Latest news with #MasashiNakayama
Forbes
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
New Mazda MX-5 Miata To Get Bigger Engine And Maybe EV Spec
2017 Mazda MX-5 RF Sport Nav. (Photo by National Motor Museum/Heritage Images via Getty Images) Mazda's MX-5 Miata is by far the biggest selling roadster on the planet, boasting well over 1.2 million units sold since 1989. Having already gone through four generations, Mazda's chief designer Masashi Nakayama, confirmed recently in a Road & Track interview that he is now sculpting the exterior of the brand's fifth generation model—which will most probably be called the NE model. But before we progress too far into this story, I think it's important to let our readers know that Mazda's top executives all compete in endurance races in Japan piloting a race-spec MX-5, which is a lot more hands on than most other local carmakers, except maybe Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda who also competes in road racing and rallying. These guys are passionate about what they do and it shows in their cars. Mazda executives like Nakayama, and his colleagues including CEO Masahiro Moro, chief technical officer (CTO) Ryuichi Umeshita and former design chief Ikuo Maeda all take turns behind the wheel of an MX-5 in the annual 4-hour endurance race at Tsukuba Circuit. Now back to the car's design. Apart from the new design, which is expected to be an evolution of the current model, not a revolution, we can expect to see the next-gen get a choice of a larger Skyactiv-Z 2.5-liter internal combustion engined (ICE) version with the same power output as the current 181-hp 2.0 liter, and an optional fully electric model, that would probably arrive a year after the ICE model. No turbo model is being considered. "The U.S. requested that the car be larger and have more power when I began designing this fourth generation,' he says. I remember when Mazda were designing the 2nd generation back in the 90s, and the design department in those days said exactly the same thing about American requests. 'They want it bigger, with more power.' Didn't happen. To Mazda, that's not what a Miata is. 2017 Mazda MX-5 RF Sport Nav. (Photo by National Motor Museum/Heritage Images via Getty Images) From the very first generation way back in 1989, the car landed in showrooms with the catchphrase 'lightweight sports' and 'Jimba Ittai' which means 'car and driver as one.' To keep costs and emissions down, the car had to remain small and lightweight. Mazda has endeavored to follow that mantra over the last 35 years, and although the third generation, launched in 2005, did put on weight, the 4th generation 'ND' model went on a diet and reverted back towards the original model's 1000 kg (2200 lb) mark. And then came the most critical comment so far. 'When we consider the next-generation MX-5 Miata, we are thinking of making it less than one tonne in weight, and less than four meters in length,' said Nakayama. That's around 2200 pounds and 157 inches in length, which almost mimics the current model's 154 inches. These are definitive numbers pointing the way to a leaner, lighter next ND-gen 2.0-liter Miata, which makes it over 100 pounds lighter than the current 2330 pound ND-gen model. And because of this philosophy, the new coupe will continue to employ natural aspiration and won't require more power. Meanwhile, CTO Ryuichi Umeshita asserts that the power-to-weight ratio is sufficient at the moment. 'Since we can currently fully utilise and enjoy the engine's capability and capacity, we don't believe the car needs any more power. And expect the car to keep its 6-speed manual gearbox.' These are all reasons why the MX-5 has, in the past, won Britain's Top Gear Car of the Year award. While Nakayama is finalizing the 5th-gen's exterior and Umeshita is deciding on which powertrains to employ, don't expect to see the new model in showrooms any time before 2027. The bottom line to Umeshita is the car's subtle yet spritely performance. It is by no means a powerful car, but by efficiently and cleverly using the 2.0-liter engine at higher revs, drivers can enjoy the car's potential without breaking speeding limits. Umeshita also tells us that Mazda has thought about producing an electric MX-5. A few years ago, Japanese publications suggested that the next MX-5 would be powered by batteries, but the company decided to stick with gasoline for the time being, to keep weight down. While Mazda currently has one EV, the MX-30 SUV, it is not a big seller, one reason that is sure to delay any potential electric MX-5. A hybrid version was also rumored, but its extra weight in the motor and battery pack would nullify the structural adjustments to minimize weight. So the hybrid is currently shelved. Although a prototype has not yet been spied testing, it has been suggested that the Iconic SP sports car concept, which debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2023, may serve as a design preview. Fingers crossed that Mazda utilize the SP's gorgeous proportions.
