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2013 Mazda MX-5 promises bigger fun factor

By Jez Spinks |

The 2013 Mazda MX-5 should be the most thrilling version yet after the company said it was targeting the best power-to-weight ratio yet since the world’s most popular two-seater sports car went on sale in 1989.

Mazda revealed its aim for the fourth-generation MX-5 roadster on the eve of the 2011 Tokyo motor show as the company reiterated its intention to reduce the roadster’s kerb weight to below one tonne.

“For the next-generation MX-5 we would like to go back to its origins – that is a lightweight sports car,” says Mazda’s senior managing executive officer for research and development, Hirotaka Kanazawa.

“Ideally we want to go back to the lightweight origins [of the 1989 car]. The power might not be so much but it is easy to handle so it is fun to drive. We want to make this kind of car with next MX-5.

“Since first-generation MX-5 [the car] has got heavier and heavier – so we want to go back to original. We’ll do our best [to get to 800kg] … [but we certainly] want it to go below 1000kg.”

The current MX-5 gained only 4kg over its predecessor, according to Mazda, after the company embarked on a ‘gram by gram’ weight-saving strategy to compensate for extra cabin features and enhanced crash-safety integrity for the body.

Kanazawa-san said the company “imagined” the new MX-5 to have the best power to weight ratio yet for the car. The original MX-5 weighed about 940kg and had 85kW, though it’s possible the 2013 model – rumoured to get a 1.5-litre petrol ‘Skyactiv’ engine – could offer less power than today’s 118kW version.

The third-generation MX-5 that went on sale in 2005 is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. Mazda suggests its replacement will again be a naturally aspirated unit that forgoes turbocharging.

“When we develop the next MX-5 … we want to capitalise on its ease of us – [and] that is the strength of our [new generation] SkyActiv naturally aspirated engines,” says Kanazawa-san, strongly hinting at the company’s preference for ‘purer’ acceleration that is typically more linear in its delivery than many turbocharged engines.

Mazda is in the process of introducing a range of more economical engines as part of its new suite of efficiency-improving technologies called ‘SkyActiv’. A 1.5-litre petrol ‘Skyactiv’ engine is rumoured for the new MX-5.

A new variant of the Mazda3 small car, the SP20, was the first Mazda in Australia to feature the SkyActiv features, though the 2012 CX-5 compact SUV will be the company’s first vehicle to be built from the ground up with the technologies

A so-called SkyActiv-Chassis in development is a newly developed strut-front/multilink rear suspension that is stiffer than before as well as being 14 per cent lighter than the previous set-up.

The 2013 Mazda MX-5 looks set to be offered with a choice of cloth or hardtop roof.

“Probably we will do both [fabric and hardtop],” says Kanazawa-san. “Hardtop [roofs are] popular now. But [MX-5’s is currently] made from plastic so it not so heavy.”


 

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  • IfItAintARotorItAintAMotor

    I’d love for this to compete with the FT86 in terms of price. The current model is too dear for what it is.

    How good would a sub-tonne, manual MX-5 be for $34,990?

  • Douglas9305

    Sub $30 would be better (don’t lets compare prices in Australia to other markets again…..sigh….) but certainly sounds like something could compete with the old ‘NA’. Don’t want a Suzuki Copen, though……

    • Mono

      Err, Daihatsu Copen. Please don’t blame Suzuki for that abomination…

      • j

        Suzuki Cappuccino is an epic kei car from what I hear…

  • Jimmy James

    just what the mx5 has always needed…less power.

    what a pack of arseclowns.

    by all means reduce the weight, but if Mazda are so against more power why not at least offer the current engine along with reduced weight so there’s a bit more grunt.

    the mx5 could have been something great, and its chassis is certainly that, but until it actually offers some PERFORMANCE to match its chassis, it will always suffer the same image problems…girl’s car, hairdressers car…and dare i say it…gay car of the year (which I believe it previously won in the US).
    …not that there’s anything wrong with that….

    Regards
    Jerry Seinfeld.

    • Homer

      Had one for 2 years and the lack of power & torque outweighed all the good things about it. Put a modern 2 litre turbo (Golf GTi or similar) in it and you’d have an absolute ripper of a sports car that would truly be a budget Boxster.

      • davie

        Mazda DID offer two turbo MX5′s a few years ago in the old model shape. One was a 150kw/280NM Aussie designed effort called MX5 SP which was a lot more powerful than the later 121KW/206NM international design which was called MX5 SE.

        A lot of reviews of the more powerful SP model said that the extra power really did push the chassis to its absolute limits.

  • Pauly

    I really do admire Mazda’s approch to reducing weight and making their engines efficient before jumping onto the whole hybrid/hydrogen band wagon.

    However, this obsession with less weight is also affecting what time of engine they can throw into the car.

    Having small engines coupled to such a capable chassis is a real shame.

  • davie

    The 2.3 turbo engine (190KW, 380NM)from the MPS would certainly increase the excitement level.

    Its from the same engine family as the MX-5′s engine but doesn’t fit without some re-work to the cars firewall.

  • Harry

    if they want me to buy one offer their new 16X rotary engine that they keep talking about but never release as an option. Love that they are going for light weight though, light weight is the future.

  • Harry

    Back in June caradvice said that the 16X would have direct injection and laser ignition. Somewhere else said it would have 350hp (ie 260kW) naturally aspirated. This I want to see, hurry up Mazda.

  • john

    “…..after the company embarked on a ‘gram by gram’ weight-saving strategy to compensate for….”, how can they say this and yet allow the mx5 be built with 2 exhausts. they certainly weren’t there for extra grunt, more so for show. 2 exhausts, 2 many, save the weight, get rid of one.

  • Acfsambo

    Put the 1.3L rotary in it atleast, a very light engine for its power. The new 1.6L they are developing (under SKYactiv i think) would we great. Use a chassis for the MX-5 and a new RX-7, will save money, both will be awesome handling cars with screaming rotaries.