Mazda has announced a mysterious concept that could be a harbinger of the new MX-5

The Japanese manufacturer will show a new sports two-door at the Japan Mobility exhibition, which will be held at the end of this month.

Many Japanese manufacturers are now preparing for an event where they will present their latest developments in automotive design and technology: we are talking about the Japan Mobility exhibition, which kicks off in Tokyo later this month. Mazda will not be an exception — the company intends to present a stand dedicated to the MX-5 model, with the slogan “A future created by the love of cars.”

Mazda Vision Study concept shown in autumn 2022

The company noted that various versions of the “icon model” will be presented at the exhibition, including the first generation MX-5, a smaller copy of a sports car intended for children, as well as the current two-door. However, the main exhibit will be a mysterious concept, which, obviously, should be associated with the MX-5, while the Japanese manufacturer is keeping its name secret for now.

The company accompanied the announcement with a single teaser, which partially demonstrates the rear of the show car. In the picture we see a darkened silhouette with voluminous semicircles acting as taillights, as well as a pair of thin red vertical stripes in the center of the rear bumper, as well as a luminous brand name.

This design may seem familiar to many, and for good reason: the rear of the Mazda Vision Study concept, which the brand showed in November last year, looked the same. It is possible that the new show car will be an evolution of last year’s conceptual two-door car. Even then it was assumed that Mazda had shown the harbinger of the new generation MX-5 sports car; most likely, now we will learn more details.

Teaser of the new Mazda concept

The Mazda Vision Study show car was a digital car that was shown on video as part of a presentation of the brand's strategy until the end of the current decade. Let us remind you that the current fourth generation Mazda MX-5 debuted in 2014; recently, the model for the domestic market moved into the 2024 model year with a number of changes.

So, during this update, the two-door received full LED and slightly modified optics, different wheels, as well as an expanded palette of body colors — a new Aero Gray Metallic option appeared. Adaptive cruise control has been added to the list of equipment, and a larger touchscreen of the infotainment system has been installed in the cabin, its diagonal is 8.8 inches. The output of the 1.5-liter naturally aspirated engine was increased by 4 hp. (up to 134 hp), the power of the 2.0-liter engine remained the same — 184 hp

In the photo: the current sports car Mazda MX-5 1/3 In the photo: the current sports car Mazda MX-5 2/3 In the photo: the current sports car Mazda MX-5 3/3

It was previously reported that the successor to the Mazda MX-5 is already on the way: photo spies managed to catch the first test prototypes during road tests. Mazda Europe head of development Joachim Kunz noted last year that each generation of MX-5 has a life cycle of approximately ten years, meaning the fifth generation is currently in active development. According to preliminary data, the sports car will receive a unique platform; he may be left with an internal combustion engine and rear-wheel drive.