MAY 23, 2005: MAZDA
PRESS RELEASE
Mazda Motor Corporation
last week began production of the all-new, third-generation MX-5 - the
latest and most advanced evolution of the world’s best-selling
two-seat, open, sports car.
A striking velocity
red, Third Generation Limited edition, with red leather interior was
the first car off the line. Powered by a 16-valve, 118 kilowatt, 2.0-liter
four-cylinder engine and driving through a six-speed gearbox this car
is pure Zoom Zoom.
The all-new MX-5
goes on sale in Australia about September.
Produced at Mazda’s
Ujina No.1 plant, the MX-5 is the first new model to be mass-produced
at this factory since a new paint shop was installed.
“A new car
launch is always a critical and exciting event for any car company,”
said Hisakazu Imaki, president and CEO of Mazda Motor Corporation. “But
the launch of a brand icon like the MX-5 is particularly special. This
is a great moment for all Mazda employees—and a great day for
car enthusiasts around the world.”
The all-new MX-5
is already one of the hottest cars of 2005. It was first shown to the
public in March at the 2005 Geneva Auto Show and has since been featured
prominently around the world, at key auto shows in cities such as Melbourne,
Shanghai and New York.
The third-generation
of this record-setting roadster provides a modern take on the most popular
two-seat, open-top sports car of all time. With more muscle, power and
luxury the new MX-5 retains all the qualities that made it so popular,
but also gains some exciting new additions.
This popularity
is even recognized by the Guinness World Book of Records which, in April
this year, officially recertified the MX-5 as the best- selling two-seat
sports car ever. Mazda has built 718,954 so far.
PRESS RELEASE: March
2005
Evolution
of an Icon
On February 9th,
1989, Mazda Motor Corporation made history, when it unveiled the Mazda
MX-5/Miata at the Chicago Auto Show. Mazda had reinvented and reinvigorated
the lightweight roadster with a formula that defined affordable, fun
cars for decades.
Sixteen years later
and Mazda’s relentless pursuit of fun has never waned, with the
Hiroshima-based company continuing to develop and evolve the classic
concept of the two-seat roadster. With the global debut of the all-new,
third-generation Mazda MX-5 at the 2005 Salon International de l'Auto
in Geneva, Mazda once again demonstrates that producing a simple, lightweight
sports car is fundamental to the soul of the car maker —the result
is the ultimate roadster and the purest expression yet of Zoom-Zoom.
Mazda has long produced
unique and exciting sports cars. The first Mazda automobile to gain
worldwide notoriety was the rotary-powered Mazda Cosmo Sport launched
in 1967. The Mazda RX-7, which followed in 1978, won the hearts of sports
car enthusiasts and two years ago, in 2003, Mazda introduced the Mazda
RX-8 and rewrote the sports car rule book. Its combination of striking
design, spectacular rotary performance and comfortable accommodation
for four adults wrapped in a four-door package is truly innovative.
To renew the MX-5,
Mazda engineers focused on evolving the lightweight sports car concept
as the all-new car must follow in the tracks of a modern motoring icon.
In May 2000, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized the Mazda
MX-5 as the best-selling two-seat convertible sports car in history,
with 531,890 units produced to that date. Since that affirmation, demand
has held strong. More than 700,000 Mazda MX-5s have been sold around
the globe.
Not surprisingly,
when creating the all-new Mazda MX-5, program manager Takao Kijima not
only looked ahead to understand how the motoring world’s needs
had changed since the original Mazda MX-5 was launched, he also looked
back to pinpoint and focus on what made this Mazda so special in the
eyes and hands of car enthusiasts the world over. What he found was
an intensity of spirit possessed by very few sports cars.
Rider and
Horse as One—“Jinba Ittai”
In Japanese, the
exceptional soul of the Mazda MX-5 is described by the expression Jinba
Ittai. The direct translation of the idiom is “rider and horse
as one.”
“Yabusame,”
a longstanding artistic ritual ceremony in Japan, truly embodies the
essence of Jinba Ittai (pronounced gin-buy ee-tie). An archer mounted
on horseback gallops past a target and shoots an arrow. To achieve a
bull’s eye, the archer and horse must move as one. There must
be a natural two-way communication and a high degree of synergy in their
alliance.
This oneness of
motion between rider and horse was selected as the most apt analogy
depicting the relationship between the driver and a Mazda MX-5. Updated
for the 21st century, Jinba Ittai is akin to the bond between a single-seat
formula-car pilot and his racer. It is also exemplified by a high-performance
sport motorcycle rider at speed. Jinba Ittai is the essence of Zoom-Zoom.
