Mazda MX-5 2015 News

They would have learned everything they need to know at the world's most successful new car show, the Goodwood Festival of Speed.Goodwood has been running for many years, but more recently it's morphed from a garden party at the stately home of the Earl of March into a genuine motor show which draws every major maker in the UK - and beyond.So what began as a chance for the owners of historic racing cars to exercise their old-timers is now a major event that draws more than 200,000 people each June on the same weekend as the Glastonbury music festival.Some fantastic retired racers still sprint up the Earl's driveway but it's the modern stuff which is drawing the big crowds and the big brands.Goodwood is an event and a destination, proving that cars are still more than just appliances for a lot of peopleMercedes-Benz uses the weekend to unveil its facelifted A45 AMG and new C63 S, Aston Martin rips the covers off its $2.5 million Vulcan and launches it up the hill, and Peugeot shows its 308 GTI for the first time. Mazda, which is the star brand at the show and has its Le Mans winning rotary 787B doing noisy demonstration runs, has its all-new MX-5 in action.There is also a moving motor show where ordinary fans can take a passenger ride and a supercar cavalcade including all of the world's most desirable cars, right up to the 400km/h Ferrari FXX K.And that's the real key to the Festival of Speed. The cars move and there is lots of interactivity for visitors, from off-road driving events to racing car simulators and even kiddie slides.Did I mention Ken 'Gymkhana' Block in the outrageous Ford Mustang that starred in his most-recent internet video hit?Old-school motor shows are just giant showrooms, but Goodwood is an event and a destination, proving that cars are still more than just appliances for a lot of people. If it can work in Britain then the same formula should be just as tasty in Australia.

The world's favourite sports car enters its fourth generation with a price that takes it back 23 years.

Mazda has released local pricing for the all-new MX-5 convertible sports car, with the hotly-anticipated new fourth-generation model priced from $31,990, sharpening the pricing by over $15,000 compared to the outgoing NC model.This puts the MX-5 squarely up against the Toyota 86, with the other budget rear-wheel drive hero still kicking off at $29,990. The MX-5 brings the added bonus of an open roof, however.Two variants of the MX-5, designated as the ND, will be available when the model arrives on our shores in mid-August.From launch, both entry-level Roadster and Roadster GT trim levels will be powered by an up-rated version of the Mazda2’s 1.5-litre petrol engine, bringing an extra 15kW and 9Nm to now total 96kW/150Nm.Driving the rear wheels as per MX-5 tradition, the new model can be had with a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. A more powerful 2.0-litre petrol engine will join the lineup later in the year.Impressively the ND is only 59kg heavier than the original 1989 NA modelIncreased use of aluminium and high-strength steel helps make the all-new MX-5 is significantly lighter than before, with a starting point of 1009kg a full 91kg lighter than the equivalent NC model.Also aiding weight loss is the fact the model is shorter than ever before, with an overall length of 3915mm and a wheelbase of 2315mm. The ND is 1730mm wide and 1235mm tall.The new model also reverts to a lighter soft-top roof, doing away with the folding hardtop fitted exclusively to the final NC models. Impressively the ND is only 59kg heavier than the original 1989 NA model, which lacked most modern safety features that are standard in the new car.Mazda’s attention to weight reduction even extends to reverting to a four-stud wheel and brake package, compared to the five-stud package of the NC.The new 1.5-litre MX-5 may trail the 118kW/188Nm output figures of the NC, but the new model's lighter weight has kept the power-to-weight ratio within the same ballpark, and easily better than the 1.6-litre NA.The upcoming 2.0-litre version should easily eclipse the performance of the NC, however, making it the fastest non-turbo MX-5 yet.Australian-spec ND MX-5's started rolling down the Ujina production line near Hiroshima last week.

