The Japanese mark prepares for an exit to the car market the 4th generation of MX-5 roadster.
2011 Mazda MX-5
The technical concept of Mazda MX 5 remains former: the motor in front, and a drive gear on rear wheels. However the weight of the car will keep within one ton. Outwardly future Mazda MX-5 inherits lines of Shinari concept. Thanks to direct injection and Start/Stop system the engine of a new Mazda MX-5 promises to become much more economic.
Also, thanks to small weight, the low centre of gravity and the ideal chassis between front and rear shafts the 2011 Mazda MX-5 became a roadster embodiment.
Mazda company plans to present roadster MX-5 of new generation on motor show to Tokyo.
New Mazda MX-5
As informed earlier, the roadster of Mazda MX-5 of following generation save a motor configuration and a rear wheel drive, thus a body of the car becomes more rigid, and the lump decreases approximately for 10% (the car will weigh hardly more tons).
Besides, the novelty begins to be equipped with the new engine of SkyActive family equipped with direct injection of fuel. Prospective power capacity of new Mazda MX-5 — not less than 150HP.
"Roadster Mazda MX-5 always should be an easy sports car. For the last decade this car on the dimensions became more and more hard, but time now came to turn process back, to return to sources", — declared Takao Kijima (the main project manager of all MX-5).
I will notice that the family of SkyActive technologies by Mazda, besides engines, also includes new transmissions, structure of a body which for 8% is easier and for 30% is more rigid, and completely the new chassis, whose weight for 14% is less, than present.
The original roadster will be presented in the internal Japanese car market in a variant with convertible top. Former versions Himiko were equipped only with a rigid collapsible roof.
Mitsuoka Himiko thanks by Mazda MX-5
Mitsuoka is going to begin sales in Japan of Himiko roadsters. technical base for a roadster — the model of Mazda MX-5. The present generation of Mazda MX-5 is offered both with usual roof and with convertible top, however, Himiko has been presented in Japan only with rigid roof.
The car is equipped with the 2,0-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine which is present and at MX-5. In a combination with a 5-step mechanical gear box, engine power makes 170HP, at a choice of a 6-step automatic transmission — 162HP.
In interior of differences at a novelty practically is not present not only from former Himiko, but also from actually Mazda MX-5. Only materials: armchairs is made from red genuine leather, on a front panel of an insert from a natural tree etc.
Novelty cost is high enough, as, however, and the majority of models Mitsuoka. In Japan the car will be offered at the price from 4,880,000 yens ($56,500US or 43,400 euros). In total will be created only twenty similar cars. All of them are intended for sale only in Japan.
Company Mazda in Frankfurt has prepared the conceptual version of car MX-5 for a September motor show with a body "speedster".
Speedster Mazda MX-5
The novelty has received name Superlight and is a gift of the Japanese motor-car manufacturer to itself in honour of the 20 anniversary of model MX-5 which at present has dispersed worldwide in circulation in 860,000 copies.
Speedster Mazda MX-5 Superlight, developed in German design studio, will receive the extralight design, allowing to improve roadability and fuel efficiency, and also to achieve drop of blowouts of carbonic gas. On a technical stuffing of the car while it is informed nothing, however, as assumes magazine Car, under a novelty cowl it will appear 1,8 or the 2,0-litre motor, established on usual roadsters MX-5.
At present speedster is only exhibition sample and, most likely, it will not be started in a batch production. In honour of 20 anniversary MX-5 in the Japanese car market sales of special version of this model which differs from the standard car only an emblem with an inscription "20th Anniversary", the chromeplated fog lights, 17-inch wheel disks and sports seats Recaro also have begun.
Company Mazda in Frankfurt has represents the conceptual version of car MX-5 for a September motor show with a body "speedster".
Mazda MX-5 Superlight Concept
The novelty has received name Superlight and is a gift of the Japanese motor-car manufacturer to itself in honour of the 20 anniversary of model MX-5 which at present was sold worldwide by circulation in 860 thousand copies. About it it's spoken in official press release Mazda.
Speedster Mazda MX-5 Superlight, developed in German design studio, will receive the extralight design, allowing to improve controllability and fuel profitability, and also to achieve decrease in emissions of carbonic gas. On a technical stuffing of the car while it is informed nothing, however, as assumes magazine Car, under a novelty cowl it will appear 1,8 or the 2,0-litre motor completed in standard roadsters MX-5.
At present speedster is only experimental exhibition sample and, most likely, it will not be started in a batch production. In honour of 20 anniversary MX-5 in the Japanese car market sales of special updating of this model which differs from the standard car only an inscription "20th Anniversary", chromeplated to wells of antifog headlights, 17-inch wheel disks and sports seats Recaro also have begun.
Last year has brought weight of new open cars from a budgetary segment which are constructed almost under a carbon paper.
Cabriolet Mazda MX-5
Repeating idea Peugeot 307 CC, in a golf class appears Volkswagen EOS, Opel Astra TwinTop, and also twins-brothers Volvo C70 and Ford Focus. Still a little bit — and release of coupe-cabriolets Koreans and Chineses will be engaged...
Meanwhile, technologically advanced Japanese not so hurries up on the market of coupe-cabriolets — yet is not issued any open model on the basis of golf class cars. But independent models like Mazda МХ-5 which has reincarnated recently already in the third generation prosper and since 2002 appears in the Guinness Book of Records as the most popular roadster in the world: it is sold more than 800,000 cars...
Despite the Japanese origin, the main commodity market for МХ-5 was and there is England. Despite of damp and not the most solar climate, British have passed for the big fans of open cars, especially classical roadsters.
Actually, the idea of creation МХ-5 belongs to British. Company Lotus was engaged in working out of first generation МХ-5 designers, but in the end of 80-s' the energy crisis has not allowed to start the car in manufacture, and the prototype has been sold to Japanese.
Those years Mazda dominated among the Japanese manufacturers in Europe, family 626, predecessor Mazda6, some years became the most sold import car in Germany successively. And release of the roadster developed on the best European canons, but collected by laborious Japanese hands, has appeared very opportunely.
At МХ-5 as then, and now practically there are no competitors. The roadster of last generation is constructed on the truncated chassis legendary sports-coupe RX-8, and thanks to the modest motor is on sale for quite accessible sum of money. Naturally power of engine Mazda concedes to eminent contenders, but also at the price of Mazda much more low.
There were pictures of conceptual roadster Mazda MX-2, some kind of the reduced version of model MX-5.
Mazda MX2 (roadster)
Considering, that on dimensions MX-2 is less, than MX-5, engines at the future roadster will be too less (more truly more poorly). Volumes of motors will begin from 0,7 litres. And the high-efficiency 1,6-litre unit will give out 160 horsepowers. However, if to take into consideration absolutely small weight of the car this power can quite suffice for racing entertainments.
Hearings go, that the car should be published in 2012. So, most likely, we will very soon see a live conceptual dwarfish roadster from Mazda.
