Wednesday 30th June 2010

MX-5 Concept And Special Edition Set For Goodwood

Superlight concept gets UK debut; Miyako special edition revealed

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Mazda's rather wonderful MX-5 Superlight concept is set to make its UK debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend, where it will both be on static display, and running up the hill as part of the Supercar category.

The windscreen-less wonder from the 2009 Frankfurt motor show is not earmarked for production, however. Instead Mazda says it is a "showcase for the lightweight technology" that it is "introducing across its full range of production cars" (spoilsports).

Which is all very nice, but the 995kg aluminium-and-carbon-fibre-tastic MX-5 Superlight, with its 125bhp 1.8-litre MZR motor and five-speed gearbox, looks so good we're pretty sure it would find a few buyers.

So come on Mazda, make it!

In the absence of the Superlight on the Mazda price lists, MX-5 fans will have to make do with the new Miyako special edition - the first special based on the most recent facelift of the evergreen roadster.

The Miyako is available in 125bhp 1.8-litre soft-top from for £18,385 or £20,885 for the 158bhp 2.0i Roadster Coupe version, with its folding hard-top.

Named for the Japanese holiday island of Miyako-jima (the perfect location for open-top motoring, says Mazda), the new Miyako gets unique Medici premium perforated black leather trim with a red underlay and stitching, special badging, floor mats and climate control. The exterior includes front fog lamps, larger 17-inch alloy wheels, a front suspension strut brace, and FOC metallic paint (everybody say 'ooohhh!').

[simon76]

Reminiscent of the Renault Spider...

[MX7]

"995kg aluminium-and-carbon-fibre-tastic MX-5 Superlight"

So only 55kg heavier than a Mk1.

[CraigyMc]

What roll protection does it have?

[Luke.]

CraigyMc said:

What roll protection does it have?

I wouldn't have thought any as it's a concept.

[TheRoadWarrior]

Can someone please do a new version of that 'New British Supercar' poster for future MX-5 special editions; something like;
"The new ------ ----- Special edition MX-5 features ------- leather seats, and new steering wheel with -------, numbered plate and exclusive ------- colour paint etc etc

Edited by TheRoadWarrior on Wednesday 30th June 13:02

[pagani1]

I would love to buy a MK 1 and do a superlight with it-where should I look for a good fabricator, either in sussex or hampshire?

[briSk]

no matter hat they say they should build it. it'd help lift the mk3's image no end. do you think they could get it type approved/homolgated/some other-worded with no windscreen nowadays? i am thinking crash protection etc. as someone else implied the stock car would have all the rollover protection from the screen/a pillars wonder how much they could get away with fitting a bar instead.

i didn't keep reading about the californiamerlotnix..!

[TheRoadWarrior]

briSk said:

no matter hat they say they should build it. it'd help lift the mk3's image no end. do you think they could get it type approved/homolgated/some other-worded with no windscreen nowadays? i am thinking crash protection etc. as someone else implied the stock car would have all the rollover protection from the screen/a pillars wonder how much they could get away with fitting a bar instead.

i didn't keep reading about the californiamerlotnix..!

You can get caterhams with aero screens- but I would think it'd have to be built in pretty low numbers to be allowed.

As for roll-over protection the XKR convertable has roll over bars which deploy in the event of a crash, not exactly in keeping with the superlight concept- but it would keep the lines of the car tidy.

[briSk]

TheRoadWarrior said:

briSk said:

no matter hat they say they should build it. it'd help lift the mk3's image no end. do you think they could get it type approved/homolgated/some other-worded with no windscreen nowadays? i am thinking crash protection etc. as someone else implied the stock car would have all the rollover protection from the screen/a pillars wonder how much they could get away with fitting a bar instead.

i didn't keep reading about the californiamerlotnix..!

You can get caterhams with aero screens- but I would think it'd have to be built in pretty low numbers to be allowed.

As for roll-over protection the XKR convertable has roll over bars which deploy in the event of a crash, not exactly in keeping with the superlight concept- but it would keep the lines of the car tidy.

true but the xk and (a few models of merc sl) all have windscreens too which must (??) be designed to take a lot of the force/load/i don;t really know what i am talking about. you surely have to have something permenant so they'd need to build up that roll over hoop thing. it'd still look okay. just wondering how hard it would be with regard to crash testing etc to take off the screen and add the roll over bar instwead..

[Carpie]

I know these cars aren't about power, but isn't 125bhp from a 1.8 a bit weedy these days? My 19 year old Jap 2.0 N/A 4 pot makes (or made at one point...) 165bhp.

[hornetrider]

TheRoadWarrior said:

Can someone please do a new version of that 'New British Supercar' poster for future MX-5 special editions; something like;
"The new ------ ----- Special edition MX-5 features ------- leather seats, and new steering wheel with -------, numbered plate and exclusive ------- colour paint etc etc

Indeed. This 'Special Ed' is not even based on the Sport Tech, it's based on the SE.

[Mafioso]

Why have they photoshopped that blue MX5 into red?

Oh and 995kgs is defined as 'superlight'? WTF!?

[hornetrider]

Mafioso said:

Why have they photoshopped that blue MX5 into red?

I suspect there are no press shots of Velocity Red available yet.

[Bill]

Luke. said:

CraigyMc said:

What roll protection does it have?

I wouldn't have thought any as it's a concept.

It looks like there are hoops behind the seats.

[kambites]

Bill said:

It looks like there are hoops behind the seats.

Which are below the level of the driver's head.

[vintageracer01]

YEEEEEEES

Build the MX-5 SUPERLIGHT. It looks terrific! And I want one.

PLEEEEEEEEAASE.

[alexpa]

Just as well they didnt call it iwo-jima

[Bill]

kambites said:

Bill said:

It looks like there are hoops behind the seats.

Which are below the level of the driver's head.

I'd taken that as a tall driver and/or parallax

[M400 NBL]

The flat bonnet makes it look a bit like am S2000. Which is not a bad thing.

I think the handling/relative cheapness/open top is what makes the MX-5 popular, not brutal straight line acceleration.

[JimexPL]

The concept made its UK debut earlier this month at the motorexpo in Canary Wharf.