But the start of 2015 is gearing up for more hot deals than usual because new car sales stalled last year for the first time since the Global Financial Crisis.It means dealers are overstocked and they're even more eager to make way for fresh metal.Adding to the pressure - and putting buyers in the driver's seat - is the uncertainty around Australia's currency, which has taken a hit in recent months. Buying a new car now could mean a double-saving; get the discount on end-of-year bargains and beat possible price rises.Record low interest rates and favourable exchange rates saw new car prices fall to 20-year lows in 2014 as affordability hit a 38-year high in 2014.But once the cars imported at last year's exchange rates are cleared, the chances are new models won't be discounted as heavily, or prices may even rise.Most cars sold in Australia are sourced from Japan (30 per cent), Thailand (20 per cent) and South Korea (12 per cent) - rather than the US (5 per cent) - but most car companies buy in US dollars as it has historically been more stable.The prices of Japanese branded cars are likely to remain steady because the Japanese Government artificially devalues the yen to boost exports. But the value of the Australian dollar against the currencies of Thailand, South Korea and the US is less stable.It means price rises are likely on almost every ute sold in Australia because most are made in Thailand, including the top-selling Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, Nissan Navara, Mitsubishi Triton and Holden Colorado, among others.South Korean brands Hyundai and Kia, two of the industry's biggest discounters, may also lose some of their bargaining power if the Australian dollar continues to head south.But one brand you may not be expecting to go backwards due to a shift in currency is Holden, which sources eight of its 12 models from South Korea and two from Thailand.With that in mind we have assembled the 10 cars we reckon are worth waiting for. Remember to always judge a car by its build date (the day it went down the production line and how its age will be measured when it comes time to sell), rather than the compliance plate (in effect, when the car cleared Australian customs).Be warned: there are still some 2013-built cars out there (Nissan, we're looking at you), so be sure to haggle hard and make sure the factory warranty starts the day you take delivery.Sometimes it's worth waiting for an all-new model, or at least knowing if you have more bargaining power if the dealer is trying to clear not only last year's model but one that is about to be superseded.The successor to Australia's cheapest car from a mainstream brand is just around the corner with a new look and a new name. The Suzuki Celerio is bigger than the Alto and the 1.0-litre three-cylinder has been tuned to run on regular unleaded (rather than premium like its predecessor), making it one of the cheapest cars to own and operate. Expect a super-sharp $13,990 drive-away starting price when it goes on sale in February.Australia is going to be crawling with pint-sized SUVs next year but the Mazda CX-3 is likely to take most of the spotlight. Available with a 1.5-litre turbo diesel or a 2.0-litre petrol engine it is expected to start between $20,000 and $25,000 when it goes on sale in March. It will join the Honda HR-V (February), Renault Captur (February), the next generation Suzuki Vitara (June), the unusually named Citroen Cactus (June), and the cutesy Fiat 500X (November).The city-sized soft-roader market is so huge globally even off-road brand Jeep has joined the fray. The Jeep Renegade may look like a scaled-down Tonka Truck but it is based on the same underbody as the Fiat Punto, Alfa Romeo Mito and the Fiat 500X. Powered by a 1.4-litre turbo petrol or 2.0-litre turbo diesel matched to a segment-leading nine-speed automatic transmission, the Renegade is due in showrooms in October priced between $20,000 and $30,000.The first new Nissan Navara in 10 years arrives in showrooms in April with two new 2.3-litre turbo diesel engines (one with a single turbo, the other with twin turbos). The outputs are almost the same as the previous 2.5-litre turbo diesel, despite being smaller in capacity (a 118kW/403Nm version and a 140kW/450Nm version). Payload and towing capacity are yet to be confirmed but bank on a one-tonne cargo rating and a 3500kg towing limit (bringing the Navara into line with class leaders). The 550Nm Navara with the Renault 3.0-litre turbo diesel V6 has been dropped. It will be a big year for utes, with a rebodied Mitsubishi Triton due in May, significant updates due for the Ford Ranger and Mazda BT50 in July, an all-new Toyota HiLux in October.Take a close look at the new Ford Mondeo due on sale in April. This is a pointer to the vehicle that will eventually replace the Falcon. Available in sedan and wagon body styles, likely with a choice of 2.0-litre turbo petrol or 2.0-litre turbo diesel engines, prices are expected to range from $30,000 to $50,000. It will also be loaded with technology including LED headlights, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and industry-leading