Dealers and designers bicker over future look of Mazda MX-5

Posted: Jun 04, 2008

Filed under: Mazda

According to a print issue of AutoCar, Mazda dealers are very happy with the current MX-5 and don’t want Mazda designers to get to the extreme when the car gets a facelift next year or when they work on the total redesign for 2012.

Even though the next-generation of Mazda cars will heavily incorporate design cues from Nagari concepts, the new MX-5 will stay true to its current styling. Why fix something that’s not broken? Hmm, maybe because it has been forever since we’ve seen anything new from the MX-5!

The designers say that they want to go a step further because the MX-5 has never been “radical enough” for them. Guess we’ll have to wait until 2012 guys.

Mazda is also expected to release a MazdaSpeed version of the MX-5 later this year.

Source: AutoCar (via WindingRoad)

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justmatt

Hard to say. The MX-5 is 20 years old and it still working so in that respect the dealers may have a point. On the other hand the MX-5 does not have the status as the Honda S2000 in my opinion, most others guys as well most likely. The MX-5 might be the direction Sports cars head with gas prices. I say go for it, change it up, but don't force it into a corporate face (by making it look like other Mazdas.)

lonesome_coder

You are right, the MX-5 doesn't have the status of the S2000...these cars may be similar in size, but performance wise, the S2000 is several classes above the Miata.

The Miata has pretty well looked the same throughout the years, as has the S2000, and i think it would be a mistake to radically depart from either current design without renaming/rebadging the car.