The rider-and-horse
idiom and the effort to create a car universally seen as “lots
of fun” served as the focal point around which the original and
the all-new Mazda MX-5 were designed and engineered. While most sports
cars aim for specific performance targets—such as the time required
to accelerate to 100 km/h or cornering G provided by the chassis—Mazda
engineers established additional goals to reinvigorate the lightweight
sports car. In essence, this became a celebration of the simple delights
of driving an open roadster. The “fun” was designed for
anyone and any location during sport driving and daily life.
Mazda’s emphasis
is on the feel of a responsive machine that compliments any driver.
The Mazda MX-5 stresses ideal dynamic balance achieved with minimal
weight and propelled by a small but spirited engine. Factors of secondary
importance in other cars—such as the way the open cockpit is bathed
in sunshine and seasonal aroma of fresh air—top the Mazda MX-5’s
list of major attributes.
Heritage and Evolution
of Jinba-Ittai For Takao Kijima and his engineering team, the first
step was acknowledging that Jinba Ittai is what made the original Mazda
MX-5 so attractive for sports car enthusiasts and one of Mazda’s
greatest success stories. The second step was using modern engineering
methods developed by Mazda to evolve the iconic Mazda MX-5 into an all-new,
third-generation edition for introduction this year. To convert the
subtle imagery of Jinba Ittai into nuts-and-bolts reality with a body
shell, a drivetrain, and chassis components, Takao Kijima wielded a
tool called Kansei Engineering.
Like Jinba Ittai,
Kansei is difficult to translate into Western terms. Thoughtful awareness
and heightened sensitivity are the expressions that come closest to
defining Kansei. It’s the realization that the fitness of every
constituent part underlies the goodness of the whole, that the aforementioned
synergy between driver and car can be honed so that it can be felt by
anyone who experiences the vehicle in motion. Another Kansei canon is
that every aspect of design, mechanical function, and dynamic response
ultimately contribute to driving satisfaction.
So, with Jinba Ittai
as the point of origin and Kansei Engineering as the navigation tool,
Takao Kijima and his dedicated designers and engineers created an all-new
Mazda MX-5 that’s markedly better than, but not conceptually different
from, the original.
At first, the team
thoroughly discussed what should be retained from the first- and second-generation
Mazda MX-5 models, and what to evolve for the all-new Mazda MX-5. The
six key categories, seen below in what has become known at Mazda as
the “fishbone chart”, guided the effort towards the desired
“oneness”. They are styling (inside and outside), touching
(every aspect concerned with the tactile sense), listening (dominated
by the engine’s voice but also encompassing wind effects), cornering
(handling dynamics), driving (everything from ride quality to acceleration
response), and braking. The starting point of the new Mazda MX-5 was
this ‘Fishbone chart’
Five basic requirements
were defined by Mazda engineers to realize the Jinba Ittai concept.
Minimal
Weight as a Virtue
There’s a
natural tendency for curb weight to increase when we try to meet growing
market demands. Realizing that this is contrary to the Jinba Ittai goal
and that extra weight would have a dramatically negative influence on
driving, cornering, and braking performance, Mazda engineers made every
gram count. (In the English measurement system used in the U.S. and
elsewhere, one pound equals 454 grams.) Their “gram strategy”
assessed weight in the smallest possible increments and carefully scrutinized
weight-trimming opportunities. Other weight-saving tactics were employed
as well. Advanced technology was applied where practical to achieve
a light and rigid unibody design using materials that offered higher
strength and lighter weight.
In its final form,
the new Mazda MX-5 is more powerful, more capable, more comfortable,
and more useful. It offers several new features and further improves
occupant protection from collision injury. Yet, thanks to Kansei Engineering
efforts, curb weight has only increased by approximately 10 kg (22 pounds).
While saving weight
is a top priority for achieving Jinba Ittai, other concerns were the
stiffness of the unibody structure, the height of the car’s centre
of gravity, 50:50 weight distribution and the vehicle’s moment
of inertia about the vertical (yaw) axis. (A lower yaw moment of inertia
quickens the vehicle’s responsiveness to the driver’s steering
commands.) Each of these parameters strongly influenced the new Mazda
MX-5’s overall fun-to-drive characteristics.