rear seatbelt airbags. A hybrid version will join the Mondeo line-up later in the year.Jaguar is making a second attempt at the lucrative mid-size luxury sedan market dominated by the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C Class. After learning from the ill-conceived 2002 X-Type based on the Ford Mondeo, Jaguar has started with a cleansheet design and aluminium construction. It will be available with a 2.0-litre petrol engine, and a 2.0-litre turbo diesel said to sip 4.0L/100km, less than the Audi A4 (4.8L/100km) and BMW 320d (4.5L/100km) aided by an eight-speed auto. At the other end of the scale: a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 with a 0 to 100km/h time of 5.1 seconds. Due on sale in September, it's likely to start about $60,000.The first new Volvo XC90 in 12 years is also the first all-new model developed since Volvo was bought by China's Geely motor company in 2010. Promising to the world's safest SUV it will automatically slam on the brakes if you're about to turn in front of an oncoming car, and can also spot cyclists and pedestrians at night. It even has eyes in the back of its head: a radar system can detect if you're about to be hit from behind, and will prepare the seatbelts and headrests for the sudden impact. It will be available with a choice of four-cylinder petrol or diesel power, and a plug-in hybrid that can travel up to 40km on battery power alone (before switching to petrol power), the first seven-seater of its type in the world. Due in showrooms in July priced about $90,000.Mazda has gone back to basics – in every sense of the word – and wound back the clock with the new MX-5 sports-car. The first all-new MX-5 since the original was launched 25 years ago goes back to its lightweight, low cost roots (each wheel only has four locating nuts instead of five, for example) and promises a soft-top roof and a sub-1000kg mass for the first time since last century. Since 2006 the Mazda MX-5 has had a folding metal roof to help it weather storms and thwart thieves, but this has added weight, complexity and cost. The new model is expected to be available with a choice of two engines – a 1.5- and a 2.0-litre – when it goes on sale in September priced below $40,000.The Ford Mustang returns to Australia in October for the first time since 2003, but it will be the first time in the nameplate's 50-year history that it will be made in right-hand-drive on a Ford production line (Flat Rock, Michigan). All models before this one were converted to right-hand-drive locally. It will be available with a choice of 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo or 5.0-litre V8 power in coupe and convertible body styles. Prices will range from $50,000 to $70,000.Mercedes-Benz's answer to the Porsche 911 arrives in July priced about $270,000. Powered by a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 that will also power the upcoming AMG C63 sedan, it can complete the 0 to 100km/h dash in just 3.8 seconds. Fun fact for the tech heads: it has a better weight distribution (47/53 front to rear) than either the Porsche 911 (39/61) or Cayman (46/54). Game on.

New fourth-gen Mazda MX-5 to spawn global one-make racing series in 2016.Mazda has announced that the upcoming fourth-generation MX-5 will form the basis of a new global race series starting in North America, Europe and Asia in 2016.The track-prepped MX-5 racer was previewed at this week’s SEMA show in the US, with the showcar wearing a discreet aero bodykit, single outlet exhaust and larger wheels than the roadgoing example revealed in September.The interior has also been stripped out to make room for a race-spec rollcage, steering wheel and instruments, along with a racing seat and harness for the driver. What is shown may not be the final form that takes to the grid in 2016. Further development will occur over the coming months, with the final specifications confirmed when the car goes on sale in 2015.Mazda has confirmed that the Global MX-5 Cup racers will use the 2.0-litre Skyactiv-G petrol engine destined for the road car in some markets.Each regional series of the Global MX-5 Cup will run identical production-based machinery, and the season will culminate in with a Global Shootout grand final at the end of the year held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in the US.The prize for winning the Shootout will be a one-day test in Mazda's Skyactiv-D LMP2 prototype racer, which competed this year in the Tudor United SportsCar Championship in the US.Single-make global series like this are not new, with Porsche's Carrera Cup running in Australia for a decade and in Germany since 1986. However this is Mazda’s first tilt at a factory-backed single-make series.Previously, their involvement has been limited to the US-based MX-5 Cup and Spec Miata series. Mazda has also hoted the MX-5 Challenge since 2011, which pits motoring journalists from Australia and Europe against each other in conditions not typical of the topless sports car.There’s no mention of an Australian leg of the Global MX-5 Cup at this stage, but exact locations of circuits are yet to be confirmed.

