Mazda MX-5

Mazda MX-5
Mazda MX-5
	File:Mazda Roadster (MX-5) by Negawa Bridge (cropped).jpg
Overview
Manufacturer	Mazda
Also called	Mazda Roadster (Japan); Eunos Roadster (Japan); Mazda MX-5 Miata (North America); Mazda Miata (North America)
Production	1989–present
Assembly	Japan: Hiroshima (Hiroshima Plant)
Body and chassis
Class	Roadster, sports car (S)
Layout	Front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Platform	Mazda N platform

The Mazda MX-5 is a lightweight two-passenger roadster sports car manufactured and marketed by Mazda with a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. The convertible is marketed as the Mazda Roadster (マツダ・ロードスター, Matsuda Rōdosutā^?) or Eunos Roadster (ユーノス・ロードスター, Yūnosu Rōdosutā^?) in Japan, and as the Mazda MX-5 Miata (/miˈɑːtə/) in North America, where it is widely known as the Miata.

Manufactured at Mazda's Hiroshima plant, the MX-5 debuted in 1989 at the Chicago Auto Show and was conceived and executed under a tightly focused design credo, Jinba ittai (人馬一体^?), meaning "oneness of horse and rider". Widely noted for its small, light, technologically modern, dynamically balanced and minimally complex design, the MX-5 has frequently been called a spiritual successor to 1950s and '60s Italian and British sports cars, prominently the Lotus Elan, which had been used as a design benchmark.

Generations were internally designated with a two-letter code, beginning with the first generation, the NA. The second generation, (NB), launched in 1998 for MY 1999; followed by the third generation (NC) in 2005 for MY 2006, and the fourth generation (ND) in 2015 for MY 2016 (along with "ND2" being the designation for MY 2019).

As the best-selling two-seat convertible sports car in history,^[1] the MX-5 has been marketed globally, with production exceeding one million, as of early 2016.^[2] The name miata derives from Old High German for "reward".^[3]^{[N 1]}

Generations and overview

The MX-5's first generation, the NA, sold over 400,000 units from May 1989 to 1997—with a 1.6 L (98 cu in) inline-four engine to 1993, a 1.8 L (110 cu in) engine thereafter (with a de-tuned 1.6 as a budget option in some markets)—recognizable by its pop-up headlights. The second generation (NB) was introduced in 1999 with a slight increase in engine power; it can be recognized by the fixed headlights and the glass rear window, although first generation owners may opt for the glass window design when replacing the original top. The third generation (NC) was introduced in 2006 with a 2.0 L (120 cu in) engine and slightly larger body size, with a Power Retractable Hard Top variant added in 2007. The fourth generation (ND) was introduced in 2015 with a new 2.0 L (120 cu in) SKYACTIV-G engine and a body size similar to the first generation model, with a Retractable Fastback (RF) variant added later that year.

Launched at a time when production of small roadsters had almost come to an end, the Alfa Romeo Spider was the only comparable volume model in production at the time of the MX-5's launch. Just a decade earlier, a host of similar models—notably the MG B, Triumph TR7, Triumph Spitfire, and Fiat Spider—had been available.

The body is a conventional, but light, unibody construction, with (detachable) front and rear subframes. The MX-5 also incorporates a longitudinal truss, marketed as the Powerplant Frame (PPF), providing a rigid connection between the engine and differential, minimizing flex and contributing to responsive handling. Some MX-5s feature limited slip differentials and anti-lock braking system. Traction control is an option on NC models and standard on ND models. MX-5s weigh slightly over one tonne. For example, in 1994, the very rare optional Spec C package included the desirable limited slip differential.

With an approximate 50:50 front/rear weight balance, the car has nearly neutral handling. Inducing oversteer is easy and very controllable, thus making the MX-5 a popular choice for amateur and stock racing,^[4] including, in the US, the Sports Car Club of America's Solo autocross and Spec Miata race class series, and in the UK, the 5Club Racing championship. Raddatz and Otten won the AASA Australian Endurance Championship in 2011.

The MX-5 has won awards, including Wheels Magazine’s Car of the Year for 1989, 2005 and 2016;^[5] Sports Car International’s "best sports car of the 1990s" and "ten best sports cars of all time"; 2005–2006 Car of the Year Japan; and 2005 Australian Car of the Year. The Miata has also made Car and Driver magazine's annual 10 Best list 17 times.^[6] In their December 2009 issue, Grassroots Motorsports magazine named the Miata as the most important sports car built during the previous 25 years.

