX-5’s daring design and innovative engineering, with a (smallish) front engine and rear-wheel drive layout, rewrote the book of what a successful sports car should be.

Fun to drive with irresistibly charming looks, legions of fans immediately lined up to buy one when it made its debut in 1989, first as the Miata in North America and then as the Eunos Roadster in Japan before arriving in Europe in 1990. Originally forecasting modest sales, Mazda had a hit on its hands from day one, selling not a few hundred units a month but rather several thousand.

Flowing lines

Unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show in February 1989, the MX-5 diverged from other two-seaters of time – rare as they were – like the Toyota MR-2, the soon-to-disappear Fiat X-1/9 and the North America-only Pontiac Fiero. Neither mid-

1989British computer sci-entist Tim Berners-Lee writes a proposal for what would become the World Wide Web.

1990 Launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, which would provide detailed images of deep space and an even deeper understanding of our place in the universe.

1991 A University of Helsinki student named Linus Torvald invents Linux, the open source com-puter code that has become the backbone of the internet.

1992 Short Message Service (SMS), also known as texting, is developed by British engineer Neil Papworth.

1993The MP3 digital audio format is invented, marking the beginning of the end for the reign of the compact disc.

1994Ericsson develops Bluetooth wireless technology, launching a cordless and (more importantly) hands-free revolution for data exchange.

1995DVDs are launched in Japan, changing how we watched home vi-deos, while the world’s first web-based phone company makes free long-distance calls a reality.

1996Never get lost again: The world’s first com-mercial GPS navigation system is launched.

19891990

19911992

19931994

19951996

A TIMELINEOF INNOVATION

engined nor square and wedgy, the MX-5 featured roun-ded aerodynamic lines that would usher in a new age of auto motive design. And it would prove far and away more popular than any of them before or since.

A little less than four metres in length, the MX-5 certainly wouldn’t be described as roomy. But that was by design. The smaller, the better, thought its architects. No space wasted. Moreover, it was the incarnation of Jinba Ittai: “rider and horse as one body”.

Mazda got it right off the hop. The “NA”, as the first generation is also known, brilliantly embodied the idea of a traditional roadster, only for a new age. Its design was beautifully minimalist and its engineering masterful, with a perfect combination of power, handling, fuel efficiency and reliability, too – something 1960s and 1970s roadster fans certainly would appreciate.

Tipping the scales at 955kg, Mazda’s design team overcame one of the biggest obstacles in reviving the lightweight roadster: modern safety regulations.

What the first MX-5 so

brilliantly embodied was the

idea of a traditional roadster,

but for a new age. Its design

was beautifully minimalist

and its engineering masterful,

with a perfect combination of

power, handling, fuel efficiency

and reliability, too.


††††††

Costing DM35,500 in Germany and around $14,000 in the U.S. at its launch, the MX-5 was affordable, too. Under its aluminium hood, the 1.6-litre inline four- cylinder offered plenty of pep. Able to summon 115PS and 135Nm of torque, the MX-5’s oomph-factor owed much to the B6-ZE engine’s modern electronic fuel injection and ignition systems. The 1.6 featured a specially-built lightweight crankshaft and sump with cooling fins. A special cylinder head and double-overhead camshafts unleashed more power at a wider engine range, and the powerplant happily revved right up to its 7,000rpm redline.

The MX-5 was both quick off the line, able to go from zero to 100km/h in 8.8 seconds, and responsively swift on the open road. A unique exhaust system, designed to provide an especially throaty engine roar, also gave it a bark to match the deliciously fun bite it delivered on a winding highway.

Exhilarating through and through, the NA’s Jinba Ittai handling and responsiveness was attributable to its low centre of gravity and a near ideal balance. The latter was achieved by the front-midship placement of the

Nobody could anticipate just how popular the MX-5 would be when it was first launched. Mazda initially forecast total annual sales of 40,000 units, but it soon became blatantly clear this simply wasn’t enough. In Japan, for example, the expected turn over of a few hundred per month met with demand in the thousands. In Europe, meanwhile, independent importers were snapping up Miata-badged versions from North America and selling them at drasticmark-ups. And when the MX-5 did go on sale in Germany in 1990, the annual allotment of 2,000 vehicles was sold out within days.

* Includes 12 prototypes made in 1988

engine between the driver and front axle, and the four-way independent double wishbone suspension. Add to that its five-speed manual with a short, high-mounted lever and precise gear travel along with direct steering and lightweight alloy wheels, and the MX-5 was truly a work of automotive art – as confirmed by the growing masses of adorers.

With a winner on their hands from day one, developers did not stray far from the original recipe in 1994 when the MX-5 was given an upgrade. A more powerful 131PS 1.8-litre engine was added featuring updates like a lighter flywheel, and the car’s already exceptional rigidity was also improved. Safety, too, was enhanced with side impact bars, ABS and airbags available in some markets. But the design and suspension remained virtually unchanged.

Throughout its first eight years, the MX-5 remained an ex-hilarating drive that didn’t break the bank account. By the time Mazda began phasing out the first generation in 1997, the MX-5 was well on its way to setting a new standard of success for a sports car. And it blazed the trail for the myriad of successes to follow. ⁄⁄

DEMAND AND SUPPLY

THREE GENERATIONS, ONE ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY03

Australia 4,510

U.S.A.212,561

Canada16,644

Japan118,325

Europe66,671

TOTAL PRODUCTION431,544*


The MX-5 was, in a nutshell, a blast

to drive, with Jinba ittai handling

and responsiveness attributable to its

low centre of gravity and nearly ideal

balance. Add to that its compact five-

speed manual, short, high-mounted lever

and precise gear travel along with the

direct steering, and the MX-5 was truly

a work of automotive art.


1.6 (1989-98) 1.8 (1994-98)


Transmission 5-speed manual

Max. power kW(PS)/rpm 85(115)/6,500 96(130)/6,500

Max. torque Nm/rpm 135/5,500 152/5,000

Top speed km/h 195 197

0-100km/h secs 8.8 8.2

Min. kerb weight kg 955 990

Length/width/height mm 3,975/1,675/1,230

Suspension (front & rear) Independent double wishbone

TECHNICALSPECIFICATIONS

1989-1998

Rotary engines are well suited to burning hydrogen, which is why the hydrogen-powered MX-5 prototype used a modified RX-7 engine. The fuel was stored in aluminium canisters located in the boot. Performance was reduced in the name of efficiency, with a 0-100km/h sprint time of 13 seconds and 150km/h max. speed.

This year-long test project was con-ducted with Japan’s Ministry of Inter-national Trade & Industry and Nippon Steel Corporation.

16 nickel cadmium batteries (stored

ALTERNATIVEENERGIESUNDER THE

MX-5 BONNET

With 16 nickel cadmium batteries (stored in the engine bay and the boot) providing current to an electric AC motor, this MX-5 had a maximum range of more than 170km. Adding 450kg, the car now weighed 1,410kg, which of course affected performance: 0-100km/h in 21.5 seconds and a top speed of not quite 130km/h.

Three prototypes were built in the early 1990s in collaboration with the Chugoku Electric Power Company.

MX-5 HYDROGEN ROTARY THE ELECTRIC MX-5

The MX-5 is normally

associated with peppy

petrol power, but back

in the 1990s, Mazda

tested some unconven-

tional prototypes.


The seed was planted in 1979 at Mazda headquarters in Hiroshima by an automotive journalist named Bob Hall.

“Hall-san, what sort of car should we build next?” asked Kenichi Yamamoto, then head of R&D at Mazda, during a conversation in conference room 401. “An inexpensive sports car,” answered Hall, an American who had been brought up around MGs, Lotuses and Triumphs. He loved them, but was irri-tated by their poor reliability. “A sim-ple, bugs-in-the-teeth, wind-in-the-hair, classically-British roadster.” Hall made a rudimentary sketch of an open-top two seater on a chalkboard, and it struck a chord with the Mazda execu-tive. A process was set in motion.

It would be a long process, however, before the global premiere of the first Mazda MX-5 production model at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show. There would be a lot of persuading to do. The number crunchers at Mazda were opposed: niche models, after all, are uneconomical.

But the advocates of such a vehicle knew what they wanted and thought it could make money. Above all, the car would have to be lightweight (the engineers’ motto for the project was “LWS” for lightweight sports car). It needed sufficient power to be fun. It needed to sound good. And, of course, it had to look beautiful. At the inner core of the little roadster was

the traditional Japanese Jinba Ittai concept of “rider and horse as one”. This is at the source of the fun-to-drive qualities that would make the little roadster such a success.

Backing a winnerThe parameters were set, but it would not be until Yamamoto’s 1984 pro-motion to president of Mazda Motor Corporation that the project got the support it needed. An internal compe-tition was held to determine what kind of lightweight sports car it was going to be. Three formats came into con-sideration: front engine, front-wheel drive (FF); mid-engine, rear-wheel drive (MR); and front engine, rear-wheel drive (FR).

By this time, passenger cars around the world were moving en masse to FF layouts. Although considered by many to be the antithesis of a true sports car, FF’s big advantages were the fle-x ibility of engine-drivetrain combina-tions as well as the ease and cost- effectiveness of building such a car. The MR layout, meanwhile, was a darling of racing and exotic sports car enthusiasts for its superior driv-ing dynamics. It also allowed an FF powertrain to be adapted with relative ease. Then, of course, there was the classic FR sports car: like many of Hall’s British two-seaters, something for purists.

Styling proposals for all three were submitted by three Mazda studios, two in Japan and one in California. In 1984, the FR concept designed at the latter was chosen, true to the spirit of the original roadsters.

Resources were limited. After all, the anticipated production volumes did not justify a major development outlay. Particularly for an engine. A rotary was not considered for cost reasons and also because its output meant it was earmarked for bigger, pricier models. Power, like many other components, would have to come off the volume parts shelf. The 16-valve 1.6-litre from the front-wheel drive Mazda 323 seemed promising for a small, light and affordable car.

Details, detailsUntil they turned it 90 degrees to in-stall it longitudinally for the FR layout and realised that the protruding distri-butor interfered with the firewall. The problem was solved with some clever engineering and a little cash, but was symbolic of the sort of obstacles the development team would have to overcome.

In any case, the engineers trans-formed the sedan engine into a rev-happy sports car powerplant with a 7,000rpm redline and a smooth engine power curve all the way up. Then they taught it how to growl like a roadster should. And transferred the 115PS to the real wheels using the five-speed manual from the Mazda RX-7, also an FR sports car.

The suspension in the first running prototype – the “V705” built in 1985 – was patched together from older Mazdas. However, it was deemed unacceptable for the kind of hand-ling and refinement developers were aiming for. With no suitable version in Mazda’s parts bin – the RX-7’s was too big – one would have to be designed from scratch. »

The Mazda MX-5: Today a household

word among car en-thusiasts across the

globe. Back in 1979, however, what would

become the world’s favourite sports

car was little more than an idea.

The famous sketch made in 1979 by Bob Hall during a conversation at Mazda with Kenichi Yamamoto, then Mazda’s R&D chief.

The shape of the third prototype, built in 1986, was already quite close to the production model.

The two other designs were two-seater coupes:

one with front engine and front-wheel drive...

