What is it?
The Mazda’s MX-5 Superlight concept – which is taking centre stage on the Mazda stand at the Frankfurt motor show, and which we’ve driven.
It’s a low-emissions, stripped-out, driver-focussed one-off version of the world’s biggest-selling sports car.
The car’s story began when Mazda Europe Head of Design Peter Birtwhistle, designer Hassip Girgin and the team took a 1.8-litre MX-5, stripped it down to its bare essentials – a running chassis with essential body panels only – and invited Mazda’s test engineers to drive it.
Those test drivers reported that the MX-5’s key dynamic traits – its trademark sharpness of response and natural rear-driven handling balance – were only enhanced by the lack of weight.
So they duly set about replacing some of the components they’d taken away with lighter alternatives made from carbonfibre and aluminium. They left the windscreen and roof off altogether, and fitted an alumium bonnet with a carbonfibre extension that incorporates the rearview mirror and covers the instrument cowl.
In place of the soft top, the Superlight has two large rollover hoops with integrated wind deflectors. And because the car is always roofless, the doors don’t need exterior handles. To open them, you pull a leather tie inside the cabin.
Also inside the cabin, the instrument panel is made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic; the gearlever and handbrake out of aluminium partly covered with leather. There’s no HVAC system at all, and no noise and vibration isolation either.
All in all, Mazda’s crash diet has taken 160kg from the kerbweight of this car; as a result it’s half a second quicker to 62mph and 6mpg more fuel efficient too.
What’s it like?
Exposed. That’s how you feel when you strap yourself in. There is no windscreen in front of you, no interior trim panels on the doors. And ahead of you, where the CD player should be, there are two flip switches – one to turn on the fuel pump, the other the ignition – and a starter button. That’s it.
Thumb that starter button. The car’s powerplant comes alive with an aggressive bark. It sounds big and vocal, but it’s actually Mazda’s regular 1.8-litre, 124bhp four-pot equipped with a stainless steel air intake, and a bigger exhaust system from Mazda’s 3 MPS. Instead of adding horsepower, Mazda decided to take the harder route to improving performance for this particular car, in the MX-5’s 20th anniversary year; to add by subtraction.
A helmet and goggles are a must for this test drive. Dip the clutch, throw in first gear using that ornate-looking lever, ease off the mark and straight away you notice the lack of mass. And almost as quickly you’re blown backwards into your seat by the passage of air.
Change into second gear at 45mph and the wind noise around your helmet begins to drown out the engine’s blare; you have to watch the rev counter carefully to avoid slamming into the limiter as you forge forwards.
Mazda doesn’t know the exact weight distribution of this car yet, but it feels as if the centre of mass has moved slightly towards those rear wheels; it could even be 50/50. Turn the MX-5 Superlight into a fast, sweeping bend and the nose tucks in more keenly and quickly than you’re used to. It doesn’t understeer as much as the production car. Which is to say that it doesn’t understeer at all, practically.
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Re: Mazda MX-5 Superlight
a 1.4 turbo wouldn't weigh any less than a 1.8 NA. might be more economic though, and it could be much more powerful.
anyway something is wrong with the performance times, 8.9 seconds to 62mph with 124bhp/123lbft/995kgs???? it should be more like 7.9s.
the mx-5 1.8 current model is meant to be 1080kgs, so 160kgs off that is 920kgs, which seems a more realistic figure considering all the weight savings on this car. remember a 1.8 lotus elise was 690kgs when it first came out, and that had a soft roof.
i cant see mazda making a roofless sports car for sale. unless they have a range of models for the mx5. if they want to make a perfect version they it will have to be properly light weight, to lead by example it will have to be lighter than the mk1 elise so their target would need to be 650kgs and it all made of carbonfibre. but would they dare launch a premium segment costing over £30k for an mx5? would be nice though.
whatever route they choose they will do well to target lightweight performance, in a cheap a way as possible would lead to more sales aswell. but they need to make sure the power to weight ratio is very very good. otherwise its all just an illusion. no matter what the waffle is, as customers we only need to look at 2 numbers, the kerb weight and the power. then if they are good then a 3rd number can be looked at, the price.
as it is 995kgs and 124bhp (if autocar figures are correct) is nowhere near worthy to be even interesting. my 4 seat hatchback vw lupo does better (975kgs/124bhp) than that as standard. thats with modern comfort, old style iron block engine etc.. how have mazda managed to make the car so heavy while taking so much out?
Re: Mazda MX-5 Superlight
What would really interest me would be a 1.4 turbo producing about the same bhp as the existing 1.8 but weighing about 75-100kg less thus providing even better handling and the performance of the current two litre MX5 combined with the economy of a Mazda 2. Would rather have such a car than a Boxter or Z4.
Re: Mazda MX-5 Superlight
:-)
Light is right!