Finally! Next gen MX-5 test mule is sighted

MX-5 ND test mule caught by autobild.nl in September 2013

20 September 2013 / autoweek.nl

It's been an agonising wait since the NC3 was launched at the Australian International Motor Show in October 2012, but photos have emerged overnight of a test mule for the next generation MX-5 being road tested in the USA. Dutch car magazine Auto Week has published a story and photos on their website showing a mutilated NC3 on the road with Michigan licence plates. Study the photos carefully and you might get some hints about the next gen MX-5:

  • The four stud wheels suggest the car will be significantly lighter than the NC.
  • The wheelbase and wheeltrack appear to be fractionally shorter, suggesting a slightly more compact design.
  • The bulging headlights suggest that it may have been necessary to create some room behind them for engine bay components.
  • The raised third brake light from the roadster coupe strangely appears on the boot of this soft-top. Could this mean that both soft-top and roadster coupe versions will continue to be available?

A rough translation of the Auto Week article (courtesy of Google) is provided below:

We knew they were coming, but it feels good to see driving around the evidence on the street: under this mutilated Mazda MX-5 is the technology of the next generation MX-5, which will also form the basis for an Alfa Romeo Spider.

It is a test mule, so the appearance of the car is unfortunately nothing to say. This package doesn't show any of the lines of the new roadsters, but we can at least infer that one is working on it, from the cut and paste job and that in itself is very good news.

The test drivers were caught in the United States. This is symbolic for the Spider: the Alfa Romeo 4C marks the return of Alfa to the U.S. market. Reportedly the two roadsters share 40 percent of their parts. Those parts include the front and rear axles, engine compartment bulkhead, windscreen and the structure around it.

The result is that the appearance of the cars will be very different: the Italians and Japanese can make their own look with completely individual body designs. The motors are separately provided by the brands: Mazda choose 1.5L or 2.0L SkyActiv engines, Alfa Romeo is a compact petrol and the 1.4 MultiAir.