New Mazda MX-5 on sale in Australia next year priced close to $30,000, about $15,000 less than the current model.Mazda has unveiled the successor to the world’s top-selling sports-car, the MX-5 convertible.In a bizarre display at the global unveiling in Monterey California, the Japanese company used 1980s pop sensations Duran Duran to take the covers off the first all-new MX-5 since the original was launched 25 years ago.When the MX-5 first went on sale, Bob Hawke was Prime Minister, Ronald Reagan was the president of the United States and the Australian cricket team regained the Ashes on UK soil for the first time in 40 years.Still not feeling old? The year 1989 was when Australian Formula One star Daniel Ricciardo was born.Mazda is trying to tug at the retro heartstrings with the new model because it is one of the few Japanese cars that have developed a global cult following.But, much like its owners, the Mazda MX-5 put on some middle-age spread over the past decade or so, getting bigger and heavier with each new model.The latest MX-5, however, has lost much of the weight it had put on over the years and gone back to its roots, weighing less than 1000kg for the first time since the original.The other good news for sports-car fans is that Mazda will bring the MX-5’s price back to basics.When the fourth-generation car goes on sale in Australia in late 2015 it will likely have a starting price close to $30,000 -- about $15,000 less than today's car -- and once again be available exclusively with a soft-top roof.Since 2006 the Mazda MX-5 has had a folding metal roof to help it weather storms and thwart thieves, but this has added weight, complexity and cost.The new model is expected to be available with a choice of two small and economical engines -- a 1.5 and a 2.0-litre -- and a version with a folding metal roof is due to follow in the coming years.The new MX-5 is also significant because it is the first time Mazda will share a car with Italian car makers Fiat and Alfa Romeo.The Italian version of the MX-5, due to be unveiled later this year, will be made in Japan and have a unique appearance and engines.Alfa Romeo announced two years ago that it would work with Mazda to deliver a low-cost two-seater sports-car.But the Italian company has since hinted that the convertible will be sold as a Fiat, its sister brand, rather than an Alfa Romeo.In the meantime, Mazda has revealed little other detail on the new MX-5, only showing that it is smaller and lighter than before, and announcing it will be on-sale next year. Watch the 2015 Mazda MX-5 launch video here.