In 2009, English automotive critic Jeremy Clarkson wrote: <templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />

The fact is that if you want a sports car, the MX-5 is perfect. Nothing on the road will give you better value. Nothing will give you so much fun. The only reason I’m giving it five stars is because I can’t give it fourteen.^[7]

Design genesis

In 1976, Bob Hall, a journalist at Motor Trend magazine who was an expert in Japanese cars and fluent in the language, met Kenichi Yamamoto and Gai Arai, head of Research and Development at Mazda. Yamamoto and Gai Arai asked Hall what kind of car Mazda should make in the future:^[8]

I babbled [...] how the [...] simple, bugs-in-the-teeth, wind-in-the-hair, classically-British sports car doesn't exist any more. I told Mr. Yamamoto that somebody should build one [...] inexpensive roadster.^[9]

In 1981, Hall moved to a product planning position with Mazda USA and again met Yamamoto, now chairman of Mazda Motors, who remembered their conversation about a roadster and in 1982 gave Hall the go-ahead to research the idea further.^[8] At this time Hall hired designer Mark Jordan to join the newly formed Mazda design studio in Southern California. There, Hall and Jordan collaborated on the parameters of the initial image, proportion and visualization of the "light-weight sports" concept. In 1983, the idea turned concept was approved under the "Offline 55" program, an internal Mazda initiative that sought to change the way new models were developed. Thus, under head of project Masakatsu, the concept development was turned into a competition between the Mazda design teams in Tokyo and California.^[8]

The Californian team proposed a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, codenamed Duo 101, in line with the British roadster ancestry, but their Japanese counterparts favored the more common front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout or the rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout.^[10]

The first round of judging the competing designs was held in April 1984, with designs presented on paper only. The mid-engined car appeared to offer favorable qualities, although it was known at the time that such a layout would struggle to meet the noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) requirements of the project. It was only at the second round of the competition in August 1984, when full-scale clay models were presented, that the Duo 101 won the competition and was selected as the basis for what would become the MX-5.

The Duo 101, so named as either a soft top or hardtop could be used, incorporated many key stylistic cues inspired by the Lotus Elan, a 1960s roadster, including the door handles, tail lamps and grille opening as well as engine appearance and center console layout. It is known that Mazda design studio acquired a vintage Lotus Elan as a source of inspiration for the designers. International Automotive Design (IAD) in Worthing, England was commissioned to develop a running prototype, codenamed V705. It was built with a fiberglass body, a 1.4 L (85 cu in) engine from a Mazda Familia and components from a variety of early Mazda models. The V705 was completed in August 1985 and taken to the US where it rolled on the roads around Santa Barbara, California and got positive reactions.

The project received final approval on 18 January 1986.^[8] The model's codename was changed to P729 as it moved into the production phase, under head of program Toshihiko Hirai. The task of constructing five engineering mules (more developed prototypes) was again allocated to IAD, which also conducted the first front and rear crash tests on the P729. While Tom Matano,^[11] Mark Jordan, Wu-huang Chin (秦無荒, also on the RX-7 team), Norman Garrett, and Koichi Hayashi (林浩一^?) worked on the final design, the project was moved to Japan for engineering and production details.

By 1989, with a definitive model name now chosen, the MX-5 was ready to be introduced to the world as a true lightweight sports car, weighing just 940 kg (2,070 lb).

Although Mazda's concept was for the MX-5 to be an inexpensive sports car, at introduction the design met strong demand, with many dealers placing customers on pre-order lists and several dealers across North America increasing the vehicle markup.^{[citation needed]}

Jinba ittai

Mazda used a design credo across the four generations of the MX-5's development: the phrase Jinba ittai (人馬一体^?, [dʑimba ittai]),^[12] which translates loosely into English as "rider (jin) and horse (ba) as one body (ittai)".

With the first generation of the MX-5, the phrase was developed into five specific core design requirements:

That the car be as compact and as light as possible while meeting global safety requirements.
That the cockpit comfortably accommodate two full-stature occupants with no wasted space.
That the basic layout continue with the original's front-midship rear-drive configuration with the engine positioned ahead of the driver but behind the front axle for 50:50 weight distribution.
That all four wheels be attached by wishbone or multi-link suspension systems to maximize tire performance, road grip, and dynamic stability.
And that a power-plant frame again provide a solid connection between the engine and rear-mounted differential to sharpen throttle response.