A stiff body structure
is an essential ingredient in the feeling of oneness between the driver
and the car. Thanks to shrewd analysis and the application of advanced
materials such as ultra-high-tension steel, the new unibody delivers
an increase of 22 percent for flexural stiffness and 47 percent for
torsional rigidity compared to the previous-generation Mazda MX-5. And
moving the engine rearward by 135 mm (5.3 inches) was a major step towards
balancing front-to-rear weight distribution and reducing the yaw moment
of inertia.
Delightful
Design
Seeing and touching are critical parts of development, so it was crucial
that the new Mazda MX-5 looks and feels like a spirited sports car.
This is a discipline of large and small details—the relationship
of the wheels to the overall body shape at the grand end of the scale,
down to the way the shift knob rests in the driver’s hand at the
fine end.
The original Mazda
MX-5 thrived for 16 model years with but one major update. The design
of the original 1990 model has been described as being a classic expression
of simple, friendly and fun, for it carefully celebrated the virtues
of compactness and efficiency.
Exterior
Design
The new Mazda MX-5 is clearly the son of its father. Exterior design
themes had to include the “fun” factor as well as “modern
styling.” To achieve this, the all-new Mazda MX-5 had to remain
approachable and fun, but had to be updated with modern styling cues
to communicate both the simple functionality of a modern lightweight
sports car and the athletic solidity of a true sports car, both of which
remain obvious Mazda MX-5 design DNA attributes.
The most notable
departure from the previous exterior shape is the elimination of the
classic “Coke bottle” shape of the contours. The nose and
tail are smoothly tapered, as before, but now the surfaces wrap smoothly
between the wheels without narrowing. The functional benefit of this
change is a wider cockpit with additional hip, shoulder, and elbowroom.
In addition, the space needed for side air bags is available.
The fender arches
of the new Mazda MX-5 are notably more pronounced to accommodate the
substantially wider wheel track dimensions and to provide a more athletic
stance. 17-inch wheels, that are larger and wider than before, are available
to define the corners of the car consistent with Mazda design DNA. The
wide shoulder area of the body tapers to a narrower sill to lend a light-on-its-feet
look.
In profile, the
Mazda MX-5 continues the low, flowing shoulder line established by the
original with side surfaces just below the shoulder creating prominent
highlights between the wheels for a strong and muscular look.
To accentuate the
tapering shapes at each end of the Mazda MX-5, headlights and taillights
are positioned well inboard of the car’s corners. So, in spite
of modest increases in wheelbase (+65 mm / +2.6 inches), length (+20
mm / +0.8 inches), width (+40 mm / +1.6 inches), and height (+20 mm
/ +0.8 inches), a tight, compact visual image is maintained. (Note:
figures based on European model.)
The high-quality
folding soft top is a Z-fold design with one centrally-located latch
handle. In the lowered position, it fits flush and smooth. The top can
be raised or lowered without undue effort or stretching. A new detachable
hard top is also available (depending on market). Thanks to a canted
rear quarter pillar and a sweeping rear window, the MX-5 detachable
hard top has a modern, aggressive character that will surely extend
this car’s appeal in new directions.
Interior
Design
The interior design themes of the new Mazda MX-5 are simple functionality
and comfortable openness with high-quality craftsmanship to delight
sports car enthusiasts.
A T-shaped general
layout joins the horizontal strength of the instrument panel to the
substantial centre backbone tunnel. Four round heating and cooling vents
help establish a straight reference line across the front of the cockpit.
Piano-black finish provides a modern high-quality surface for several
areas of the interior. Switches, gauges and driving controls are precisely
designed and carefully positioned for optimum functionality. Five individual
round gauges with metal-look trim fill the instrument cluster. Highly
legible markings and needles are provided and polarized glass covers
maintain legibility even in direct sunlight.
Mazda designers
selected eight exterior colours and three distinctive interior-trim
packages. Base models are equipped with tasteful black cloth upholstery
and a matte-silver metallic finish for the steering wheel, instrument
rims, and door handles. High-grade models offer two attractive choices:
combinations of saddle-tan and black leather on the seats, instrument
panel, and door trim or black leather in a monotone treatment (depending
on market).
Safety and
Comfort
Employing Mazda’s
new-generation sports car architecture that is significantly stiffer
than before provides the base for the new Mazda MX-5’s safety
systems. For the first time the Mazda MX-5 offers side airbag protection.
A two-volume side-impact airbag is positioned inside each seat backrest.