An internal competition was held in 1984 to determine the look of Mazda’s future

lightweight sports car. The winner was the front engine, rear-wheel drive design from

the U.S. studio: The open-top two seater shown here with a detachable hardtop.

…and the other with a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive

layout. They were the work of two Japanese studios.

THE REBIRTH OF THE ROADSTER

62 63

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A double wishbone setup was chosen for all four wheels for its superior dynamics. Not the simplest solution, but the most desirable under the cir-cumstances. The engineers also added a power plant frame to rigidly connect the transmission and differential, mak-ing the car adapt to the driver’s com-mands faster and with more precision. Enhancing the sports car feel, this would become an essential technical element of the MX-5.

Overcoming the oddsThe body, meanwhile, owes much to computer analysis technology, since it allowed the undermanned development team to come up with a lightweight yet rigid shell that would meet the latest safety require-ments. Toshihiko Hirai, a relatively young Mazda engineer who became programme manager in early 1986, happened to be a body engineering expert. His recognition of the potential of computer-aided design and engi-neering – something that didn’t exist in the 1970s as lightweight sports cars were being regulated into extinction – significantly accelerated development of the MX-5.

Indeed, weight is the single most important trait of the MX-5. The engineers stripped off everything that was unnecessary, restraining their

customary desire for more features and more output. This minimalist approach was, in fact, a key element of the little roadster’s fun-to-drive character, which was founded neither on big horsepower nor fancy engine control technology.

By this point, however, there were still doubts as to whether the MX-5 would ever reach production. Was there really a market for a light-weight sports car? To test this, a full-scale plastic body prototype was built and brought to the U.S., where it was shown to a selected group of car enthusiasts in spring 1987.

They were thrilled. The overwhelm-ing response from a group of experts in the world’s largest automobile market resonated with Mazda decision-makers.

By April 1988, there were 12 MX-5 prototypes in the U.S. Enamoured with the car’s short shift stroke and direct steering, the few journalists who were lucky enough to test drive them that summer demanded that Mazda builds this car.

Mazda did, unveiling the production version in February 1989 in Chicago. The global rollout that began soon thereafter was a smashing success, and the rest is history. The history of a legend.

The near-extinction of a sports car

After their heyday in the 1960s, a combination of events would lead to the decline of the attractive, afford able roadster.

Regulatory issues played a major role, especially in the U.S. The double whammy of stricter safety and emis-sions laws in the 1970s forced sports car makers to add weight while reduc ing engine output. There were even fears that convertibles would be banned entirely in this all-important market. And then there were the much-reported build quality and reliability problems with these types of cars, along with a lack of investment into de-velopment. All of this was exacerbated by deep financial troubles facing many of their manufacturers at a time in which the global automobile industry was undergoing major consolidation. The fate of the open-top sports car appeared to be sealed. And then along came Mazda…

The fibreglass-bodied prototype shown during a customer test clinic held in California in 1987 was an overwhelming hit.

Interview:Takao Kijima The Engineer

Takao Kijima was in charge of chassis development for the first-generation MX-5 and programme manager of the second- and third-generation models.

What type of cars did you like in the 1980s?“The second-generation RX-7. I deve - l oped the suspension for that car, and I put a great deal of passion into it because I was determined to surpass Porsche…”

Why was the image of Jinba Ittai cho-sen as the inspiration for the MX-5?“Our aspiration was to create a one-of-a-kind fun sports car that moves exactly the way you expect it to, just like your hands and feet. In the pro-duct development process we came to focus on this idea of Jinba Ittai. It’s an expression that comes from a tradi-tional Japanese ritual of horseback archery and was used to describe a masterful performance in which the horse and rider seem to literally be-come one body and move as a unified whole. We thought that if we could create a similar relationship between the car and its driver, it would surely be a fun car. We defined this philoso-phy as Jinba Ittai and personified it in the MX-5.”

Why has a moderately powered engine always been part of the MX-5 concept?“We want the car to move exactly as the driver expects, so the amount of power must be easy to manage. More power does not necessarily mean more fun. The agility of the car comes for the most part from how light it is. If you have more power output, you end up needing bigger brakes and a stiffer body. As a result, the car gets heavier and duller.”

How can such a car remain so exceptional for so long? “This model is still unique because we have never forgotten that the MX-5’s appeal is its Jinba Ittai feel, so we have consistently kept it lightweight and agile. Such a car is simply unique.”

What is your fondest memory of driving an MX-5? “The greatest appeal of an open-top car is how it lets you feel at one with nature. Any time you drive the MX-5 through the countryside, you’re creating a fantastic memory. For me, crossing the Alps out of Austria was very special. I also have many great memories of driving through very picturesque locations all around the

world, such as Hawaii, during product launch events.”

How is it possible to remain faithful to the basic principles of the car with today’s regulatory constraints con-cerning things like safety and CO2 emissions?“What is the goal for the technology you are developing? This is the ques-tion an engineer faces. In the case of the MX-5, there are many elements threatening the Jinba Ittai concept that is so important to our customers. Such as safety features, the need to meet environmental standards, and so on. Our mission as engineers is to make the necessary technological breakthroughs that will enable us to keep delivering Jinba Ittai despite these difficulties. At Mazda we are lucky enough to have engineers with the skill and vision to achieve this as well as the necessary support from all levels of the organisation. That is why the MX-5 remains such a winner.” ⁄⁄

Back in the eighties, Takao Kijima doing some benchmark testing in California.

The three programme managers who perpetuated the soul and spirit of the MX-5.

T. KIJIMA T. HIRAI N. YAMAMOTO

THE REBIRTH OF THE ROADSTER03



Lotus and Triumph sketched the blueprint for the affordable British roadster. And Mazda’s engineers revived it – enduringly.

To appreciate where the concept of the Mazda MX-5 originated, you have to travel back in time to the

post-Second World War era, when roads were empty, fuel was cheap and for many, freedom was an open-top British roadster.

In the late 1940s and 1950s, illustri-ous names like Austin-Healey, Jaguar, Lotus, MG and Triumph were honing their sports car-building skills. And by the 1960s, machines like the

Lotus Elan and Triumph Spitfire were bringing driving thrills to the masses. They were affordable, light, nimble and loads of fun. Drivers the world over yearned to slide down into the cockpit of a British roadster, drop the roof and motor away into the sunset.

Move ahead to the 1970s, and destiny would start taking its toll on the con-vertible culture. There were several factors, like the oil crisis and crash safety legislation that regulated some models literally off the road. The

LOTUS ELAN (original model)

Produced: 1962-73

The Elan followed the minimalist philosophy of its

creator, Colin Chapman, to reduce weight rather

than add power.

TRIUMPH SPITFIREProduced: 1962-80

Would prove exceptionally popular after following the Austin-Healey Sprite on to the fledgling market for small, inexpensive roadsters.

MAZDA MX-5 NAProduced: 1989-98

Brought open top two-seater fun into the modern age for a new generation of motorists.

de pendability of these British models, meanwhile, had become a running gag.

Nevertheless, people still remem-bered those roadsters fondly. Mazda even built one called the MX-5, making it lightweight, fun and at the same time ultra-reliable. And they did such a good job that it’s become the world’s bestselling two-seater sports car ever. Returning the favour after 25 years, the MX-5 is now influencing British sports cars. ⁄⁄

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MAZDA MX-5

Now in its fourth generation, the most successful roadster ever (third generation pictured here) still has a bright road in front of it.

FRONTLINE MG LE50Launched: 2011

It looks like a restored MGB GT, but is in fact an all-new model with a modern MX-5 engine and gearbox.

MORGAN 3 WHEELERLaunched: 2011

Just as Mazda reinvented the roadster, so Morgan reinvented its 3 Wheeler, which is based on the 1920 Morgan Super Aero.

These two British sports cars have more in common with the Mazda MX-5 than meets the eye: The MG LE50 and

Morgan 3 Wheeler both use MX-5 components.

The Morgan Motor Company turned to Mazda for a gearbox because, as the former said, nothing else came close to offering the lightweight engineering and perfect operation of the MX-5 drivetrain. Resurrected in 2011, the 550kg 3 Wheeler carries on Morgan’s lightweight tradition. Based on Mor-gan “cyclecars” built for nearly half a century before production ceased in the 1950s, driving one is like piloting an early fighter plane. Vintage motor-ing attire such as goggles, gloves and a scarf are obligatory. The steering wheel rests in the lap of the driver, whose elbow hangs outside the cabin,

and the guttural V-twin engine growls like, well, a 2-litre V-twin. But amid all these historical sensations is the re-assuringly smooth and direct-shifting five-speed from the MX-5.

The MG LE50 also features an MX-5 manual (a six-speed) connected to a specially tuned 160kW/218PS version of the MZR 2.0 engine from the cur-rent MX-5. The gearbox was chosen for being advanced, proven and reliable, but also because it weighs only 85kg. All this has been packaged by Frontline Developments into a new MGB GT body shell from British Motor Heritage, seam-welded for more stiff-ness. But the LE50 retains the charm of the original MGB GT, a hatchback coupé built from 1965 to 1980. With a little help from Mazda, it and the Mor-gan 3 Wheeler are alive and well, and back on the road in the 21st century. ⁄⁄

Who’s inspiring whom? The MX-5 has come full circle, helping a couple of British classics adapt

to the modern age.Hired by Bob Hall (right), Tom was the design chief who helped create the template for what would become the world’s favourite roadster.

“It was my job to take the concept of a lightweight sports car and make it reality. When people ask me if I ever expected the MX-5 to still be around some 25 years later, I have to reply: ‘If you want me to be truthful, well, yes.’ That’s because when I originally set out to design the MX-5 almost 30 years ago, I designed not one, but three genera-tions of the roadster. I felt at the time that it was important to show how the car would evolve and develop over its lifetime — a lifetime that was meant to be 25 years. Back then I didn’t get the chance to imagine a fourth-generation MX-5, but make no mistake, I knew even early on that I was working on something that would one day become a legend. I have not been disappointed.”

Bob Hall was the product planner for the MX-5 and the man who first sold the idea of a lightweight sports car to Mazda.

“I cannot say I was certain the MX-5 would be around for a quarter of a century, but I was positive the idea had legs because the concept of a lightweight sports car was then – and still is now – both relevant and desirable. Of course, the car’s been part of my life for much longer, ever since April 1979 with my scribble on a chalkboard at Mazda’s Hiroshima headquarters for Kenichi Yamamoto [then head of R&D and later Mazda president]. And the reason for its longevity? Simple, unlike the ’62 MGB that stayed in pro-duction for 18 years, Mazda had the foresight to keep the car up to date rather than just working with the old bones. It proves what you can do when you start with a good idea and have even better people to implement it.” ⁄⁄

Tsutomu “Tom” MatanoThe Architect

Bob HallThe Visionary

MATANO

Left BMW for Mazda, where he designed the MX-5, MPV, MX-6 and third-generation RX-7. Today he owns an MX-5 (NA) as well as an RX-7.

HALL

The former journalist’s sketch and conversation with a senior Mazda executive got him hired to help create the world’s most popular sports car.

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The two men who are the “fathers” of the original project to revive the lightweight sports car: Tom Matano and Bob Hall.


