MAZDA MX-5

Mazda has spent more than 25 years being obsessed with everything a lightweight sports car can be. All the Jinba Ittai inspiration gained over three model generations has gone into the all-new Mazda MX-5.

Its aggressive looks are, in a word, moving. Even at a standstill, the MX-5's flowing KODO-inspired lines seem to be in motion. But it still looks best - as do those inside it - in its main element: Namely driving down the open road with the top down.

Jinba Ittai, the rider-and-horse-as-one-body doctrine that has defined the relationship between drivers and their MX-5 from the beginning, applies in more ways than one. For example, in the way the interior design and remarkably clever packaging of the fourthgeneration model melt away the boundaries between the cabin and the exterior.

More traditional Jinba Ittai trademarks were also edged that much closer to perfection. Like weight distribution, which is now nearer than ever to the centre of gravity of a car that is lower to the ground with shorter overhangs. Starting at under 1,000kg, the all-new MX-5 weighs some 10% less than the outgoing model and is the lightest since the first generation. And that in spite of the advanced active and passive safety, smartphone connectivity technology, and evolved ergonomics with a human-machine interface that enables the driver to make the most of it all.

One with its inspirations

The MX-5 was a source of inspiration for Mazda innovations like SKYACTIV Technology, since implemented across the model line-up. Now SKYACTIV comes home to the latest MX-5 with two specially modified highcompression SKYACTIV-G petrol engines. A SKYACTIV-MT manual gearbox that takes the roadster's smooth, crisp shifting up another notch, a lightweight yet exceptionally strong SKYACTIV-Body, and a SKYACTIVChassis adapted to further enhance the already outstanding agility of Mazda's icon.

It's also safer, featuring i-ACTIVSENSE active safety systems and passive protection built into the SKYACTIV-Body and SKYACTIV-Chassis that is simply outstanding for an affordable roadster. Because peace of mind is also part of the fun.

And ultimately, pure driving fun is what the world's all-time best selling roadster is about. The fourth-generation MX-5 is without doubt the most memorable edition yet.

EXTERIOR & INTERIOR DESIGN

The all-new Mazda MX-5 is a head turner - a design masterpiece inside and out. It represents the pinnacle of Mazda's efforts to create a perfectly proportioned lightweight sports car for a truly electrifying driving experience, especially with the top down.

The design starts with the people. After all, a roadster is meant to be driven with the top down, and driver and passenger are meant to be seen. That has been a key part of the MX-5's allure for more than 25 years. Another is the patented Jinba Ittai driver-and-car-as-one feeling. Mazda's KODO - Soul of Motion design for the fourth-generation MX-5 unites both concepts in a powerful visual expression of its essential character: quick, agile and above all fun to drive.

Beautifully balanced

A hallmark of the all-new MX-5, perhaps more than any of its predecessors, is its ideal proportions. Occupants are seated literally at the vehicle's midpoint, closer to the ground than in past MX-5s, reflecting the new model's lower centre of gravity. The shortest MX-5 ever is also sleeker. Every single line and curve is intended to do one thing: set the onlooker's heart racing.

At the front, the low-slung nose and short overhang hints at the car's adept roadhugging proficiency. Sharp character lines running from the upper edge of the grille towards each headlamp emphasise the glinting nature of the wildcat eyes, which conceal ultra-compact four-lamp LED headlamp units. Situated at the lower corners of the front bumper, the LED daytime running lamps underscore the MX-5's broad stance.

Designers looked to the Japanese tradition of calligraphy when crafting the exterior, achieving a strikingly efficient flow down the sides of the car. Moving the cabin slightly rearward perfectly balances the roadster's proportions with the top down or up. Matching the soft top, the black A-pillars, windscreen header, door mirror trim and seatback bars highlight the cockpit style of the cabin and robust top-down look. As for the soft top itself, besides stowing away neatly into a remarkably compact space and streamlining the MX-5's silhouette, it also enhances the car's overall appearance when up, not to mention its aerodynamics.

Teeming with uniquely beautiful forms, the sides of the body appear to be "tucked in" at the corners, also narrowing above the tires. Front or back, it all spotlights the MX-5's design efficiency, with a low and wide trapezoidal outline front and back that further highlights its wiry musculature. The rear end, too, leaves a lingering impression. This is where all the lines converge through the flared fenders, which visually magnify the car's volume. The rear combination lamps, meanwhile, give a nod to previous generations while at the same time reflecting Mazda's unique new-generation lighting signatures.

Underpinning the new roadster are sporty 16 or 17-inch eight-spoke alloy wheels with four-nut centre hub finished in either gunmetal or silver (16-inch) and gunmetal or bright silver (17-inch). Whatever the choice, they should resonate with driving enthusiasts: Made from cold-cast aluminium, they're both lightweight and durable.

A second skin

The all-new MX-5 seems to erase the boundaries between the car, driver, road and scenery. For example, the ridgeline extending to the front fender from the upper door trim, is the same colour as the exterior, uniting inside and outside. The effect also underscores the traditional Jinba Ittai connection: It's cosy as always in the MX-5, only now even more comfortable and ergonomic.

A single axis in the cabin centres the driver on the steering wheel and instrument cluster in perfect symmetry with the climate control louvers to the sides and indeed all major controls, including the pedals and gearshift. Again here, the emphasis in the all-new MX-5's cabin space is clearly on driving. These details boost comfort while preventing fatigue and reducing distraction potential. And the details are many, from the compact steering wheel (see box) and ergonomic gearshift knob to the improved design of the soft top. It now features an assist spring reducing the force necessary for operation. The soft top is thus quickly opened or closed while remaining seated in an intuitive one-step manoeuvre - practical when the skies suddenly open up into a downpour.

The enhanced driving position offers occupants more knee room as well as head clearance. In fact, despite sitting lower to the ground, the driver's field of view is greater on the all-new MX-5 than on the outgoing model in every direction: up, down and horizontally.