History

The Mazda MX-5 has redefined our idea of what a two seat roadster should be, and it has been one of the most popular convertible vehicles ever sold. This is exemplified by the longevity of the vehicle; the original Mazda MX-5 was first launched in 1989 and is showing no signs of abating, in fact it is becoming more and more popular and is now on its third generation. It was originally launched with a straight 4 1.6 litre engine but current versions are offered with a choice of 1.8 litre or 2.0 litre engines. The origins of the Mazda MX-5 can be traced back to those monumental and era defining vehicles such as the Lotus Elan, Triumph Spitfire and Austin-Healey Sprite. Mazda felt there were no true successors to these classic British roadsters and set out to create one; they wanted a light weight design that was technically uncomplicated and represented excellent performance for the price that it would be sold at. They aimed to fuse this concept with a vehicle that was very technologically up to date and the result was the MX-5.

On paper the traditional front engine rear wheel drive setup serves the concept behind the Mazda MX-5 well, with the double wishbone suspension providing excellent performance without overcomplicating the design. There are some hints to modernity however such as the flex reducing Powerplant Frame (or PPF), along with anti-locking brakes and a limited slip differential. With over 150 rewards to its name there is no denying that the Mazda MX-5 has shaped a generation, and this unusual hybrid of Japanese technology and British roadster will no doubt continue to grace our roads for many years to come. Historically the spark that ignited the Mazda MX-5 flame was caused by journalist Bob Hall who met with Kenichi Yamamoto and lamented the lack of true classic British roadster style vehicles back in 1976.

By 1981 Bob Hall was working with Mazda US and he was given the okay to proceed with planning and design of the vehicle to fill the niche that he lamented the loss of many years ago. By 1983 a concept had been developed and in order to stimulate fresh ideas the design of this new vehicle was turned into a competition between the Tokyo and Californian divisions of Mazda. Whilst the Japanese engineers favoured a front engined front wheel drive vehicle for the MX-5 the US team worked with a front engined rear wheel drive concept. The next year the Californian design was chosen for production and it took many of its design cues directly from the classic Lotus Elan making it a firm favourite with motoring enthusiasts around the world.

One of the driving forces behind the creation of the Mazda MX-5 was the concept of "jinba ittai", a philosophical premise that describes a "rider and horse as one". This concept was expanded into a number of specific requirements and it remains something of a motto for the Mazda MX-5 to this day. The requirements aimed to produce a vehicle that was as compact and light as it could possible be whilst still adhering to global safety rules and regulations, to comfortably seat two full sized adults without wasting any space, to produce a design that featured a near 50:50 perfect weight distribution to improve handling and performance, to produce a car that was fun to drive yet stable and comfortable thanks to wishbone or multi-link suspension, and that an excellent response to the throttle would be attained by solidly connecting the engine and rear-mounted differential.