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DESIGNING AN ICON04

DESIGN HISTORY

THROUGHOUT FOUR GENERATIONS

AND MORE THAN 25 YEARS, THE MX-5’S

DESIGN HAS BEEN ONE OBVIOUS DRIVER

OF ITS ONGOING SUCCESS. IT’S AMONG

THE MAIN REASONS THIS CAR BECAME

SUCH AN ICON. FROM THE TIP OF ITS

FRONT BUMPER TO ITS TAIL LAMPS,

WHICH WERE EVEN FEATURED IN

THE NEW YORK MUSEUM OF MODERN

ART’S 1995 “MUTANT MATERIALS IN

CONTEM PORARY DESIGN” EXHIBIT.



What is your fondest memory of

designing the first-generation MX-5?

“It was around 1985 when I asked the

marketing team what the potential

sales volume for a lightweight sports

car was in Europe and the U.S. The

answer was zero for both markets.

The volume for that type of car in

Japan was 150 units per month, and

the typical buyers were people who

liked to be different. The facts spoke

clearly against mass producing a light-

weight sports car. However, I strongly

believed that such a vehicle must

have its proponents somewhere in the

world. Because I personally wanted to

drive one and feel the air in my face.

I was working on a prototype, mostly

in my spare time, and the then-general

manager of the R&D division I be-

longed to told me that I was spending

too much time on my hobby. So I

asked him for a budget and told

him that I would like to personally

survey con sumers in the U.S.

We shipped a plastic model to Califor-

nia and put it in the Anaheim Con-

vention Center. Then we conducted

a clinic with 350 randomly selected

people; 60 per cent liked the car and

80 per cent of those said they would

consider buying it. And they were

willing to pay $17,000 for it on average

– $5,000 more than what we were

estimating. When I brought this up at

a subsequent management meeting

and got a green light for the project, I

was in absolute heaven.”

THE DESIGN OF AN ICON03

Shunji Tanaka

Chief designer of the

1st generation MX-5

The details of the MX-5 design story

are fascinating. For example, can you

tell us why you changed the wheel-

base at an advanced stage in the

design process?

“The wheelbase was initially longer.

This was because the layout meant

that the only place we could put the

battery was in front of the back wheel.

I personally wanted to shorten the

wheelbase to improve the car’s overall

balance, which is also a good way to

lower weight. We ended up locating

the battery in the trunk and reducing

the wheelbase by 32mm.”

What is “Muromachi Dynamism”?

“That is the philosophy behind the

refined design of the original MX-5, a

philosophy we based on our image of

the Muromachi period, which was a

dynamic era in Japan’s history. Japan

began trading with the Europeans in

the 16th century, during the latter half

of this period. It was a time of provin-

cial wars in Japan, and also the time

when Japan began opening up to the

world. The huge cultural differences

with the Europeans prompted the

Japanese to look upon themselves as

a unique culture with its own unique

identity. I don’t think it would be too

much of an exaggeration to say that

the basis for modern Japanese culture

was formed during the Muromachi

period.”

What do you feel now when you

see an MX-5 on the street?

“I feel that I would like to have a car

like this. When you’re designing a

vehicle, your concept is based on this

vague image. And then you unleash

your imagination. You start visualising

beautiful scenery, and then a form

starts to appear that’s a perfect fit for

these surroundings. Occasionally I en-

counter an MX-5 in exactly the same

setting I had imagined for it. It gives

me a chill, but at the same time I’m in

absolute bliss and feel blessed - more

than a designer deserves.”

How do you define a classic car?

“Not by its age. What matters is

whether the passion of its creators

can outlive the era and if a car conti-

nues to appeal to successive genera-

tions on an emotional level.” ⁄⁄

Shunji Tanaka working

on the original MX-5

with his design team.

“This is the

car I want.”

What was your reaction when you

first saw a production version of the

first-generation MX-5?

“That I can’t wait to get one! The car

embodied the ideal shape of a light-

weight sports car. Its appeal is instant:

you immediately want to own one.”

What is your favourite version

of the NA?

“The earliest 1.6-litre model.

I used to have one.”

Why did the first-generation MX-5

become a design icon so quickly?

“Because it had a finely honed form

that was simple to understand. It

expressed the car‘s most important

attributes at first glance: lightweight

and easy to handle.”

What is it like as a designer to be

responsible for the evolution of

such a model?

“You can’t maintain the value of the

original simply by carrying over the

image or style of its design. You need

to carry over the spirit of the car. But

at the same time, you have to signifi-

cantly advance the expression of that

spirit and raise it to a level of an icon,

one that is capable of embodying the

brand. I see this as my duty.”

What are the character lines

that make an MX-5 immediately

recognisable?

“The oval-shaped silhouette is

the distinguishing feature. There

are no particular character lines.”

You are a motor sport fan and have

raced many MX-5s. What makes the

MX-5 so special on the track?

“It’s not the fastest car on the track,

but it’s so easy to manoeuvre and so

much fun to drive. You can always

learn more about driving from this

car, because if you want to pull off a

fast time, you need to have very good

technique.”

What was your involvement with

NA’s development?

“I was involved with advanced plan-

ning and design development for the

original MX-5. Starting from a com-

pletely blank slate, we defined Mazda’s

basic philosophy and spirit in regard

to lightweight sports cars.” ⁄⁄

Ikuo Maeda

Executive Officer &

General Manager,

Design Division

Ikuo Maeda is Mazda’s

global head of design. He

was in charge of the de-

sign teams that created

the RX-8 and Mazda2,

and also contributed to

the original MX-5.

“The car

embodied

the ideal

shape of a

lightweight

sports car.”

DESIGNING AN ICON04


Club Racer (USA)

Premiering at the Chicago Auto

Show alongside the original

production model, this shouty

bright yellow concept was a genuine

head-turner. Designed by Mazda

stylist Mark Jordan, the combination

of body changes from the production

model, including a six-inch spoiler

and recessed headlights under

plastic covers, and performance up-

grades like Bilstein shock absorbers

made it a winner with critics.

“Dee-Lish”, as U.S. magazine

Road & Track called it.

MAZDA’S DESIGNERS AND ENGINEERS HAVE

ALWAYS PUSHED THE LIMITS OF FORM AND

FUNCTION IN THE MX-5, WITH THE CREATIVE

WORLD OF CONCEPTS AS THEIR PLAYGROUND

OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS. SOMETIMES RADICAL,

THESE INTERPRETATIONS OF AN AUTOMOTIVE

LEGEND WERE NEVER BORING. SOME PAID HOMAGE

TO THE PAST, SOME TO THE WORLD OF MOTOR-

SPORT. AND YET OTHERS OFFERED MX-5 FANS

A HINT OF WHAT THE FUTURE COULD HOLD.

1989

1995

M Speedster (USA)

Built to demonstrate just how much

prowess could be housed under the

hood of a diminutive two-seater, this

concept featured a supercharged 200PS

1.8-litre engine. The upgraded suspen-

sion and braking along with 215/50 ZR15

tires with five-spoke alloy wheels helped

channel all that speed and torque into

an exhilarating driving experience.

Although universally praised at its

Chicago premier, the M Speedster’s

low profile racing-inspired design was

never translated into mass-production.

one concept at

a time

Exploring

the potential

DESIGNING AN ICON04


2003

1996

2004

2011

2012

2012

2010

2001

2000

Ibuki (Japan)

Meaning “to breathe new life” in Japanese,

the Ibuki rendition of the MX-5 was certainly

imbued with the spirit of regeneration when it

first appeared at the Tokyo Motor Show. The

only “pure” concept not based on an existing

MX-5, its flowing lines and lightweight mater-

ials foretold what was to come for production

models over the next decade. More than just a

pretty face, the futuristic 180PS 1.6-litre Ibuki

also featured an electric hybrid motor, regen-

erative braking and an idle-stop system.

M Coupe (USA)

Until this coupe appeared, all previous MX-5s – concepts

or production models – had been open-top or converti-

bles. Debuting at the New York Auto Show, the M Coupe

featured a fibreglass bubble roof and twin round pop-up

headlamps. Conceived by Tom Matano’s design team, MX-5

fans loved its sleek lines, and rumours swirled for years

that a production version would eventually hit showroom

floors. This finally happened in 2003, albeit in a very lim-

ited Japan-only version called the Roadster Coupe.

Roadster MPS (Japan)

A vision of the future of the MX-5, the Mazda

Performance Series concept incorporated the

best racing technology from Mazdaspeed, the

company’s high-performance arm. Featuring a

200PS 1,930cm3 engine, it foreshadowed perfor-

mance upgrades on future MX-5s. Developed

under the watch of Hirotaka Tachibana – one of

the engineers behind the famous RX-7 – the MPS

concept featured aluminium brake discs, adjustable

suspension and a heavily modified body.

2009

Superlight Version (Europe)

Unveiled 20 years after the first MX-5 shook up the in-

dustry, this striking roadster renounced the windshield,

making due with streamlined roll-bars to protect driver

and passenger. Designed at Mazda‘s European R&D

Centre in Oberursel, Germany, the Superlight’s MZR 1.8

delivered “only” 126PS. It was both nimble and quick,

however, thanks to its lightweight design (true to its

name at only 993kg) and high-performance powertrain

including Mazdaspeed cold-air intake and exhaust. MX-5 GT (UK)

To commemorate the MX-5’s participation in the British GT

Championship, designers of this 205PS looker took inspiration

from Mazda’s GT4 race car, which went head-to-head with Lotus

and Ferrari. Featuring an upgraded production model suspen-

sion that could be adjusted for different road conditions, the

GT thrilled the MX-5 fan base when it debuted at the Goodwood

Festival of Speed in England. The reaction prompted Mazda

to build the GT Jota, a custom-made version available only in

the UK.

Super25 (USA)

Another motorsport-inspired concept, the Super25 was

designed with endurance racing in mind, featuring PIAA

40 Series halogen lamps in the front for adverse driving

conditions, day or night. A Sparco racing seat, harness and

steering wheel rounded out the full competition experi-

ence. Unveiled at SEMA, the Super25 featured a cherry-

red body with black and white accenting and the number

“55” on its doors – a nod to the Mazda 787B’s historic

victory at Le Mans in 1991.

Super20 (USA)

No other MX-5 – production or concept – packed as

much punch as this brawny supercharged 2.0-litre

243PS Cosworth beauty. Also celebrating the 20th

anniversary of the groundbreaking two-seater, this

hardtop version with Mazdaspeed suspension and

coilover shocks could pull more than 1g on the skid-

pad. It also featured high-performance brakes and

a Racing Beat exhaust. The original matte carbon-

grey exterior with orange accents was updated for

the 2011 SEMA in orange with grey accents.

Spyder (USA)

With a lower profile and a wine-red soft top, this collaborative

effort by Mazda North American Operations Design and Magna

Car Top Systems was a perfect blend of form and function,

combining elegant yet aggressive lines with a lot more head-

room than you might think. Fuelled on isobutanol, a bio-fuel

from Mazda’s racing programme, the 2.0-litre Spyder embodied

Mazda’s pioneering design and engineering in other respects,

too, like with its Mazdaspeed suspension and lightweight

lithium battery specially designed for racing.

