Next-Generation MX-5

21 April 2014 / Mazda

Innovate in order to preserve

The New York International Auto Show 2014 is the world premiere of the next-generation Mazda MX-5’s bare chassis. Although it is still in the development stage, this chassis with its front-midship-engine layout and rear-wheel-drive configuration, shows the direction of the new model. The principals of keeping of the vehicle lightweight, 50:50 front-rear weight distribution and low yaw inertia moment stay the same, but there is plenty that Mazda is planning to change.

Times have changed drastically during the MX-5’s 25-year history. Each successive model of the past three generations has seen slight increases in size and weight in response to social requirements as people’s awareness of safety and the environment increase. But today, demands for safety and environmental performance are exponentially higher. However, Mazda firmly believes that even while meeting these demands, the fun of being one with the car—the exhilaration felt by any driver on any kind of road, which to Mazda is the fundamental attribute of the lightweight sports car—must be maintained. To do this, Mazda considers it essential to realize a different kind of innovation that goes way beyond mere product refinement. This is clearly summed up by the maxim that indicates the direction of the next model— Innovate in order to preserve.

It goes without say that incorporating SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY was essential to meet stringent environmental and safety performance requirements while keeping the model lightweight. But beyond simple technological enhancements, Mazda also aimed to further increase the car’s appeal to human sensitivity—in other words, to realize the ultimate in Jinba Ittai exhilaration and satisfaction.

The coming model is entirely all new and incorporate all the latest advancements in Mazda’s SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY. The bare chassis on display shows that while realizing the most compact configuration of any generation of the MX-5, the engine is located closer to the vehicle’s center and the vehicle’s center of gravity is lower than that of any generation to date. In addition, the development team has set a goal of reducing weight by more than 100kg while still achieving the highest standards of body rigidity and collision safety performance.

Yet while the technology changes and progresses, Mazda has an unwavering determination to keep the MX-5 faithful to its roots—to offer the driver the unrivalled pleasure of feeling completely at one with the car. To achieve this with the new SKYACTIV-CHASSIS, engineers are painstakingly researching the optimum position for the driver as one of the development goals of ‘Innovate in order to preserve.’ In this way Mazda is aiming to further evolve its signature Jinba Ittai driving experience and surpass the car’s heritage.

One look at the bare chassis fires the mind’s eye to imagine what the new MX-5 will be like, as well as anticipate the extraordinary driving pleasure and ‘lots of fun’ this new lightweight sports car will bring into the owner’s life.