Mazda MX-5 2015 News

While Holden and Ford sales have been in steady decline over the past decade Mazda has steadily climbed and in 2012 the Japanese car maker overtook Ford as the third highest seller behind Toyota and Holden.An indication of the dramatic swing is that in 2004 Holden sold around 178,000 vehicles compared with 55,000 Mazdas. As of November 2013 the gap had closed to just over 8000 with Holden down to 103,000 and Mazda up to 95,000.The number 3 is most significant because the Mazda3 makes up around 40 per cent of Mazda’s total Australian sales despite the imminent arrival of an all-new model. The company’s other star performer is the CX-5 which is now Australia’s top seller across all segments of the highly-competitive SUV market segment.Mazda’s 2013 performance is all the more impressive because it has been a relatively quiet year with no new model releases and only the addition of some new variants to the CX-5 and BT-50 range.Australia is one of Mazda’s most important markets and this was recognised when the Japanese head office chose Melbourne as the first of five major cities to reveal the upcoming, third generation, Mazda3 with Istanbul, St Petersburg, London and New York following as the earth moved around the sun.The next three years will be busier with five new models set to arrive here spearheaded by the all-new Mazda3 in January 2014. Also due for new generation models between 2014 and 2016 are the Mazda2, MX-5 and CX-9. Mazda won’t be specific on the fifth new model but given its success in the SUV field and the trend towards sub-compacts a CX-3 is the strong favourite. Based on the Mazda2 platform it would join recent releases such as Holden Trax, Nissan Juke, Peugeot 2008 and Ford EcoSport.Each of these upcoming models will continue the roll-out of Mazda’s ground-breaking SkyActiv technology that covers all aspect of vehicle design including engines, transmissions, brakes, body structure and chassis designed to significantly reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions by between 20 and 30 per cent. 

The new Mazda3 MPS could have diesel power in a radical rethink of the Japanese brand’s hot hatch. The shock revelation was made in Japan overnight by the global boss of Mazda, Masamichi Kogai.When asked about plans for the next Mazda3 MPS Kogai-san told Australian media on the eve of the Tokyo motor show: "The diesel engine has a very strong potential in the future … it’s a possibility."It is unclear whether the diesel version of the MPS would be the only engine available or an alternative to turbo petrol power, as is the case with the Volkswagen Golf which offers a hot hatch with a choice of fuels.But the 2.2-litre turbo diesel fitted to the CX-5 softroader fits neatly under the bonnet of the new Mazda3.Either way, a hot hatch version of the new Mazda3 is still at least two years away.Mazda is focusing its engineering resources into key models -- the new Mazda2 city hatch, the new CX-9 seven-seater SUV and the new MX-5 sports-car -- that will deliver sales volume and profit over the next two years.A baby SUV dubbed "CX-3" has reportedly been put on the back-burner while Mazda focuses its resources on these other models, and is said to now be at least three years away, meaning Mazda will be late with an entrant in one of the fastest growing market segments globally.The Mazda3 MPS is viewed by Mazda as a "nice to have, rather than a must have", say company insiders.Although Mazda is hugely successful in Australia, it has struggled to make a profit globally in recent years and is in a transition phase.It is one of the reasons Mazda fast-tracked the developed of the Mazda3 ahead of the Mazda2, because it generates more profit than its smaller sibling.Meanwhile a rotary engine is still being considered for a hydrogen-powered Mazda or to be used as a range extender on an upcoming electric vehicle.If the rotary engine is developed for these eco applications, it would open the door to being used in a sports car such as the modern version of the RX-7 or a successor to the RX-8.But Kogai-san said there were still no firm plans for a resurrection of the RX-7 despite a strong desire to revive the iconic sports-car.The Mazda rotary engine will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2017, the RX-7 will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2018, and Mazda as a company will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2020.Mazda built 811,634 two-seater RX-7 sports cars from 1978 to 2002, according to automotive history websites.The four-seater RX-8, which had rear-hinged "suicide" doors on either side, notched up 192,194 sales between 2003 and April 2012, but was not deemed successful enough to continue with a new model.Mazda says it has made more than 2 million rotary engines since the first rotary-powered Mazda Cosmo went on sale in 1963.The rotary engine was phased out in 2012 because its fuel consumption was relatively inefficient, and the engine itself was expensive to produce and had limited customer appeal.

The world's favourite sports car, the Mazda MX-5, will be new again in 2015. Not just that, but the Japanese superstar also will be twinned as an Alfa Romeo Spider in a clever copycat move - think Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ - to generate the cash for the change. The re-imagined MX-5 is expected to be much more grown-up than today's car and not just because the first scoop pictures of the coming roadster point to a model that's going to be longer, lower and wider. It also picks up SkyActiv technology for stronger performance with less fuel use. Overall, the tip is for greater refinement and a bigger cabin. Testing has just begun with inevitable hot laps at the Nurburgring, the punishing German track, for essential chassis tuning work. Carparazzi caught this MX-5 test mule during its initial track foray and the pictures indicate significant changes in the car's dimensions. The chopped-up bodywork of a current third-generation MX-5 reflects a longer nose, extra centimetres in the wheelbase and extra width in the track beneath extended arches. Wheels and brakes look much like today's items but the exhaust is a departure from the current car. The other thing that's not changing is the folding roof over a two-seater cabin, the basic recipe that's made the MX-5 an ongoing success since the original hit the road in 1989. Alfa Romeo is revealing few details about its version of the MX-5. We can surmise that it will install its own engine - perhaps a development of the 1.7-litre turbo fitted to the 4C - to give the car an Italian edge in the conventional rear-wheel drive package being revived for the 21st-century Spider. This reporter is on Twitter: @PaulWardGover  

