Mazda to reveal fourth-generation MX-5 on 3 September 2014

By Tim Pollard

Motor Industry

03 July 2014 09:11

Mazda has confirmed it will show the new, fourth-generation MX-5 roadster in September 2014.

An event to mark the 25th anniversary of the MX-5 will be held in Barcelona, Spain on 3-4 September - and the new MX-5 will be shown to the world for the first time.

The new MX-5 is a major launch for Mazda; the car has been a runaway hit since launch in 1989 and now mops up a large portion of two-seat roadster sales.

Mazda has sold nearly 945,000 MX-5s since launch and it is unlikely to deviate much from the formula that's made the back-to-basics roadster such a hit among purists and laypeople alike.

This time round, the Mazda MX-5 Mk4 will benefit from the company's SkyActiv philosophy, which strips weight and complexity out of all new Mazdas. It's been a success with mainstream models such as the Mazda 3 and 6 - but now we'll see it bear fruits on the MX-5.

It's worth bearing in mind that SkyActiv merely carries on where the previous 'Gramme' strategy stopped. The company has been rigorously shaving weight from its models for some time, but it's heartening to hear that the MX-5 will benefit from this diet technique again.

Unnecessary mass, as we all know, is the enemy of performance, economy and handling on any car.

Less weight points to downsized engines, too, thought to stretch down to a 1.6. But unlike other car manufacturers, Mazda is believed to be sticking to natural aspiration for the 2015 MX-5, with no recourse to turbocharging.

Mazda has made no official comment on the MX-5 Mk4, other than confirming its September 2014 launch timetable, pointing to a motor show debut in Paris.

But CAR understands the next-gen MX-5 will stick with a combination of fabric and folding hard tops, and will be the first factory roadster to break the 200bhp barrier.

Intriguingly, the 2015 MX-5 will also sire an Alfa Romeo twin, although that project is running later than initially thought. The new Alfa Romeo Spider is a tantalising prospect: a soulful, Italian-designed roadster paired with Japanese manufacturing quality. We can't wait to see the results of this cross-continental, fusion cooking...

By Tim Pollard