First generation (NA)

File:1st Mazda Miata -- 03-16-2012.JPG

Mazda MX-5 (NA)

The first generation MX-5 was introduced in 1989 and was in production until 1997. Upon its release, the car won numerous accolades such as Automobile Magazine's 1990 Automobile of the Year and Car and Driver's 10Best list from 1990 to 1992.

Second generation (NB)

File:2nd Mazda MX-5 Miata.jpg

Mazda MX-5 (NB)

The second generation MX-5 was unveiled in 1997 and put on sale in 1998 for the 1999 model year. While it kept the same proportions of its predecessor, its most noticeable change was the deletion of the retractable headlamps, which no longer passed pedestrian safety tests and were replaced by fixed ones.

Third generation (NC)

File:2006-2007 galaxy gray.jpg

Mazda MX-5 (NC)

Taking design cues from the 2003 Mazda Ibuki concept car, the third-generation Mazda MX-5 was introduced in 2005 and was in production until 2015. This generation introduced a Power Retractable Hard Top (PRHT) variant that features a folding mechanism that does not interfere with trunk space. During its release, the third generation MX-5 received several accolades such as the 2005-2006 Car of the Year Japan Award and Car and Driver's 10Best list from 2006 to 2013.

Fourth generation (ND)

File:2018 Mazda MX-5 RF Sport 2.0 Front.jpg

Mazda MX-5 RF (ND)

The fourth-generation Mazda MX-5 was unveiled in 2014 and has been in production since 2015. An updated model was introduced in 2018 and is visually identical to the pre-update model. It has been designated as series "ND2" due to an engine upgrade to 135 kW (181 hp) and several other improvements around the car. The ND generation introduced a Retractable Fastback (RF) variant that features a rigid roof and buttresses that give the silhouette a more coupé-like appearance than the soft top convertible. The fourth generation MX-5 has received several accolades such as the 2015-2016 Car of the Year Japan Award, the 2016 World Car of the Year Award, Car and Driver's 10Best list from 2016 to 2019, and the Red Dot Best of the Best Award in Product Design 2017. In addition, the car is the basis for the Fiat 124 Spider and Abarth 124 Spider.

Production numbers and details

In 2000, the Guinness Book of World Records declared the MX-5 the best-selling two-seat sports car in history, with a total production of 531,890 units.^[13] The 250,000th MX-5 rolled out of the factory on November 9, 1992; the 500,000th, on February 8, 1999; the 750,000th, in March 2004; the 800,000th in January 2007, and the 900,000th in February 2011.^[1]^[14]

On April 22, 2016, Mazda broke its Guinness World Record by producing its one millionth MX-5.^[2] The one millionth car rolled off the production line and was shown in select cities, where the first 240 fans of the vehicle present could physically sign it before it went to the next destination.^[15]

Calendar year	Production	Sales								Model
Calendar year	Production	U.S.	Canada	Australia	UK	Europe	Japan	Others	Global	Model
1988	12									(pre-production cars)
1989	45,266	23,052	2,827	657		4	9,307		35,847	First Generation (NA)
1990	95,640	35,944	3,906	1,455	2,246^[16]	9,267	25,226		75,798
1991	63,434	31,240	2,956	698	1,986	14,050	22,594		71,538
1992	52,712	24,964	2,277	499	1,017	6,632	18,648		53,020
1993	44,743	21,588	1,501	453	910^[17]	4,824	16,779		45,145
1994	39,623	21,400	1,173	404	1,250	5,019	10,828		38,824
1995	31,886	20,174	934	196	2,495	7,174	7,171		35,649
1996	33,610	18,408	558	241	3,855	9,585	4,413		33,201
1997	27,037	17,218	594	206	4,956	10,480	3,537		32,035
1998	58,682	19,845	1,045	1,310	6,307	16,831	10,174		49,205	Second Generation (NB)
1999	44,851	17,738	1,198	1,354	6,411	21,130	4,952	30	46,402
2000	47,496	18,299	1,328	1,038	5,199	19,268	4,644	33	44,610
2001	38,870	16,486	1,271	924	3,720	16,368	4,211	6	39,266
2002	40,754	14,392^[18]	1,230	698	7,162	19,670	2,934	34	38,958
2003	30,106	10,920^[18]	1,079	540	9,097	18,934	1,520	11	33,004
2004	24,232	9,356^[18]	1,146^[18]	483	6,372^[19]	13,885	1,646	248	26,764
2005	29,950	9,801^[18]	857^[18]	743	5,182	9,852	3,657	353	25,263	Third Generation (NC)
2006	48,389	16,897^[18]	1,582^[18]	1,468	8,593	19,402	4,067	827	44,243
2007	37,022	15,075^[18]	1,814^[18]	1,170	9,234^[16]	18,899	3,845	772	41,575
2008	22,886	10,977^[18]	1,407^[18]	639	6,109	13,252	1,858	610	28,743
2009	19,341	7,917^[18]	850^[18]	521	4,698	9,709	1,947	1,195	22,139
2010	20,554	6,370^[18]	736^[18]	440	5,157	10,317	1,120	1,083	20,066
2011	14,995	5,674^[18]	612^[18]	315	3,660	8,147	1,104	730	16,582
2012	15,400	6,305^[18]	711^[18]	159	3,342	7,207	941	513	15,836
2013	11,639	5,780^[18]	554^[18]	178	3,285	6,113	768	377	14,996
2014	9,150	4,745^[18]	511^[18]	118	2,982	5,786	491	296	13,534
2015	15,777	8,591^[18]	630^[18]	917		6,746			16,884	Fourth Generation (ND)
Total	964,057	419,156	35,287	17,824	115,225	308,551	168,378	7,118	959,121