Roadster Coupe TS (Japan)

The design of the Coupe TS concept,

which debuted at the Tokyo Auto Salon,

tips its hat to the 1960s Abarth Clubman

racer series. Taking inspiration from clas-

sic Aston Martins and Fiats of that era,

Car and Driver hailed the TS as “argu-

ably the best-looking MX-5 to date.” Stiff

suspension and 1960s-style low seating

along with a roll-cage made this concept

a dream coupe for amateur racers. A light

blue version – the Circuit Trial – would

wow fans at the Salon the following year.

Mono-Posto (USA)

A single-seater (“monoposto” in Italian)

focused 100 per cent on the driver, this

concept was a radical expression of Mazda’s

Jinba Ittai rider-and-horse-as-one view of

driving. Its distinctly retro design featured

a hood air intake, a mini-windscreen and an

aluminium roll-bar. Under the hood, its

custom HKS-built turbocharger, intercooler,

intake and exhaust manifold delivered

190PS – a perfect fit for its North American

premiere at that year’s SEMA automotive

aftermarket show in Las Vegas.

DESIGNING AN ICON04


2005

1990

2006

1991

2007

1992

2008

1993

1999

2009

1994

2000

1995

2001

1996

2002

1997

2003

1998

2004

THERE HAS CERTAINLY BEEN NO

SHORTAGE OF SPECIAL EDITION

MX-5s OVER THE PAST 25

YEARS. WITH GOOD REASON:

IT SEEMS THE WORLD CAN’T

GET ENOUGH OF THEM. IN FACT,

MANY ARE SOUGHT-AFTER

COLLECTOR’S ITEMS TODAY.

HERE A GEO GRAPHIC AND

CHRONOLOGICAL SELECTION:

JAPAN

Ever since the

first exclusive

model was launched

in 1990, limited

editions have been

nowhere more abun-

dant than in Japan.

Particularly during

the Eunos-branded

first-generation.

1990

V Special featuring a

green exterior and a tan

interior, leather seats and

wooden Nardi steering

wheel and gearshift knob.

1991

J Limited with Sunburst

Yellow body paint (produc-

tion: 800).

1992

Sporty S Special with a

rear spoiler, strengthened

chassis, Bilstein dampers,

BBS aluminium wheels, and

a Nardi leather steering

wheel and gearshift knob.

1993

The J Limited II with yel-

low body paint and a black

windshield surround for a

sportier look (production:

800).

1993

S Limited with the S

Special chassis, black body

and a red interior (produc-

tion: 1,000).

1994

Special RS Limited with 15-

inch wheels, Recaro carbon

kevlar bucket seats and

deep blue-green body paint.

Based on the S Special

(production: 500).

1995

S Special-based R Limited

with red interior, navy blue

body and soft top, and 15-

inch wheels. Performance

was enhanced with a final

gear ratio of 4.300 (produc-

tion: 1,000).

1996

VR Limited Combination

A & B: Wine red with a beige

roof for the “A” and all dark

green for the “B” (produc-

tion: 700 & 800).

2000

The bordeaux and beige

NR Limited also came

with a six-speed gearbox

(production: 500).

1995

S Special Type II

with 15-inch BBS alloy

wheels.

1997

M Package-based

SR Limited with leather

and nubuck combination

bucket seats, extra chrome

and a Torsen limited-slip

differential (production:

700).

2000

All-black YS Limited

(production: 700)

2000

The RS (blue) and

RS II 1.8 (silver with red

interior) featured Bilstein

shocks, strengthened

brakes and extra body

reinforcement.

2001

An entry-level NR-A model

was added to line-up for

motor sport enthusiasts.

2001

Mazdaspeed Roadster

with four-stage adjustable

dampers and a special ex-

haust manifold and muffler

producing a sportier sound

(production: 200).

2001

Titanium grey MV Limited

(production: 300).

2002

SG Limited goes green

(production: 400).

2002

The VS included a Torsen

differential, Bose sound

system, and a wooden

steer ing wheel, gearshift

knob and handbrake grip.

2003

The made-to-order-only

Roadster Coupe Type A

had a classic racing car

look (production: 200).

2003

The elegant red Roadster

Coupe Type E (production:

150).

2004

The Roadster Turbo with

intercooler and six-speed

manual gearbox delivered

172PS and 20 per cent

extra torque (production:

300).

2006

Celebrating the 2005-06

prize, the Japan Car of the

Year Award Commemora-

tive Edition featured two

unique colour combina-

tions and a leather interior.

2006

Racing-inspired NR-A

with height-adjustable

Bilstein dampers and a

torque-sensing differential.

2007

The Prestige Edition

featuring leather uphol-

stery, heated seats and

stainless steel scuff plates.

2009

The RS-based Road-

ster 20th Anniver sary

came with red and

black Recaro bucket

seats and clear front

fog lamps.

2007

Blaze Edition with 17-inch

BBS alloy wheels.

BIG THINGS COME IN SMALL BATCHES

A limited number of MX-5 special editions were

developed under the charge of original concept

designer Masakatsu Kato at M2, Mazda’s custom

planning, research and development centre

in Japan.

Among the most sought after was the 1991

M2-1001 Cafe Roadster (300 units) with racing

inspired features like integrated fog lamps, a

four-point roll bar and an upgraded 1.6-litre deli-

vering 131PS. The M2-1002 (100 units) arrived in

1992 with an exclusive interior, followed in 1994

by the performance-tuned M2-1028 (300 units).

LIMITED EDITIONSJAPA

N

DESIGNING AN ICON04


UK, 1996

The 1.6 Monaco (racing green) was an inexpen-

sive no-frills version, while the 1.8 Merlot (wine)

went upscale with a grey leather interior and

wood-effect trim (production: 450 & 600).

UK, 2000

The counterpart to the Japan-market NR Limited,

the wine-red 1.8 Icon had a six-speed manual,

brown leather interior, polished 15-inch wheels

and a wooden steering wheel (production: 750).

France, 2012

Whether in Brilliant Black, Crystal White Pearl

or Velocity Red, every Racing by MX-5 model is

numbered (production: 25).

UK, 2014

The Sport Venture with 17-inch bright

alloy wheels and two all-new colours:

Titanium Flash and Deep Crystal Blue.

Germany, 2008

The Niseko was offered in an exclusive

light blue and other colours with a brown

leather interior and brown soft top.

EUROPE

….where many of

these limited and

special editions were

marketed in different

countries and under

different names.

Worldwide, 2005

The 3rd Generation Limited was

launched globally to commemorate

the all-new model (production: 3,500).

UK, 2013

The Sport Graphite came in Aquatic Blue or

Zeal Red with a Meteor Grey retractable hardtop,

black heated leather seats and 5.8-inch sat nav

(production: 500).

Italy, 2013

The MX-5 Cult also featured the 126PS 1.8

with 17-inch bright alloy wheels and three body

colours (production: 100).

Spain, 2004

The Heritage was offered with the 1.6 and 1.8, ex-

clusive 15-inch alloy wheels, beige leather seats,

and wood-finished steering wheel, gearshift knob

and handbrake lever.

France, 2011

Black by MX-5 with a sporty black interior and

black retractable hardtop to contrast the exterior

in Spirited Green, Velocity Red or Crystal White

Pearl (production: 20).

Germany, 2011

The Kaminari featured special rims, light

grey leather seats and exclusive body colours

(production: 900).

Worldwide, 1999

The 10th Anniversary Model, featuring a six-speed

manual and Innocent Blue exterior with black and

blue two-tone seats and a Nardi steering wheel

on the inside, was sold in Japan, North America,

Europe and Australia (production: 7,500).

UK, 2000

A classic in Sunburst Yellow and special

wheels, the California was based on the

standard 1.6 model (production: 500).

Spain, 2012

The Sport-Tech Roadster Coupe 1.8 with 17-inch

light gunmetal alloy wheels, Havana Brown

leather seats and piano black dashboard finish.

Europe, 2010

Based on the 1.8 soft top, the 20th Anniversary

Edition was offered in the three colours of

the original NA with 17-inch wheels, a front

suspen sion bracing bar and chrome highlights.

DESIGNING AN ICON04

2005

2006

2007

2008

1999

2009

2010 20

11 2012 20

13 2014

2000 20

01

1996

2002

1997

2003

1998

2004

LIMITED EDITIONS

EUROPE

THE MAZDA MX-5

25TH ANNIVERSARY

Available exclusively in Soul Red

Metallic, the 25th Anniversary

Edition is based on the 2.0-litre

Roadster Coupe model. Special

details include the retractable roof,

A-pillars and door mirror housings

in Brilliant Black, off-white leather

upholstery and door trim, a hand-

finished decorative dashboard

panel, Bilstein shocks and 17-inch

dark gunmetal alloy wheels

(worldwide production: 1,099).

Spain, 2014

The Sakura Roadster Coupe with

Alpine navigation system and 6.1-inch

screen, beige and black leather seats,

and silver side mirrors.


FOLLOWING IN THE TRACKS OF

BRITISH ROADSTER CULTURE IN A

FIRST-GENERATION MX-5: MAZDA’S

ORIGINAL TWO-SEATER SET OUT

ON AN UNFORGETTABLE 700 MILE

(1,120KM) EXPEDITION THROUGH THE

UK. THE THREE-DAY TRIP TOOK THE

LONG WAY FROM THE SOUTHAMPTON

AREA UP INTO WALES BEFORE

RETURNING BACK THROUGH ENGLAND

TO GOODWOOD, A GRAIL OF THE

MOTORING WORLD.

THE VIEW FROM OUT THERE05

RoadTripBack To roadster country

83


2 SEATER 3 DAY TRIP 700 MILES 1996 NA MODEL 1.8 L ENGINE& 225,000 KM

NA and B-roads

But which MX-5 shall it be? The choice was a Japan import Eunos Roadster – as first-generation MX-5s were called in the domestic market – in top-of-the-line V Special Type II special edition format. It’s a 1.8-litre 1996 NA model with a Torsen limited-slip differential and a respectable 225,000km on the clock, but still in excellent condition. The black paintwork and chrome wheels and mirrors were polished up, and the car didn’t miss a beat mechanically, either. The heater even worked like new – no small detail in winter. This model was borrowed from Autolink, a company located near Southampton that specialises in parts for second-hand Japanese cars and specifically MX-5s. And that was where the journey began. »

Britain certainly offered the ideal conditions for inventing the roadster. Who else could have come up with such cars if not a country with plenty of hills and even more motor sport fans, where each

rare moment of sun is something to be cherished? History may have doomed most local manufacturers, but the MX-5 is keeping their spirit alive. And what better way to pay homage to the roots of the roadster than to take a trip along the splendid country roads of England and Wales? With no less than Goodwood – a Mecca for car legends – as the final destination. The MX-5 should be right at home.

The roads in roadster: winding, empty and breathtaking.

The B4520 near Upper Chapel in the Mynydd Eppynt area,

a name that means “mountain horse path” in Welsh.

Arriving in a mystic landscape of the Black Mountain range between Brynamman and Llangadog. The weather? As expected.

An overcast day on the A40/A470 from Llandovery through Brecon and the wonderful Brecon Beacons to Builth Wells.


MAZDA MX-5 | 4 GENERATIONS MAGAZINE86

peaks reaching almost 900m above sea level. It was at times easy to forget that such breathtaking scenery, reminiscent of Patagonia or New Zealand, could be within such close reach of the rest of the UK: It’s only 60km north of Cardiff, the Welsh capital.