A single inflator simultaneously expands the torso portion of the airbag
and the larger-volume head-protection airbag. This innovative design
is light, compact, and highly effective at providing collision protection.
The new side airbag feature is available in all markets.
To ensure comfort
for a wider range of drivers, an adjustable steering wheel and additional
movement for seat adjustment have been added to help drivers with extremely
tall or short statures fit the cockpit perfectly. Storage accommodation
is plentiful for a vehicle of this size. Three compartments are located
on the rear wall (one readily accessible and lockable with room for
10 CDs, two positioned behind the seat backs). There is a pocket attached
to the back of the left side seat, another one on the passenger’s
side of the tunnel, a bottle holder in the door trim, as well as a covered
receptacle for two beverage containers conveniently located behind the
shift lever. The large glove box can be locked and there’s a small
coin box provided for the driver.
Two features are
designed to enhance comfort with the top down. New waist-level vents
direct warm and cool air throughout the cockpit to help maintain comfortable
cabin temperature on cold and hot days, making the open-air-driving
season longer. A mesh-type air deflector mounted vertically behind the
seats allows some air to enter the cockpit through its surface, thereby
reducing buffeting and top-down turbulence.
Perfected
Powertrains
Engines
A spirited engine and a wieldy transmission constitute the heart of
any sports car. Two new MZR family engines—a 2.0-litre for all
global markets and an additional 1.8-litre for Europe—power the
all-new Mazda MX-5. These are light and compact and feature chain-driven
double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, variable intake
valve timing, electronically controlled port fuel injection, and coil-on-plug
ignition. The block, head, and oil pan are cast aluminium, while cast
iron liners provide a durable bore surface.
Both engines share
a 10.8:1 compression ratio and an 83.1 mm stroke that is slightly shorter
than the length of the piston’s travel in the previous 1.8-litre
engine. The bore in the 2.0-litre engine is 87.5 mm versus 83.0 mm for
the 1.8-litre version.
Final output for
each engine will be confirmed as the vehicles go on sale in key markets.
Output for the 1.8-litre is targeted to be 93 kW/ 126 PS at 6,500 rpm*
with maximum torque of 167 Nm (17.0 kg-m) at 4,500 rpm*. The 2.0-litre
European model is targeted to be 118 kW/160 PS at 6,700 rpm* with peak
torque of an estimated 188 Nm (19.2kg-m) at 5,000 rpm*. Engine output
will differ depending on local requirements.
* Subject to homologation
Throughout the development
process, work focused on what Mazda engineers called “response”
and “expansion feel.” A lighter flywheel, a quick response,
an electric throttle and a stiff drive shaft all helped realize the
responsive direct feel of the new Mazda MX-5. The new Mazda MX-5’s
engine’s torque curve is held nearly level at high rpm by major
reductions in intake and exhaust restriction. The result is an engine
champing at the bit as it revs enthusiastically past the point of maximum
torque to the redline, with superior response and direct feel.
Additional attention
was paid to intake and exhaust passages. A 57 percent reduction in intake
restriction was achieved with a large, open intake pipe and smooth layout.
On the exhaust side, the pressure loss of the system was reduced by
40 percent thanks to the use of a high- volume muffler and a dual tail
pipe.
In tuning the Mazda
MX-5’s engine sound, a smooth, harmonic note was realized that
increases with throttle opening. Above 5,000 rpm, this becomes powerfully
resonant, consistent with the spirited charge for the 6,700 rpm redline.
A throaty 500 Hz sound through the mid-range reinforces the Mazda MX-5’s
feeling of nimble responsiveness.
Transmissions
Mazda’s newly-developed six-speed manual transmission is available
in all markets. Five-speed manual and advanced six-speed automatic,
which can be manually controlled by the shift lever and by steering-wheel-mounted
paddles, are also lined up (depending on market).
Sports car enthusiasts
reap a special pleasure from changing gears by a quick flick of the
wrist. To enhance this aspect of the Mazda MX-5 character, the shift
lever’s movement was engineered for ultra low effort and a very
short stroke. Triple-cone synchronizers for the first four gears help
reduce engagement forces. In the interests of efficiency, the 3rd and
4th gear synchros are located on the counter shaft. The shift rod is
supported by low-friction bushings and lever motion is directed by a
guide plate.
A Truly
Entertaining Chassis
Harmonized Driving
Dynamics
Achieving the tightest possible bond between a driver and a sports car
is feasible only if the vehicle responds in a linear, precise, and highly
predictable manner. Mazda engineers invested deep soul searching on
many field trips to agree upon Mazda MX-5’s character and to identify
how to best achieve this lofty goal through chassis tuning.