Miami Herald
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Mazda's Iconic SP is One Step Closer to Reality
Mazda's Iconic SP, the supposed successor to the legendary RX-7, is reportedly even closer to production. The concept was first revealed at the 2023 Tokyo Motor Show, with Mazda's design chief Masashi Nakayama clarifying that the model was "crafted with real production intent" back in November 2024. According to another, more recent, interview with Nakayama, the Iconic SP is now even closer to production. In a Road & Track article published on April 15, 2025, Mazda's design chief spoke carefully but frankly: the Iconic SP is almost ready. "I have to be very careful what I say here, but we made sure that it will be feasible for production. We know that rotary is not good at complying with emissions, which was the reason we decided to discontinue it in 2012," he said. "That is a very high hurdle they have to overcome, but in the last year, the progress has been very encouraging". When the concept was first revealed, it was rumored to use a range-extending twin-rotor setup, making 365 hp. Since then, Mazda has been dabbling in new rotary developments with the single-rotor 830-cc range-extending motor used in the MX-30 R-EV. While the automaker has yet to confirm what kind of rotary engine the Iconic SP will use, making it compliant with emissions regulations like LEV IV in the U.S. and Euro 7 required reviving Mazda's rotary development team. "I decided to reopen the rotary engine development group, and I gave a mission to them," Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro told Road & Track, "that was to comply with stringent emissions regulations like LEV IV in the U.S., and Euro 7. We know that rotary is not good at complying with emissions, that was the reason we decided to discontinue it in 2012. That is a very high hurdle they have to overcome, but in the last year, the progress has been very encouraging." Mazda's chief technical officer, Ryuichi Umeshita, also clarified that if the Iconic SP were to have a high-output setup, a manual transmission wouldn't cut it. We expect to see some kind of fast-shifting automatic with steering wheel paddles used, unless the model uses a fully electric drivetrain. Oh, and remember those pop-up headlights? "We can do it in terms of technology," design chief Nakayama said. "For example, in the current MX-5, there is a deployable bonnet, the hood pops up [in the event of a crash]…but the question is regulation. Of course, if you could support us, we'd love to do it." That last part is what it ultimately boils down to. Mazda needs to know that people will buy the Iconic SP if it ends up hitting the market. "The next challenge is... now you can support us in making a good business case. But technically, we are almost ready-if we see a good business case, we're ready to go," Umeshita said. Is the market ready for another rotary Mazda with the evolution of pop-up headlights? We sure hope so. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Mazda's Rotary-Engined Sports Car Is Almost Ready
Many mainstream automakers are moving away from sports cars. But not Mazda, which seems set to offer two different models. We've already reported on the company's planning for what will become the fifth-generation Miata, but Mazda is also intent on putting the larger, rotary-engined model that was previewed by the 2023 Iconic SP concept car into production. You didn't need to look too hard at the Iconic SP to see a viable car beneath its concept's sleek lines. 'I have to be very careful what I say here,' said Masashi Nakayama, the general manager at Mazda's design division, 'but we made sure that it will be feasible for production.' Mazda has already put the rotary engine back into limited production, using a small single-rotor 830-cc version that produces a peak of 74 hp to act as a range-extender in the MX-30 R-EV, a model that isn't sold in the U.S. But the production version of the Iconic SP—which we're imagining would likely gain an RX name—is set to use a much more powerful twin-rotor version. To no surprise, passing tougher global emissions standards—never a strength of the rotary engine—has been one of the biggest challenges faced by the engineering team. 'I decided to reopen the rotary engine development group and I gave a mission to them,' Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro told Road & Track, 'that was to comply with stringent emissions regulations like LEV IV in the U.S., and Euro 7. We know that rotary is not good at complying with emissions, that was the reason we decided to discontinue it in 2012. That is a very high hurdle they have to overcome, but in the last year the progress has been very encouraging.' 'Where we are is developing the technology to pass the U.S. regulation, and we have a very good forecast now, so we are almost ready,' chief technical officer, Ryuichi Umeshita, told R&T. 'The next challenge is... now you can support us in making a good business case. But technically, we are almost ready—if we see a good business case, we're ready to go.' So if you love the idea of another rotary-engined Mazda sportscar, start lobbying. Exactly how this new engine will be used remains an interesting question. In the Iconic SP, it was a range extender, recharging a battery pack on the move and giving a peak output of a claimed 365 hp. But Mazda could also potentially choose to use a more conventional hybrid layout, one that Umeshita hinted at when we spoke about the future Miata's continued use of a manual gearbox, suggesting the more potent sports car could get a quicker transmission and therefore, by implication, a mechanical connection between engine and wheels. 'If, let's say—and we haven't decided anything yet—if we do go to the super sports category, then [a gearbox] should be faster,' he said, 'then probably not a manual, but a more advanced transmission technology can be used.' The Iconic SP concept also featured miniature pop-up headlight covers, inspired by the pop-ups used by some of the company's best-known sportscars including all four generations of the RX-7. Could something like this also make production? 'We can do it in terms of technology,' Nakayama said. 'For example, in the current MX-5, there is a deployable bonnet, the hood pops up [in the event of a crash]… but the question is regulation. Of course, if you could support us, we'd love to do it.' So, once again, get lobbying. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