Despite an official full steam ahead on the Mazda/Fiat Chrysler joint project to develop an Italian-badged roadster based on the next MX-5, its now looking like that badge may not be Alfa Romeo after all.The project has been praised by Alfa loyalists craving the return of an affordable rear-drive Alfa, but Fiat Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionne has repeatedly insisted that he will not allow any Alfa Romeo models to be built outside Italy.Both versions of the car were planned to be built by Mazda in Japan, and recent spy shots of each version undergoing testing suggest that development is well underway.According to Automotive News Europe, the Fiat Chrysler end of the project is now more likely to wear a Fiat or Abarth badge when it arrives after the fourth-generation MX-5’s 2015 debut.Citing anonymous sources, the report suggests that product planners will soon decide which of Fiat Chrysler’s suite of brands the new model will fit under. If the Fiat Chrysler model does shift from Alfa, a significant redesign will likely be necessary, particularly around the trademark Alfa shield grille nose. The mechanicals will likely remain as planned though, with the expected 1.4-litre turbo engine already in use across several Fiat Chrysler models.Such a move would not leave Alfa without a rear-drive convertible either, with a drop-top version of its 4C sports car due to be revealed in Geneva this week.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn 

Several car sites have had a crack at guessing the styling of Mazda’s 2015 MX-5, but Japan’s Holiday Auto magazine reckons they’re all wrong. Most expect the new fourth-generation roadster to follow the formula used for the recent CX-5, 6 and 3 designs, with the same basic Kodo design morphed to fit around each bodystyle and size category.However, an anonymous Mazda insider reportedly told the magazine: “The media don’t fully understand the essential elements of Kodo design. That’s why none of their expected designs are close. They forecasted it simply looking at superficial aspects of KODO design.”Instead, the new MX-5 is expected to lead with an evolution of the CX-5, 6 and 3’s Kodo styling, with the need to remain fresh for the MX-5’s relatively long six year-plus model cycle a key consideration. Mazda is also reportedly keen to retain some MX-5 trademark details: “It’s important to be able to recognise the Roadster (MX-5) at a glance.For example, it doesn’t use the ‘family face’. It doesn’t have the ‘signature wing’ which goes from bottom of upper grill to head lamps like on the 6 and 3. It’s simpler but still has KODO design features,” the source added.Following this advice, Holiday Auto has thrown its hat into the ring with the above rendering, which shows a blend of existing Kodo detailing with contemporary MX-5 details, and a few new elements. Key details include the MX-5’s trademark pebble-like overall form, with NA and NC-referencing ovoid taillights, NC-like wheelarch flares, and a reference to the distinctive chrome doorhandles of the NA.Also evident is the elongated wheelbase spotted in several recent spy photos, with the front wheels shifted further ahead of the cabin. This was accepted as a mere accentuation of the MX-5’s classic roadster long-nose, short-tail proportions, but Holiday Auto reports that this change is a result of Mazda’s platform-sharing arrangement with Alfa Romeo.According to the report, Alfa requested a more flexible engine bay to allow for a wider array of engine and transmission options for its new Spider-badged end of the bargain. This apparently required the engine to be moved ahead of the firewall – rather than within it – unlike the current MX-5, and the front axle line to also be brought forward to a similar degree to maintain the roadster’s balanced weight distribution targets.Holiday Auto reports that this has not impinged on the new MX-5’s ambitious sub-1000kg overall weight target, as the new flat firewall is able to deliver the required strength without the added bracing – and therefore weight - needed by the existing MX-5’s design.In Mazda guise, the new model is expected to be produced with 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre versions of Mazda’s Skyactiv-G petrol engine, but like previous generations Australian models are likely to be limited to the more powerful of the two. This 2.0-litre is currently available in the CX-5 and the new 3, but will likely be boosted beyond their Regular 91RON fuel burning 114kW/200Nm tune to suit the sportier MX-5. A Premium 95RON tune should see the engine easily exceed the 118kW/188Nm produced by the current 2.0-litre MX-5 when fuelled with 95RON.This should result in a significant performance lift if Mazda succeeds with its 1000kg weight target, which would nearly match the 950kg original model, and undercut the current model by at least 167kg. “Everyone will be quite surprised once the mass production car spec is announced,” Holiday Auto’s source added.As for when we’ll see the finished product, the Holiday Auto report suggests we’ll see a drip-feed of information as with the new 3, unlike a traditional tell-all motor show reveal. This could see the new model’s bare chassis being revealed first – as Volkswagen did with the Mk7 Golf – sometime this year. The original MX-5 was unveiled 25 years ago this month at the Chicago motor show, and the completed fourth-generation of the world’s best-selling roadster could make its official first appearance at the same show on its 26th anniversary in 2015.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn 