Two key words for
the feeling they pursued were precise and nimble. The goal was for a
natural, lively feeling instead of the cold efficiency of some well-oiled
machines. While solid stability is essential for safe driving, the ideal
for the new Mazda MX-5 was to develop a chassis that is keen to alter
speed or direction as swiftly as the driver changes his mind.
Every aspect of
driver control had to be coordinated with steering, suspension, brakes,
engine, and transmission responses. How the driver’s seat was
configured, the distance to the steering wheel and shifter, the feeling
of the brake pedal, the ability to heel and toe, all played a significant
role in achieving the Jinba Ittai driving experience. The original MX-5
was quantified and higher targets of opportunity in all aspects were
identified.
Predictable,
Lively Handling
Crucial was developing a light but stiff unibody that serves as the
chassis foundation. A double wishbone front suspension and multi-link
rear suspension system with optimized geometry help extract the best
the 205/45WR-17 radial tyres have to offer. Aluminium was used for some
chassis parts to minimize unsprung weight. Attaching the rear cross
member directly to the unibody with no rubber isolation enhances chassis
rigidity while reinforcing the feeling of oneness. Careful tuning of
the rack-and-pinion power steering gear yielded low friction, high linearity,
and delightfully smooth steering response. The net stiffness of the
path between the driver’s hands and the tyre contact patches is
increased. Another significant change is a 75 mm (3.0 inches) increase
in front track and a 55 mm (2.1 inches) in rear track, which contribute
to improved handling.
The newly-developed
rear suspension is engineered to enhance dynamic stability by optimizing
the positioning of the tyres on the road. To curb unwanted steering,
pitch motion of the body during acceleration and braking is tightly
controlled by the dampers and by anti-dive, anti-squat geometry. A wheelbase
increased by 65 mm (2.6 inches) also helps balance the stable driving.
Braking
Configuring the braking system for short pedal travel, response keyed
directly to pedal force and a high degree of linearity is also a means
of enhancing the Mazda MX-5’s feeling of oneness. Front rotors
are 20 mm (0.8 inches) larger in diameter for improved thermal capacity
and calipers are 25 percent stiffer. Brake hoses are less resilient
and the power booster is 25.4 mm (1 inch) larger than before. Thanks
to these revisions and improved front-to-rear balance, stopping distances
achieved with the four-wheel single-piston-caliper disc system are exemplary.
Sixteen years of
success with the original Mazda MX-5 established high expectations for
its successor. Thanks to a deep respect for Jinba Ittai principles and
thoughtful applications of Kansei Engineering, the all-new Mazda MX-5
is ready to convince sports car enthusiasts that a new triple-zoom era
has begun. The all-new MX-5, after making its global debut at the 2005
Geneva Auto Show, is scheduled go on sale in global markets starting
in the second half of calendar year 2005. Zoom-Zoom.
Mazda MX-5
- Major Specifications (2L engine for Australia)
Dimensions Overall
length 3,995 mm (157 inches)
Overall width 1,720 mm (67.7 inches)
Overall height 1,245
mm (49 inches)
Wheelbase 2,330 mm (91.7 inches)
Track (front &
rear) Front 1,490 mm/Rear 1,495 mm
(58.7 inches/58.9 inches)
Seating capacity
2 persons
Engines Type MZR
1.8L I4 DOHC 16 Valve; MZR 2.0L I4 DOHC 16 Valve
Max. output (target)
1.8L: 93 kW/126 PS at 6,500 rpm
2.0L: 118 kW/160 PS at 6,700 rpm Max.
torque (target)
1.8L: 167 Nm (17.0 kg m) at 4,500 rpm
2.0L: 188 Nm (19.2
kg m) at 5,000 rpm
Bore x stroke 1.8L:
83.0 mm x 83.1 mm (3.3 inches x 3.3 inches)
2.0L: 87.5 mm x
83.1 mm (3.4 inches x 3.3 inches)
Transmission Type
5-speed MT
6-speed MT
6-speed AT
Steering Type Rack
and pinion
Suspension
Front/rear Double wishbone / Multi-link
Brakes
Front/rear Ventilated disk / Solid disk
Tyres
front & rear 205/50R 16 205/45R 17
Wheels
front & rear 16 x 6 1/2J 17 x 7J
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