A version of the performance-massaged MX-5 GT concept shown at the 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed is now available through Mazda’s UK racing partner JOTA. UK mag Auto Express reports that the GT package boosts the standard MX-5’s 2.0 litre engine by 33kW, thanks to fettled exhaust cams, a free-flowing exhaust and ECU changes, with the resulting 151kW set to boost performance beyond the slightly heavier 147kW Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ twins. The power upgrade is accompanied by as-yet unspecified styling upgrades to ape the concept, which itself featured a front splitter and rear lip spoiler, carbon diffuser with central exhausts, and an array of paint blackouts. The suspension has also been given a workout, with the comprehensive package carrying the pedigree of JOTA’s long-time MX-5 racing efforts. The GT package has not been homologated for availability through Mazda showrooms, but JOTA will honour Mazda’s three-year factory warranty. The package has been developed to suit any current-model 2.0 litre MX-5, so buyers can opt for the folding hardtop or the soft top still available in the UK, and in manual or automatic transmissions. Pricing is yet to be finalised, but is expected to creep in under £30,000 ($50,000), which would represent a £11,505 ($19,290) premium over the standard MX-5’s £18,495 ($31,010) UK price. Availability of the GT kit is not likely outside of the UK, but will help sate British enthusiasts until the all-new MX-5’s arrival in 2015. Watch the Mazda MX-5 GT concept video This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn  

The prototype was sighted near Chrysler’s headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and given Alfa’s relationship with Chrysler, it’s likely we’re seeing the Alfa half of the project.Mazda’s half of the bargain will yield the next generation MX-5 roadster, and Alfa Romeo will build a uniquely styled version with Alfa drivetrain components – tipped to be badged 2C Spider.The images clearly show the new model will grow in wheelbase between the doors and the front wheelarches, creating overall proportions similar to the Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ twins.Also visible are headlights that protrude beyond the current body, suggesting the front overhang will also grow – likely to suit European pedestrian safety standards.The doors look to have been lengthened, and pumped up rear wheelarches suggest track widths will also grow. The exhaust outlets are also slightly different to the current MX-5, and their finished appearance could mean we are looking at the Alfa’s production tips.The Alfa is likely to use a version of its MultiAir 1.4 litre turbo four cylinder engine, while the Mazda is expected to use a 1.3 litre turbo Skyactiv unitBoth versions are expected to undercut the current folding-hardtop MX-5’s 1167kg weight, with Mazda targeting 1000kg through its Skyactiv weight reduction strategy. The new MX-5 is set to appear some time in 2015, with the Alfa version appearing soon after. 

Mazda has indicated it is considering putting rotary power back into a sports car, possibly in the form of a merger between the MX-5 and the RX-8. Mazda CEO Takashi Yamanouchi has repeatedly ensured the future of the rotary powerplant - despite the RX-8 production scheduled to end in 2012 - "we will continue the research on the rotary engine - we won't extinguish the flame of the rotary engine," he said.The joint-venture sports coupe developed by Toyota and Subaru has kept the door open for a rotary sports car from Mazda, including the possibility of a rotary-powered MX-5."That kind of product is iconic for our brand, so the current MX-5 or RX-8 we have decided in the future to maintain that kind of product, I can't say if they will be separate - they may be merged into one," the CEO says.Mazda Research and development director Hirotaka Kanazawa confirmed the next MX-5 would remain naturally-aspirated with a Skyactiv powerplant of similar outputs to the current car's 118kW/188Nm outputs (for example, the incoming CX-5 SUV has a direct-injection two-litre producing 114kW and 196Nm), but less burdened by weight.The modern-classic Mazda sportscar will be taken back to its roots, with weight reduction targets aimed at taking the 1135kg two-seater (in its lightest guise) below a one tonne kerb weight, while retaining a soft top and hard top model."We want to go back to the lightweight sports origins, the power is not so much, it is easy to handle and it is fun to drive," he says. Kanazawa-san also says the company is aiming to reduce weight without compromising crash safety performance, which would entail using Skyactiv high-strength steel body structures and composite plastic materials for a hard-top. "We must achieve crash safety, starting with CX-5 the Skyactiv body with load paths and enhanced crash safety, we will apply this to our rear-wheel drive."The R&D director didn't rule out turbocharged versions of the sub-two-litre Skyactiv engines - "We haven't decided that we won't do turbocharging, but first of all we wanted to enhance combustion efficiency of naturally-aspirated engine, that was our first priority"- but maintains the first priority was developing naturally-aspirated engines.