Also called the Welsh Lake District, the region features rolling countryside and windy roads with sparse traffic, but is also impeccably clean and therefore as loved by walkers, hikers, photographers and even stargazers as it is by motoring enthusiasts. A jaunt down to Aberystwyth and the Irish Sea coast followed before steering the MX-5 back into the hills of interior Wales. The time behind the wheel went by incredibly fast and it was soon time to return. But at least there was another 300km-plus of B-road fun to look forward before reaching Goodwood. ⁄⁄

The atmosphere in the cabin? Fittingly retro, with high-end brown leather upholstery, a beautiful three-spoke metal and wood Nardi steering wheel, elegant wooden gear shift knob and hand brake lever, and door panels featuring extra tweeters and metal protective plates. A Pioneer stereo with cassette and CD player, a bar behind the seats reinforcing the body’s stiffness and metal door sill guards rounded out this model’s original special equipment.

Unsurprisingly, the car was a pleasure to drive, with perfect pedals and fast shifting along with the engine response and handling required for a truly sporty road experience. And a soft top that was quick and easy to put down. Or up again in the not-so-seldom case of showers. (It is Britain, after all.)

The roads are amazing around the Brecon Beacons, a mountain range and national park in south Wales with

It was at times easy to forget that such breathtaking scenery, reminiscent of Patagonia or New Zealand, could be within such close reach of the rest of the UK.

Clichés of the magnificent sort: Lakes, green hills and sheep in the rugged Towy Forest at Llyn Brianne, a reservoir on the way from Aberystwyth to Llandovery.

From Rhayader on the B4518 along the Elan River valley to the Caban-coch reservoir...

…and the neighbouring Garreg-ddu reservoir. Construction of the Elan River dams that created these reservoirs began in 1893.

The final destination (pictured to the left):the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex, home of the annual Festival of Speed. The estate is run by the Earl of March, who is also president of the British Automobile Racing Club and no stranger to British roadster culture.

Heading north on the A470 from Builth Wells to Rhayader.


87

88 89

“A simple and truthful machine meant for play.” Motor Magazine, Poland

The MX-5 has always been a favourite with journalists. The vast majority have been enthusiastic from the very

beginning, especially after testing the car. Admittedly, being fun to drive, reliable and affordable, the MX-5 has always held some very strong cards. A brief tour of the media’s perspective on the world’s most famous roadster.

“Brilliant!”Autocar, UK (on the cover)

“Why buy it? Just try it and you’ll fall in love. And it’s also very reliable.”L’argus, France

“It can be considered one of the best cars ever.”Automóvil, Spain

“The MX-5 is for all the other roadsters as Coca-Cola® is for all the other colas.” AutoFoco SportsCars, Portugal

“Diamonds Are Forever.”Diario Digital, Portugal

Ein Roadster nach Reinheits- gebot

Neuer Mazda MX-5

VERGESSEN SIE’S. Diese Ge-schichte wird kein objektiver Bericht. Denn ich bin hem-mungslos parteiisch. Ich halte

den MX-5 für eines der größten Spaß-geräte auf vier Rädern, seit ich 1990 den ersten besessen habe. Oder der mich. Als ich jetzt den neuen, vierten MX-5 gefahren habe, war ich erneut sprachlos. Mazda hat seine Ikone radi-kal umgekrempelt und doch wieder das gleich faszinierende Auto gezau-bert – einen Roadster reinsten Wassers.

Offen gestanden, das Design des Neuen verlangt Gewöhnung, denn mit der Historie brechen diese Linien kom-plett. Da blitzen zusammengekniffene LED-Augen (Serie), die Kotflügel schwin-gen steil und bügelfaltig hoch wie in den 60ern. Schmale Rückleuchten und stäm-mige Proportionen erinnern aus man-chem Winkel an den Jaguar F-Type. So englisch war der MX-5 noch nie.

Die Frontscheibe rückte sieben Zentimeter nach hinten, die Insassen hocken mittig zwischen den Kotflügel-

wellen, wo die Frischluft um das win-zige Dreiecksfenster vorn am Außen-spiegel tobt. Mit Seitenscheiben oben und Windschott ist der Scheitel hin, mit Fenstern unten die ganze Frisur.

So soll’s sein. Schließlich haben Mazdas Roadster-Weise die reine Lehre befolgt: Leicht sei das Auto, hautnah und echt. Sie haben den Roadster um zehn Zentimeter gekürzt, die Basis-version um 82 auf unter 1000 Kilo ab-gespeckt, nahe am Traumgewicht des Urmodells von 1989 (930 Kilo).

Der neue 1.5er muss fleißig drehen und liefert seine 131 PS weit oben bei kreischenden 7000 Touren ab. Erst bei 7500 lässt er die Rollläden fallen, muss also mit den sechs Gängen (jetzt im-mer Serie) bei Laune gehalten werden. Mazda verspricht gute 8,5 Sekunden bis Tempo 100 und 200 km/h Spitze, warten wir die Homologation ab. Die Schaltwege sind wieder ultrakurz, nur zwischen den engen Gassen kann man sich schon mal verheddern. Der große Vorteil des Zweiliter-Motors mit

„Besser hätte Mazda die Neuauflage des MX-5 kaum gelingen können! Klein, leicht, gierig – ein Volltreffer.“

Ja, ein bisschen Jaguar F-Type lässt

sich erkennen. Na und? Der MX-5

besticht ja nicht nur optisch ...

Wie es sich für so einen puristischen

Roadster gehört, klappt das kleine Stoff-

käppi von Hand

77AUTOBILD.DE 6. FEBRUAR 2015

76AUTOBILD.DE 6. FEBRUAR 2015

Eingerichtet ist der Zweisitzer ge-wohnt sachlich, erstmals mit lackier-ter Fensterbrüstung – als fließe das Blech ins Innere. Der Drehzahlmesser steht mittig, der Tacho klein daneben. Die Sitze platzieren den Fahrer zwei Zentimeter tiefer, schenken so mehr Kopffreiheit – und tägliche Gymnastik. Sind die Sitze zu tief, bist du zu alt.

Das aufgesetzte Display in der Mitte (spiegelt sich nachts in der Frontscheibe) kann man akzeptieren, aber nicht die Lage des Controllers. Warum auf der

Mittelkonsole? Dort, wo am liebsten der rechte Arm lümmelt und auf den nächsten Schaltvorgang lauert? So produziert jeder Schalt-Klack unge-wollt auch Menü-Klicks.

Gestartet wird per Knopf. Aber hallo! Der neue 1,5-Liter überrascht mit einem Sound, der das Schulbuben-Flöten des Vorgängers vergessen lässt. Der Vierzylinder vibriert, brummelt, lebt. Wen stört da, dass der Klang wie-der über einen Schallkanal nach innen verstärkt wird?

Mazda belebt ein altes Konzept: kleiner, leichter, sportlicher. Und der MX-5 wird jung wie noch nie

>>FOTO

S: R

. RÄT

ZKE

(2)

“IN THIS FIRST TEST DRIVE OF THE 2015 MAZDA MX-5 IT‘S CLEAR THAT THE FOURTH GENERATION OF THE JAPANESE ROADSTER IS THE MOST AMBITIOUS EVER, AND THANKS TO A SIGNIFICANT WEIGHT REDUCTION, IT IS ALSO THE SPORTIEST MX-5 I‘VE EVER DRIVEN”Autobild.es, Spain

“The best handling two-seater I’ve driven in recent memory – and my memory for such things is good.”Road & Track, USA

“THE MIATA IS A PERFECT MA-CHINE FOR LINKING SUCCESSIVE CURVES. THERE IS NO CAR AS FUN AS THE MAZDA MX-5.”Car and Driver, Spain “RIGHT NOW NO OTHER AUTOMO-

BILE MANUFACTURER OFFERS THIS EXCEPTIONAL ROADSTER-FEELING: PRECISION AND TOP DOWN DRIVING PLEASURE FOR A GOOD PRICE.”Auto Zeitung, Germany

“Hopefully there will be a futuristic MX-5 in 50 years with the same essence as the current one because what makes it last are these everlasting basic virtues.”Autovía, Spain

“Ladies and gentlemen, the Mazda MX-5 keeps up to date and makes something new every day: it was the best-selling roadster yester-day, it’s the bestseller today and probably will be the bestseller tomorrow.” iSPEED, Portugal

“WHEN TALKING ABOUT CONVER - T IBLES, THE MAZDA MX-5 IS UNDENIA-BLY THE REFERENCE, WITH ITS VAST LEGION OF FANS. IT EVEN HOLDS THE GUINNESS WORLD RECORD AS THE MOST SOLD ROADSTER EVER.”

Em Foco / A Bola TV, Portugal

“The fact is that if you want a sports car, the MX-5 is perfect. Nothing on the road will give you better value. Nothing will give you so much fun. The only reason I’m giving it five stars is because I can’t give it 14.”Jeremy Clarkson, The Sunday Times, UK

“The MX-5 reflects its primal virtues: The ‘weight diet’ has never been so valuable and joyful for any other driving machine. The MX-5 simply and vividly demons-trates pure driving enjoyment.”Auto Bild, Germany

“Mazda’s nouveau roadster has got it down pat.”Wheels, Australia

“FROM THE MOMENT IT APPEARED IN 1989, WE’VE BEEN BIG FANS OF THE LITTLE MIATA.”Car and Driver, USA

U.S. comedian and TV host Jay Leno, about his NA MX-5:“Every time I get in this car, I realise this is all you really need: plenty of power, fun to drive and good handling. What’s more, the air con-ditioner works. The radio works. The heater works. All the problems you used to associ-ate with sports cars don’t exist in this car. It’s a truly practical car you can use every day – but it’s really fun to drive. And it really is fun to drive. It handles extremely well. The gearbox is excellent: very quick, very swift. The clutch is light enough so as not to be a hindrance. It makes just the right amount of noise, not too loud…of course mine’s a little bit louder than stock because that’s what I like. It’s a very easy car to personalise, too. For example, this one has anti-roll bars and a supercharger that gives you a little extra power. And you can drive this car very, very swiftly. You can hang the tail on a little bit, drop it down a gear, bring it around. Just going for a bag of groceries can be a lot of fun. The real trick to owning one of these is you always take the long way home.”

“All you really need.”

MX-5 fans all over love to customise their roadsters. After all, there are so many of them around. Many strange things have been tried, but perhaps the most convoluted (and one of the best known) modifi-cation jobs ever was seen in the 2010 Top Gear Christmas Special. The challenge for the three hosts was to re-enact the journey of the three wise men across the desert to Bethle-hem, each in a used two-seater convertible. Modifying their cars for desert travel, Jeremy Clarkson gave his NB MX-5 a “car of many colours” paint job, also adding a camel catcher and the “Axle of Evil” to make it a six-wheeled roadster.