It’s one of the most anticipated models since the 2007 return of Nissan’s GT-R, but Mazda is still yet to officially confirm a rotary-powered replacement for the RX-7 and RX8 sports models.However, the latest of a series of reports suggests that an RX-7-succeeding two-door sports coupe is under development at least, with the Nissan 370Z’s 86/BRZ-Porsche Cayman splitting market territory firmly in its sights.An idea of what the model might look like has been created by master artist Theophilus Chin, based on Mazda’s Shinari concept that evolved into the current model 6.According to Autoweek, industry buzz suggests that a lightweight two door coupe based on the upcoming 2015 MX-5 is being developed, with a next-generation rotary engine.With the MX-5 expected to drop its price nearer to the 86/BRZ rear-drive performance bargains, a higher performing RX-7 is expected to target the 370Z’s upcoming replacement, which is also expected to lower its current $56,930 entry point.The Mazda is yet to receive a production green light however, with a “no concrete plans” official line, but Autoweek reports that Mazda executives have made off the record confirmation of the development program.A 2015-16 completion date has also been suggested, which would be a logical fit for the rotary engine’s 50th anniversary in 2017 or the RX-7’s 40th anniversary in 2018.Mazda’s chief designer Ikuo Maeda is also the son of the design boss who oversaw the original RX-7’s development, and reportedly wants to see the new sports coupe reach production before he retires.Mazda plans to use a smaller-scale rotary engine design as a generator for agricultural applications, and has explored its potential as a range-extending engine for hybrid vehicle applications as showcased in the Mazda 2 prototype driven by Carsguide late last year. The rotary used in this model is a 330cc single chamber design, unlike the twin-rotor 1.3-litre Renesis unit used most recently in the RX-8 that ended production in 2012.The report suggests that a production Mazda sports coupe will not use a hybrid drivetrain and will be naturally-aspirated like the RX-8. The new model will also likely deliver significantly improved fuel consumption over the RX-8’s 12.9L/100km combined fuel figure.A capacity of around 600cc per rotor has been suggested – slightly down from the RX-8’s 650cc – and it’s unclear whether twin or triple-rotors will be employed. A twin-rotor like the RX-8 is most likely, which would result in an overall capacity of around 1.2-litres.Given the new engine’s efficiency focus, power output is not likely to climb significantly from the RX-8’s 170kW, with a realistic figure of about 186kW. However with the upcoming MX-5’s expected weight savings, such a figure could prove more than adequate in a coupe version of the same platform.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn 

The fourth generation of the Mazda MX-5 is nearing, and is tipped to have dropped weight and grown a longer nose to accommodate more efficient SkyActiv engines. The roadster is being developed on a new platform that will also be shared with the next Alfa Romeo sports car.Expected to be unveiled at the 2015 Chicago motor show -- 26 years after the first generation debuted there in 1989 -- the new MX-5 will have a lengthened wheelbase and bonnet to house the extra long exhaust manifold of Mazda's efficiency-focused naturally-aspirated 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre Skyactiv mills, with the company having decided not to go down the turbo path for the two-seater, according to Autocar.Australian specification is a long way from being announced, but at the moment we get a single 2.0-litre engine with the choice of a six-speed manual or six-speed sports auto transmission. Skyactiv technology is predicted to considerably improve the fuel economy, currently 8.1L/100km.While the longer bonnet -- with the front axle pushed forward -- has a functional basis, it will also contribute to what a Mazda insider told the UK site was the carmaker's "best-looking car ever" with “very clean and simple” lines. “It is such a good-looking car - recognisable as an MX-5, but with very clean styling,” the source is reported as saying.That means we're unlikely to see the five-corner grille and detailed styling of the rest of the recent Mazda product make its way onto the MX-5, with the nose expected to continue with uncluttered, smooth planes and lower air intakes.Mazda was previously trying to get the weight down to the 1000kg level, and while that target has been abandoned, you can still expect the coming MX-5 to shave around 70kg off the current car's 1167kg (manual) and 1177 (auto), aiming to be the lightest in its class.The car will be offered in both soft-top and folding hard-top versions (depending on markets around the world) however Australia currently takes only the hard-top. The good news is that the roof also reportedly is lighter, and has been redesigned to swallow less space in the boot.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott