The New Mazda MX-5's 'Unique Profile'
Published: 16th March 2005
Mazda MX-5
Mazda marketing director Steve Odell says the MX-5 represented the purest form of the company’s "zoom, zoom" philosophy and is the epitome of what in Japanese is called Jinba Ittai or "oneness between horse and rider".
He added, "This is the spirit which is driving Mazda’s resurgence. With this third generation we will rewrite the legend and show the MX-5 is still one."
Mazda head of design Moray Callum said that when they looked to creating the new MX-5 they considered some very radical ideas but decided the car which has become an icon must be evolutionary.
"The success of the two previous generations showed we knew what we were doing and we wanted to build on its strengths for the third generation."
He said the increase in width and detailed changes to the wheelarches gave the car a more solid stance suggesting a more dynamic performance, which it delivered.
While there are some visible links to other Mazda models such as the RX8 and its saloons, it was more important to keep to the sporting characteristics of the two-seater.
The result is a sports car with more room inside and in the boot and it still has a folding canvas roof but now comes with a self-locking mechanism when it’s dropped. A detachable hard top has also been designed for the car, as with the former series.
Not only does the third generation MX-5 handle better and offer increased safety for occupants but it meets the current pedestrian protection requirements which, said Callum, were "challenging".
He added, "The MX-5 is a new chapter, but its now a new book. It is becoming our icon and we need to be careful about how we treat that. Porsche has the 911 and Ford the Mustang, and we have the MX-5. We have been very successful with the last two and we need to make sure we continue that success."
Mazda UK managing director Phil Waring, said the third generation MX-5 will be launched in the UK in November and they anticipated selling over 6,000 in 2006 with 80 percent of those being the larger engined version, which was new to the model series.
It is expected to continue the upward trend of Mazda registrations in Britain, which amounted to about 48,000 last year when it took 1.7 percent of the market. This year it is likely to be 2.0 percent or close to 52,000 sales, added James Muir Mazda Europe’s vice-president of sales.
Muir said Germany and UK will get the MX-5 at the same time in November and it will be rolled into other markets shortly afterwards.
The new model’s introduction is intended to get buyers thinking about what they wanted to drive in the spring and to give them time to make up their minds.
No one at Geneva would give a firm price for the new Mazda MX-5, but considering the price of the current 1.8 it is reasonable to see a sticker on the windscreen for about £16,500 with the 2.0 litre costing approximately £18,000. And don’t be surprised to see a folding hardtop inside two years.
Mazda MX-5
Our Mazda MX-5 Guide lists the full specification of the current UK MX-5 range, including car prices, fuel consumption, dimensions and other vital data.
Price Range: £15,750 - £19,050
Body Style:
Fuel:
Models in the range: 3
We have road tested the Mazda MX-5, to read our in-depth car reviews:
Mazda MX-5 Review - Nov 2005
Mazda MX-5 Review - Mar 2004
Mazda MX-5 Review - Oct 2003
Our Car Buyer’s Guide covers all of the UK’s major new cars and includes CO2 ratings and car insurance groups. Data updated on the 6th July 2008