Into the desert


« I’M JUST GLAD THE MX-5 EXISTS. THE WORLD DESERVES A SMALL ROADSTER AS GOOD AS THIS. IT BRIGHTENS THINGS UP, AND WE ALL NEED A BIT OF THAT IN OUR LIVES. »Top Gear, UK

THE MX-5 THROUGH THE EYES OF THE MEDIA

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LAventador ne connaît guère de courbes» En ce sens elle renoue avec le style Countach

> patronyme qui sonne nippon mais serait dapresdes linguistes distingues la traduction du motrecompense en vieux haut allemand la premièrelangue germanique écrite ça ne s invente pas iPour avoir fait revivre un genre automobileaujourd hui quasi disparu dans son pays d origineMazda en mériterait bien une de miata Deslauriers sur lesquels la Mazda ne s endort paspuisque après trois générations et bientôt unmillion d exemplaires en quelque 22 années deproduction la MX 5 continue d évoluer Ainsi sonstyle a su se mettre au goût du jour sa finition asans cesse gagne en qualité et elle a eu cette génialeidée de se présenter en même temps en roadstertraditionnel a capote en toile et en version CC Deplus la gamme actuelle comprend cette déclinaison sportive ici a I essai équipée d amortisseursBilstem et d un différentiel a glissement limiteTorsen Pasdequoi mquieterlAventador satransmission intégrale permanente et son électroniquesophistiquée Mais tout de même 'La MX 5 n est pas le genre de grenouille qui veut sefaire aussi grosse que le taureau Aventador Maistoute verte et abordable quelle soit son charmeopère Si j avais de quoi m offrir onze Mazda je n enachèterai qu une le solde de ma fortune réglantla facture estampillée I amborghini

"> Quatre mètres deux places et un petit moteurnerveux la MX 5 cultive la recette du roadster

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LIVING THE MX-506

THE FOURTH GENERATION MX-5

TAKES CENTRE STAGE AT THE LEGENDARY

GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED.

A MX-5 FESTIVAL

Global MX-5 Cup, anyone? With the all-new race version of the MX-5 on exhibit at the Moving Motor Show, motorcycle champion Valentino Rossi admired the legendary Mazda 787B, winner of Le Mans in 1991, while what was probably the most impressive soundtrack of the festival played in the background.

The all-new MX-5 is hard to miss. Its stunningly sleek good looks demand attention. Certainly the fourth generation roadster was impossible to ignore making its debut at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed

south of London in June. Dominating the spotlight amidst the many cutting edge and classic race cars is no small feat.

Yet the fourth generation MX-5 was front and centre: on dis-play, on the track and on the radar of automotive enthusiasts. It didn’t hurt its Goodwood coming out party coincided with the auto show celebrating Mazda’s racing heritage including the famous victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991 with the renowned Mazda 787B. »

GOODWOOD 2015 GOES MAZDA


In fact, this famous race car was commemorated in a new sculpture that was a centrepiece of the festival. The 40-metre-high structure stood in front of Goodwood House featuring the 787B and the Mazda LM55 Vision Gran Turismo bursting into the sky on a twisting track of steel beams.

A specially build concept, the LM55 is based on a popular virtual racer in the Playstation racing simulation game Gran Turismo 6. Like the art installation itself, it is an expression of Mazda’s KODO design philosophy. Yet it was the all-new MX-5 that was the true star at Goodwood drawing accolades at the official Mazda Stand, the “Raise the Roof” concert and the always popular Moving Motor Show where MX-5 club members had the chance to test drive the new model. All in all it was four great days of speed and MX-5 inspired fun. ⁄⁄

LIVING THE MX-506

GOOD

WOO

DAT

A G

LANC

E

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is a car show and auto race rolled into one. But it’s also the social occa sion of the year for avid sports car enthu-siasts. The annual event some 100km south of

London in West Sussex county draws visitors from all over the world. It was initiated in 1993 by Lord March, an avid motorsports fan who wanted to bring motor racing back to Goodwood.

Goodwood showcases a variety of sports cars, from classic roadsters to the latest Formula One racers. It also offers fans the chance to see these vehicles race on its unique uphill track, which has an elevation change of more than 90m and affords close-up views just a few metres from the action.


EVERY COUNTRY HAS ITS STORIES

THE GREAT OUTDOORS ARE EXTRA SPECIAL TO

THOSE WHO OWN AN MX-5. FOR THOUSANDS IN

EUROPE AND AROUND THE WORLD, THE AFFOR-

DABLE ROADSTER IS A HOBBY PURSUED WITH

A PASSION, WHETHER AS PART OF MX-5 CLUBS,

ATTENDING EVENTS, SETTING WORLD RECORDS

OR SIMPLY OUT FOR A SUNDAY DRIVE. THE FOL-

LOWING IS A WORLD TOUR DEMONSTRATING JUST

WHAT KIND OF SPIRIT DRIVES MX-5 FANS.

GERMAN FANS GET SNEAK PEEK AT ALL-NEW MX-5

MX-5 owners from across Europe gathered in April for the MX-5 Fan Event in Altendiez, organized by fans for fans. Celebrating the official start of “MX-5 season”, about 420 lucky MX-5 devo-tees got their first glimpse of the fourth generation roadster.

MX-5 DRIVERS CELEBRATE 10TH ANNIVERSARY IN STYLE

The annual fan event “Treffen in der Mitte” taking place in Hannoversch Münden celebrated its 10th anniversary in style. With the all-new MX-5 on display, the 330 fans in attendance were thrilled to be among the first in Europe to get a glimpse of the fourth generation roadster.

GERM

ANY

HUNG

ARY

More than 120 MX-5s gathered at a private airstrip in Tököl (near Budapest) for a 2010 club-organised meeting.

LIVING THE MX-506

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MAZDA UNVEILS ALL-NEW MX-5, THRILLING FANS

On 4 September 2014, “MAZDA ROADSTER THANKS DAY in JAPAN” held at Maihama Amphitheatre near Tokyo introduced the all-new Mazda MX-5 (‘Roadster’ in Japan) to 1,150 eager fans. The fourth generation two-seater was met with cheers and applause as it was unveiled before the adoring audience.

JAPA

N

FOUR MX-5 GENERATIONS TOGETHER AT KARUIZAWA 2015

The Karuizawa Meeting is the largest MX-5 event in Japan, attracting thousands of fans, many driving their roadsters from all over Japan for the one-day gathering. The total number of MX-5s at this year’s event was 1,323 consisting of 618 first, 358 second, 303 third and 44 fourth generation models. A resounding success, with many fans reuniting with friends made at last year’s event, one of the many highlights was a meet-and-greet with engineers who helped develop the fourth generation MX-5.

NORT

H AM

ERIC

A NORTH AMERICAN FANS SET MX-5 WORLD RECORD

In Salinas, California, the Mazda Raceway was the location of a consumer car show on 6 Septem-ber 2014 that attracted MX-5s (‘Miatas’ in North America) from every state and Canadian province. A total of 1,934 roadsters attending, the gathering set a world record for the most MX-5s at any one event. The high point for many was the debut of the all-new fourth generation MX-5 as 80s super group Duran Duran played live on stage.

SPAI

N

The trip of the year: 6,000km and 34 hours behind the wheel, all the way to Ireland for two Spanish MX-5 club members.

MX-5 clubs in Spain are very active, and members driving 30,000km a year and more are no rarity. Mazda Spain is even preparing an online tour guide with some of the country’s best Jinba Ittai routes.

ITALY

Three ACF Fiorentina foot-ballers (De Silvestri, Gilardino and Frey) at Villa Viviani in Florence.

JOURNALISTS HIT THE RACE TRACK WITH MX-5s

In 2014, journalists celebrated with Mazda the 25th anniversary of the MX-5 getting the opportunity to take three generations of the roadster for a test drive on the famous Circuit du Laquais.

FANS GET BEHIND WHEEL OF FOURTH GENERATION PROTOTYPE

Braving less than ideal top-down weather, members of the Austrian MX-5 club got a sneak preview of a prototype of the fourth generation MX-5. As an added bonus the 200 fans gathered at the event had the chance to get behind the wheel for a quick jaunt around the track.

SWITZ

ERLA

ND

AUST

RIA

MX-5 PARADE SHATTERS OLD RECORD

On 15 June 2013, the longest parade of Mazdas got quite a bit longer. The setting this time was the MX-5 2013 event, a large gathering of MX-5s from around Europe. And a new Guinness World Record was estab-lished by 683 MX-5s at around 3m below sea level on the roads around the RDW Test Centre in Lelystad, a city built on reclaimed land. The previous record set in Essen, Germany in 2010 by 459 MX-5s was thus history. NE

THER

LAND

S


A SPO

RTS

CAR

THROU

GH

AND

THROU

GH

Motor sports have accompanied the MX-5 since the very beginning. Literally. Un-veiled at the 1989 Chicago Motor Show alongside the original NA MX-5, the Miata

Club Racer concept (see p. 74) underlined the street model’s natural born character. And this bold statement was followed up with some

incredible success on the track. Today, with more than 3,000 MX-5s racing actively, Mazda’s little roadster is the most-raced production car in the world.

From day one, the MX-5 has been raced at all levels, by inexperienced amateurs to seasoned professionals. Competition dates back to the Teddy Yip Race of Champions

held as part of 1989 Macao Grand Prix weekend. Here 16 MX-5s were driven by what was basically the who’s who of motor racing at the time. Formula One and Two driver Geoff

Lees ended up winning ahead of Andy Rouse, one of the most successful British saloon car series drivers ever, and four-time Australian touring car champion

Allan Moffat.

The MX-5 UK Cup Race Series began the following year. Amateur SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) racing, meanwhile, counted ever-

increasing numbers of Miatas. From Nürburgring to Silverstone, Spa Francorchamps to Zandvoort and the Laguna Seca Mazda

Raceway: MX-5 cups have flourished around the world on some rather prestigious race tracks. In Europe (besides

the UK), Switzerland held its version from 1999 to 2002, Spain and Portugal organised cup series

between 2001 and 2003, Sweden from 2007 onwards, and the Netherlands starting in

2008. The U.S, Japan and Australia, among other places, also host

MX-5 cups. //

LIVING THE MX-506

GLOBAL MX-5 CUP

The newly established Global MX-5 Cup is set to begin from 2016 onward. This is a new pro-gram where the world’s MX-5 drivers will compete in their respective region’s champion-ships (North America, Europe and Asia) and ultimately fight to become world champion. Through motorsports, Mazda is dedicated to supporting the challenger spirit of its fans worldwide, providing a place where they can share in their enthusiasm for the iconic Mazda roadster.


Yve and Hans Thoolen have enjoyed many a trip through Europe in their red MX-5 since purchasing it in 1995. Now, 19 years later, the 1992 model has almost 430,000km under its belt – still with the original engine and clutch. The only things they’ve replaced are the side sills and rear fenders. The Dutch couple promise they will never sell it.

Carsite.co.uk named it the number one second-hand car of the new millennium: “The Mazda MX-5 deserves the top position thanks to its strong reliability, value for money, residual performance and driveability.”

In Germany, meanwhile, the 2012 Dekra breakdown report placed the MX-5 first among all sports cars on the market for the third year in a row. Nine of every ten MX-5s with less than 50,000km are problem-free. “Even more than its predecessor, the third-generation MX-5 is a model of relia-bility,” wrote Dekra, Germany’s largest vehicle inspection company.

