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| The all-new Mazda MX-5 |
Mazda has dropped more clues as to how its new MX-5 will look when it is unveiled later in 2014. Chief designer Peter Birtwhistle told Auto Express that it will be more masculine than the current car when we met him at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show.
It’s a tight edgy little car that is going to appeal to a broader range of people. We know the clichés about the MX-5 as it gets older, but this will position it differently. I think it’ll attract a lot of young guys.
The venture with Alfa Romeo is organised so that the two companies can share the initial investment and boost profits. However, the Alfa Romeo Spider model that will use the same technology as the new Mazda MX-5 is not expected until the end of 2015 so the Mazda will get a clear run at the roadster market. The current MX-5 is known as the MX-5 Miata in North America and the Roadster in Japan.
Besides the basic steel structure, the Mazda MX-5 won’t share very much with the Alfa. With high-strength steels used throughout, engineers are aiming to strip at least 100kg from the current MX-5’s kerbweight, with 1,050kg the target figure.
