Mazda might not be a vehicle manufacturer that has a line of luxury cars at your disposal, but the affordable brand does have something to brag about; the long-lasting and very popular Miata. Last week the brand introduced the brand new MX-5 Miata, the next generation of the classic sports car. And Mazda thinks this one is worthy of a rock star welcome into the family.
In fact, the director of design for Mazda, Derek Jenkins, actually gave the Miata a rock star welcome in Monterey, bringing the new ride out on stage in a puff of smoke that wowed the audience that was in town for a concert. Once the introduction of the new ride was complete, Duran Duran took the stage.
“We’re lucky at Mazda to have such an icon. So the pressure was very high. We started with the basics: simple, lightweight, affordable and of course completely in sync with the driver. We had to get the balance right between the classic roadster and something totally modern and new,” said Jenkins before the new Miata was introduced.
Jenkins did not say much about the performance of the new Miata, but he did show off a car that’s different than it’s been in previous generations. The new MX-5 Miata is lower to the ground. It’s wider, it’s lighter and it’s got cleaner, crisper lines. It’s a looker, certainly. The car is expected to come standard with a six-speed manual transmission with the option of choosing an automatic transmission in place. There is also a rumor that Mazda will give buyers of the new MX-5 the option to choose from a high-output version of the basic motor for a bit more speed and agility. However, that last rumor has yet to be confirmed as Jenkins said nothing about the engine or performance.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzdqBHwJdcQ&w=640&h=390]
(Photo by Harold Cunningham/Getty Images)