Back in the UK, Which? magazine named the MX-5 Britain’s most reliable new sports car in its Car Survey 2013 – that nation’s largest review of car satisfaction and reliability. With reliability scores of 97.4 per cent and 91.1 per cent, respectively, for models up to and more than three years old, the MX-5 beat a host of rivals, claiming first and second places in the two age categories. It was also showered with praise from the Which? editorial team: “For a sports car that will last for years and won’t cost a fortune in repairs, head to your local Mazda garage. The MX-5 has the lowest number of faults and no annual repair costs in the first three years.” Which? also liked the second-generation MX-5 models (1998-2005), calling them “the automotive equivalent of a double espresso. Near-telepathic steering and handling make other cars (even some sports cars) feel woolly and dull by comparison. You can pick-up a decent used MX-5 for just £1,500 (€1,800). We suggest you do.”

What Car? also ranked the MX-5 as Britain’s most reliable convertible in 2012. With 96 per cent of MX-5s built after 2005 fault-free, the model achieved a reliability index score of 8 (lower is better) compared to an overall average score of 100. The annual survey, which looks at more than 50,000 cars, calculates the score based on factors including age, mileage, the number of breakdowns, cost of repairs and average time spent off the road being repaired. According to the 2012 survey, on the rare occasion something does go wrong, MX-5 owners can also expect an average bill of only £168 (€200) – also the lowest in the review. ⁄⁄

Yuuichi Tsuyuki, 25 at the time, had no idea how far his NA MX-5 would travel when he bought it new in 1993. Going on 21 years later, he’s put 855,000km on his car – equivalent to

having circumnavigated the globe 21 times and being well into the 22nd lap. Averaging some 40,000km per year, the Roadster Club of Japan member still has his MX-5 and still loves it.

“It stands out at Mazda get-togethers because it’s got the original suspension and ground clearance. It also has a Mazdaspeed semi-bucket seat on the driver’s side, a Mk2 glass window soft top, plus a vacuum gauge, oil temperature gauge and voltmeter. It’s on its third en-gine, transmission and radiator and its second propeller shaft, differential and aircon,” ex plains Tsuyuki. “I’ll probably have to let it retire when it reaches 1 million km. Between 2007 and 2009, I switched to a Mk3, but I was still known as the guy who drove that Mk1 with the high mileage, so I couldn’t resist switching back for the MX-5’s 20th anniversary event.”

WHAT A TRIP

MX-5 FACTS07

BUILT IN THE SPIRIT OF THOSE CELEBRATED BRITISH ROADSTERS,

THE MX-5 HAS ONE CLEAR DISTINCTION: ITS EXTRAORDINARY RELIABILITY.

TYPICALLY MAZDA, THIS IS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS FOR ITS

ONGOING SUCCESS. WITH SUCH A HUGE COLLECTION OF AWARDS AND

ACCOLADES FOR BEING SO DEPEN-DABLE, THERE IS OF COURSE NO

SHORTAGE OF EXAMPLES OF MX-5s REACHING EXTREME MILEAGE.

A TRIBUTE TO ONE OF THE MOST FAITHFUL SPORTS CARS EVER.

A good start: The dependability of the MX-5 was a target of admiration right from the beginning, completing a 100,000km durability test conduc-ted by Germany’s Auto, Motor und Sport in early

1990 with flying colours. “All the important mechanical components covered the long distance virtually unscathed. The engine uses practically no oil and runs with almost the same vitality of its first days. The gearshift is still so magni-ficently crisp, and the chassis is just as fit.”

In the U.S., Road & Track magazine took idea a giant step further recently when it purchased a well-worn NA Miata with more than 325,000 miles (520,000km) on the clock. The plan for the “Million Mile Miata” is in the name: to wrap the odometer across the 1-million mile mark (1.6 million km). It even has its own Facebook page, “like any respectable 25-year-old.”

The “Million Mile Miata“from U.S. Magazine Road & Track

Pho

tos:

Kev

in N

eces

sary

IT JUST KEEPS GOING AND GOING AND GOING AND GOING AN

D GOI

NG A

ND G

OING

AND

GOI

NG AN

D G

OING AND GOING

AND GOING AND GOING AND GOING AND GOING AND GOING AND GOING

AND

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ING

AND

GOING

AN

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100 101

2015 USA Kelley Blue Book’s 10 Coolest Cars Under $25,000

2015 USA J.D. Power 2015 initial quality study: top-rated compact sporty car

2014 USA Consumer Report’s best new car values, sports cars/convertibles

2014 UK What Car? Used Car awards, “Fun Car” of the year

2014 USA U.S. News Auto Rankings: #1 in Affordable Sports Cars (2014)

2013 UK Which? Awards Britain‘s most reliable new sports car

2013 Germany Auto Trophy 2013 Best imported convertible under €30,000

2013 Chile Chilean Sports Car of the Year 2014

2013 USA 2013 U.S. IQS compact sporty car segment award

2013 USA Edmunds New Car Buying Guides: top recommended convertibles under $30,000


2012 Canada 2013 Convertible of the Year: Mazda MX-5 (Auto123.com awards)

2012 Canada Golden Key: Best sports car under $50,000

2012 Canada Le Guide de l‘Auto: Best new roadster under $50,000

2012 USA Kelley Blue Book’s 10 Best Road Trip Convertibles

2012 Indonesia 2012 Autocar Indonesia Reader‘s Choice Awards: Favourite Convertible

2012 Singapore Singapore Car of the Year (SGCM Editor‘s Pick)

2012 Germany First place, sports car category (up to 50,000 km), in the DEKRA breakdown report


2012 USA Car and Driver: 10 Best Cars of 2013



2011 UK 2011 Auto Express New Car Awards: Best Roadster

2011 UK 2011 J.D. Power customer satisfaction survey: winner, sports car segment

2011 Hungary Playboy Car of the Year 2011: Open-top sports car category

2011 UK CarBuyer Car of the Year 2011: Best Convertible

2011 USA 2011 J.D. Power vehicle dependability study: highest ranked compact sporty car



2010 Germany Auto Trophy 2010: Best imported convertible under €30,000

2010 UK 2010 UK Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study: Best Sports Car

2010 USA 2010 Lowest True Cost to Own: Convertibles under $35,000

2010 Slovakia Best cars 2010


2010 USA Cars.com: Play Car of the Year 2010



2009 Australia Wheels Gold Star Cars Awards: Best Sports Roadster under $150K

2009 UK 2009 Auto Express New Car Awards: Best Roadster

2009 Ireland New car awards 2009: Best roadster



2008 Philippines 2008 Philippines Car of the Year: Sexiest Car Award

2008 UK 2008 Auto Express Used Car Honours: Best Roadster

2008 UK 2008 Auto Express New Car Honours: Best Convertible

2008 USA ROAD & TRAVEL 2008 Sexy Car Buyer‘s Guide: Top Ten

2008 USA J.D. Power 2008 Initial Quality Study: Highest-Ranked Compact Sporty Car

2008 Thailand Thailand Car of the Year 2008: Best Roadster

2008 USA Consumer Reports Top Picks 2008: Fun to Drive

2008 Canada World of Wheels Editor‘s Choice: Best Convertible of 2007




2007 USA Edmund’s 10 Most Affordable Convertibles (1st place)

2007 USA Top Ten Sports Cars

2007 Scotland Scottish Car of the Year 2007: Best Drop-Top

2007 USA Gaywheels.com: Top 10 Gay-Friendly Cars (no.3)

2007 USA The vehicle dependability of 2004 model year (Compact Sporty Car)



2007 USA 2007 Cars.com Lifestyle Awards: Best Deal for Empty Nesters



2006 UK Top Gear: Roadster of the Year 2006

2006 Australia Drive Car of the Yea 2006: Best Convertible

2006 USA Most Efficient Two Seaters 2007

2006 Scotland Scottish Car of the Year 2006: Best Drop-Top

2006 USA Edmunds Editors’ Most Wanted Awards: Convertible Under $25,000

3rd GENERATION

CODENAMED

NC MK III

4th GENERATION

CODENAMED

ND MK IV

2006 New Zealand National Business Review Sports Car of the Year 2006

2006 Australia Wheels Automotive Design Awards - Overall Outstanding Automotive Design

2006 Germany autoscout24.com Internet Auto Awards 2006: Best Imported Convertible

2006 UK 2006 Auto Express New Car Honours: Best Roadster

2006 USA Best Convertibles 2006: Best entry-level roadster

2006 USA Forbes Best Cars for the Bucks 2006: Best Convertible

2006 World 2006 World Car of the Year: one of three finalists

2006 Canada Best Sport Coupe/Convertible


2006 New Zealand Driver Sports/Performance Car of the Year

2006 Hungary Playboy Car of the Year 2006: Sports Car/Convertible (price value category)


2006 Hong Kong 10 Best Cars

2006 USA Most Fun on Wheels

2006 Australia Wheels 2005 Car of The Year

2006 UK What Car? Car of the Year 2006: Best open-top

2006 New Zealand 2005 New Zealand Car of the Year

2006 Japan Sports Nippon King of Cars Award

2005 Hong Kong Car for Him

2005 Croatia 2006 Roadster of the Year

2005 New Zealand 2005 New Zealand Herald Car of the Year

2005 Portugal Cabrio of the Year

2005 USA Car of the Year 2006 Top 10

2005 USA Car and Driver: 10 Best Cars of 2006 & Best Roadster

2005 Japan Japan Fashion Color Association: Auto Color Award

2005 Japan Goods of the Year (Vehicle Category)

2005 Japan Best Design Award

2005 UK Top Gear Roadster of the Year 2005

2005 Japan RJC Car of the Year 2006: Runner-up

2005 Japan Car of the Year Japan 2005-2006

2005 Canada Golden Key: Best sports car under $50,000

2005 USA Best Buy in Sport/Performance Car Class

2005 Japan 2005 Good Design Award (G-mark)

2005 Australia Wheels Car of the Year 2005

From the U.S. to Australia, from Germany to Japan, the Mazda MX-5 is one of the most decora-ted vehicles of the last 25 years.

AND THE WINNER IS ...