v t e Mazda road car timeline, 1960–1989 — next »
Type	1960s													1970s															1980s
Type	0	1	2		3	4	5	6	7	8		9		0	1	2		3	4	5		6		7		8		9	0		1		2		3	4	5		6	7	8		9
Kei car	R360 Coupé
Kei car			Carol														Chantez																										Carol
Kei truck		B360/B600								Porter
Kei truck												Porter Cab											Porter Cab																				Scrum
Subcompact				Carol 600																																			121/Festiva
Compact						Familia				Familia, Presto								Familia Presto						Familia/323						Familia/323							Familia/323						Familia
					Familia Van						Familia Van/1000,1200,1300 Pickup															Familia Van/323 Wagon												Familia Van/Wagon
															Grand Familia / RX-3/Savanna																									Étude
Mid-size														Capella/616 / RX-2													Capella / 626							Capella / 626						Capella / 626
Mid-size								Luce/1500/1800									Luce/RX-4 / 929																									Persona
Executive																									Luce/RX-9 / 929L							Luce / 929							Luce / 929
																												Luce Van / 929 Wagon
													Luce R130								Cosmo/121/RX-5											Cosmo / 929 Coupé
Full-size																				Roadpacer
Sports car											Familia Rotary/R100																																MX-5
Sports car									Cosmo Sport																	RX-7/Savanna												RX-7/Savanna
Minivan																																										MPV
Pickup		B1500					Proceed/B-series																		Proceed/B-series												Proceed/B-series
Van							Bongo F800/F1000																		Bongo/E-series										Bongo/E-series

Type	1980s										1990s										2000s										2010s										2020s
Model year	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2
Subcompact	GLC	GLC																														Mazda2					Mazda2^(M)
							323				323/Protegé
Compact																Protegé				Protegé					Mazda3						Mazda3				Mazda3					Mazda3
	626			626					626
Mid-size														626					626					Mazda6						Mazda6				Mazda6
																Millenia
Full-size									929				929
Sport compact													MX-3
									MX-6					MX-6
Sports											MX-5 Miata								MX-5 Miata								MX-5 Miata										MX-5 Miata
	RX-7						RX-7							RX-7												RX-8
Minivan																											Mazda5						Mazda5				Mazda5^(C)
										MPV											MPV
Subcompact crossover																																					CX-3						CX-3^(C+M)
																																									CX-30
																																											MX-30
Compact crossover/SUV												Navajo										Tribute							Tribute					CX-5				CX-5
Mid-size crossover																												CX-7
																												CX-9									CX-9
Pickup	B-Series						B-Series								B-Series				B-Series												B-Series^(C)
Legend/Notes	(C) Vehicles exclusive to Canada (M) Vehicles exclusive to Mexico

Mazda MX-5

Contents

Generations and overview

Design genesis

Jinba ittai

First generation (NA)

Second generation (NB)

Third generation (NC)

Fourth generation (ND)

Production numbers and details

Awards and recognition

See also

References

Bibliography

External links

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