MX-5 Award-List

2015USAAutomobile magazine: 10 Cheapest Convertibles

2010SLOVAKIABest cars 2010

2015EUROPE“Red Dot: Best of the Best” product design award

2008PHILIPPINESCar of the Year: Sexiest Car Award

2005JAPAN

Car of the Year Japan 2005-2006

2007THAILAND

Thailand Car of the Year 2007: Best Roadster

2012CANADA2013 Convertible of the Year: Mazda MX-5

2013CHILEChilean Car of the Year 2014

2006AUSTRALIADrive Car of the

Year 2006: Best Convertible

MX-5 FACTS07

2015 Europe “Red Dot: Best of the Best” product design award

2015 USA Automobile magazine: 10 Cheapest Convertibles

2015 USA Southern Automotive Media Association: Best Small Convertible


102 103

1998 USA Consumer Digest: Best Buy Sport Coupes/Sedans

1997 Australia Wheels Top 10 of ’97

1997 Israel 1997 Sports Car of the Year

1997 USA Automobile 1997 All-Star


1996 Israel 1996 Sports Car of the Year

1996 USA Consumer Digest: Best Buy Sport Coupes/Sedans

1996 USA Automobile’s Perfect Ten

1996 USA Consumer Reports: 1996 Reliability, Sports/Sporty Cars (2nd place)

1996 USA Consumer Reports: Most Fun to Drive Car (1996 model year)

1996 USA Intellichoice Best Value: Base Sports Car

1996 Israel Car of The Year



1995 UK Auto Express: Best Sports Car 1995

1995 USA J.D. Power: Most Problem-Free Car under $25,000





1993 Germany Auto, Motor & Sport readers’ poll: Best Import Convertible


1993 Germany Auto Trophy 1993: Best Fun Car


1992 Australia Best Buys of 1992 (sports cars under $47,280)




1992 USA Car and Driver: Ten Best Cars 1992


1991 Hong Kong Best Five Exteriors Design Award

1991 Australia Best Sports Car under $45,000

1991 USA Best Sports Car, Driver‘s Choice Awards

1991 UK What Car? Best Sports Car 1991



1991 USA Playboy’s Sexiest Car For Your Girlfriend



1990 USA Road & Track: Ten Best Cars in the World & Best Sports/GT ($13,000-$21,000)


1990 New Zealand Car of the Year 1990

1990 Australia Best Sports Car

1990 Denmark Danish Motoring Journalists Club: Prize of Honour 1990

1990 USA Top Ten Trouble-Free Cars

1990 UK Buying Cars: Best Value Sports Car of the Year

2006 UK 2006 Auto Express Used Car Honours: Best Roadster & Best Used Roadster Money Can Buy

2004 UK Excellent Second Hand Buy


2004 Denmark Best Roadster

2003 Israel 2003 Sports Car of The Year

2003 UK Best Handling Car

2003 Portugal Best Speed trophy


2003 Denmark Best Roadster

2003 New Zealand Best Mid Size Car

2002 Australia Most significant car of the 1980s

2002 Hungary Playboy Car of the Year 2002


2001 Portugal Best Speed trophy

2001 UK Top 10 Performance Cars

2001 Japan Japan Fashion Color Association: Auto Color Award 2001

2001 UK Used Car Awards: Best Roadster

2001 Canada Automobile Magazine’s only “11 time All-Star winner”


2001 USA 10 Best



2000 USA MotorWeek Driver Choice Award: Best Convertible

2000 USA IntelliChoice 2000 Best Overall Value of the Year Awards: Base Sport model

1999 USA Eight Great Rides

1999 UK Used Car Buyer: Best Sports Car under £10,000

2nd GENERATION

CODENAMED

NB MK II

1999 UK Good Housekeeping: Sports & Coupe winner

1999 USA Consumer Reports: Best Buy

1999 UK Auto Express: Best Used Sports Car

1999 USA 1999 All-Stars: Best Entry-Level Sports Car


1998 UK Best Sports Car


1998 Japan First Prize Smash Hit Goods

1998 Scotland Scottish Car of the Year: Sports Car of the Year

1998 USA Consumer Digest: Best Buy

1998 UK IBCAM Auto Design Award

1998 UK Auto Express: Best Convertible 1998

1998 Croatia Sports Car of the Year

1998 New Zealand AutoCar 1998 Best Sport Car

1990 UK Sporting Car of the Year

1990 UK Newcastle Journal: Best Sports Car

1990 UK AutoCar & Motor: Best Handling Car in the World

1990 USA J.D. Power Initial Quality Study: Most Trouble-Free Sports Car

1990 USA Motorweek TV: Best Sports Car, Driver‘s Choice Awards

1990 USA Edison Best New Products

1990 USA Playboy: Most Fun to Drive Cars for 1990

1990 USA Motor Trend 1990 Import Car of the Year (2nd place)

1990 Japan Best Cars 1989: Best New Model

1990 Japan Gold Medal: Super Goods of the Year

1990 Australia Modern Motor: Best Car 1989/90 & Best Sports Car 1989/90


1990 Japan Best Car: Grand Prix Exterior

1990 USA Best and Worst of the Year 1989: Best (one of)

1990 USA Best of the Decade, Design category

1990 USA Business Week Best Products of 1989

1990 Australia Car Australia: Car of Australia 1989

1990 Australia Wheels Car of the Year 1989

1990 USA Automobile’s 1990 Automobile of the Year (inaugural award)


1990 Japan Nihon Keizai Shimbun: Design of the Year

1989 Japan Trendy Goods 1989 Grand Prize (hobby & play category)

1989 USA Life Hot Products for 1990

1989 USA Automotive News Coupe of the Year

1989 Japan Sports Nippon King of Cars Award: Best Sports Car 1989

1989 Japan 1989 Trendy Goods Grand Prix (hobby & resort category)

1989 Japan Promoters Cup 1990: My Best Choice


1989 USA Popular Science Best 100 Products

1989 Japan First prize, Smash Hit Goods 1989

1989 USA Motor Trend Top Ten Imported Cars

1989 USA Road & Track: World’s Best Cars (one of five)

1989 USA Autoweek: Most Fun, Chicago Auto Show awards

1st GENERATION

CODENAMED

NA MK I

1996USA

Consumer Reports Most Fun to

Drive Car 1996

2000USA.MotorWeek Driver Choice Award Best Convertible

1999USACar and Driver Ten Best Cars 1999

1993GERMANY

Auto, Motor & Sport readers’ poll Best Import Convertible

2003ISRAEL2003 Sports Car of the Year

MX-5 FACTS072006UKAuto Express Best Used Roadster Money Can Buy

2004DENMARKBest Roadster

2002AUSTRALIAMost significant Car of the 1980s

2001JAPAN

Japan Fashion Color Association

Auto Color Award 2001

1990NEW ZEALANDCar of the Year 1990



Rye, Sussex, 15:47, on the way to Goodwood...

106 107

Reborn: Known as the Miata in North America and Eunos Roadster in Japan

BADGE

Sign of the times: Pop-up headlamps were a must-have for sports cars in the late 1980s

HEAD-LIGHTS

BLINKERS

Nothing standard about it: The short, direct strike made changing gears a joy

GEAR SHIFT

The centre of the three-spoke Momo leather wheel was remov-able for a rawer racing ambiance

STEERING WHEEL

Sleeky clean: The MX-5 badge was simple, modern and stylish

BADGE

Bigger power, bigger feet: 15-inch wheels were now available with 16-inchers arriving in 2001

WHEELS

Fixed: Oval headlamps reduced weight and improved aerodynamics

HEAD-LIGHTS

Business as usual: Still a target for acclaim with super fast throws and minimal ankle movement

GEAR SHIFT

World famous: The airbag- equipped steer-ing wheel was supplied by none other than Nardi of Italy

STEERING WHEEL

Spyder style: Retro chrome emblem alludes to sports cars of the 1950s

Into the SKYACTIV age yet back to the roots – well, almost

BADGE BADGE

Growing and growing: 17-inch wheels can be had with the 160PS 2.0-litre

Sleek cold-cast aluminium wheels revert to four-nut hub to save a few grams

WHEELS WHEELS

Compelling look: The slimline pro-jector headlamps were available with xenon bulbs

Aggressive, glinting LED headlamps, 15% lighter than the previous generation’s

HEAD-LIGHTS

HEAD-LIGHTS

Common knowledge: The MX-5 had become the benchmark for gearshifting

New SKYACTIV-MT with same 40mm stroke seems to draw the gearshift into position

GEAR SHIFT

GEAR SHIFT

At your finger-tips: Steering wheel audio controls put the driver in even better control

Compact, unpretentious and with a slim grip for enhan-ced cornering action

STEERING WHEEL

STEERING WHEEL

Rollin’: The 14-inch wheels and tires were as lightweight as possible and very British looking, too

WHEELS

3rdGENERATION

CODENAMED

NC MK III 4th

GENERATION

CODENAMED

ND MK IV2nd

GENERATION

CODENAMED

NB MK II 1st

GENERATION

CODENAMED

NA MK I

THE ROUND SIDE SIGNAL LIGHT BLINKERS ...

... ARE ONE MX-5 DESIGN ELEMENT ...

... THAT DID NOT CHANGE …

… UNTIL NOW!

THE MX-5 IS WELL REPRE-

SENTED IN THE GAMING

WORLD. LIVE THE PASSION

WITH FORZA MOTORSPORT,

GRAN TURISMO, NEED FOR

SPEED, PROJECT GOTHAM

RACING, RIDGE RACER AND

MANY MORE. YOU DON’T

EVEN NEED A LICENCE!

CRASH

Year: 1996 (CDN/UK)

Director: David Cronenberg

Starring: James Spader, Deborah

Kara Unger, Elias Koteas,

Holly Hunter and Rosanna

Arquette.

Story: Crash is a controversial

film based on a 1973 novel

by J.G. Ballard about a

group of people who have

a sexual fetish for car ac-

cidents. While driving her

MX-5 NA, Unger’s char-

acter (Catherine Ballard)

ends up being pushed off

the road and rolls the car.

A SCANNER DARKLY

Year: 2006 (USA)

Director: Richard Linklater

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Winona

Ryder, Woody Harrelson,

Robert Downey Jr. and

Rory Cochrane

Story: Based on the novel by

Philip K. Dick, the film

deals with identity and

deception in a near-fu-

ture dystopia plagued by

a drug addiction epidemic

and constant monitor ing

via high-tech police sur-

veillance. Ryder’s cha r-

acter (Donna Hawthorne)

drives an MX-5 NB.

MACGRUBER

Year: 2010 (USA)

Director: Jorma Taccone

Starring: Will Forte, Kristen Wiig,

Ryan Phillippe and

Val Kilmer

Story: Based on a Saturday Night

Live skit poking fun at 1980s

TV drama MacGyver, Forte

plays ex-special operative

MacGruber who tracks

down his arch-nemesis

Dieter Von Cunth. In the

film, MacGruber’s prized

possession is his red MX-5

NA, complete with person a

lised California license plate

and removable tape deck.

LOOPER

Year: 2012 (USA)

Director: Rian Johnson

Starring: Bruce Willis, Joseph

Gordon-Levitt and

Emily Blunt

Story: In the year 2074,

“loopers” are sent into

the past by organised

crime bosses to assas-

sinate their enemies.

One looper decides

to use time travel to

change the course of

the future. Joe, played

by Gordon-Levitt,

drives a red MX-5 NA.

Forz

a pi

ctur

es: ©

Mic

roso

ft D

euts

chla

nd; A

ll ga

mes

: reg

iste

red

trad

emar

ks

FORZA HORIZON 2

offered the fourth-generation MX-5 one

month before the new model actually

arrived at dealers, giving Xbox-ers the

chance to virtual-race the ND alongside

previous generations as well as limited

editions like the turbocharged Mazdas-

peed MX-5.

MX-5 IN THE MOVIES

MX-5 IN VIDEOGAMES

NAMCO’S RIDGE RACER

FULL SCALE

Alongside its Ridge Racer video

game released in 1993, Namco

also came up with a full-scale

arcade version. Players actually

sat in a real MX-5, using the stee-

ring wheel, pedals and gearshift to

control a vehicle projected on to

the triple front screen. The gauges

worked and wind came out of the

vents, with surround sound adding

to the realism of the driving expe-

rience. Players could even “bring”

along a passenger.


3 rd GENERATION

CODENAMED

NC MK III

2 nd GENERATION

CODENAMED

NB MK II

4 th GENERATION

CODENAMED

ND MK IV

1 st GENERATION

CODENAMED

NA MK I

MX-5 Magazine 2015 English

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Transcript of MX-5 Magazine 2015 English