As we’ve covered previously, Mazda had announced a couple of unique MX-5s that were due to make an appearance at the SEMA show in Las Vegas. Those images, one for each, did not go far to reveal much about either car.
Now, though, the tarps pulled off, Mazda has been more forthcoming. The first is is the MX-5 Miata Speedster Evolution which is a follow-up to the original lightweight, windscreen-less concept that debuted at last year’s SEMA.
Like the previous car, it’s an ode to the lightweight, pure driving experiences that sports cars of the 1950s captured, the white concept weighs just 943kg. A further reduction over the previous version (45kg). And as there’s no windscreen, which equates to a more aerodynamic profile, would necessitate the need for any driver to wear a helmet.
The team at Mazda North American Operations who were responsible for both cars achieved this by removing nearly all its dashboard and replaced it with analogue gauges with a digital display. Additionally, its Brembo front brakes were swapped out for lighter rotors and callipers, and its stock battery was replaced with a lightweight 2kg lithium unit from Braille GreenLite.
To make sure all that newfound agility isn’t wasted, the MX-5 Speedster Evolution uses the adjustable suspension from the MX-5 Global Cup racer and wears a set of BFGoodrich g-Force Rival R1 grooved racing slicks on lightweight 17-inch alloys.
Design Manager Ken Saward, said: “With MX-5 Speedster Evolution, our goal was to further deliver the essence of what MX-5 has represented for the past 27 years—lightweight engineering and pure driving joy. In the future, we might see if there is anywhere else we could take out weight.”
The second car in Mazda’s SEMA showcase is the MX-5 RF Kuro. Based, naturally, on the very recent MX-5 RF (Retractable Fastback) with its Targa-like folding metal roof. It does take some key motorsports-derived components from the MX-5 Global Cup car such as the adjustable suspension and uprated brakes, but in nearly every other respect is as refined and comfortable to drive as any typical MX-5.
Notably, its exterior painted in a Satin Black Metallic semi-matte finish, giving it a charcoal finish that incidentally is what the Japanese word ‘Kuro’ means.
“We wanted to give MX-5 RF Kuro a stealth look to complement its sleek profile, providing subtlety and purpose,” said Saward. “As we move our brand in a direction we call ‘Mazda Premium,’ we want to embrace our longstanding motorsports heritage and reach forward with breathtaking designs like the MX-5 RF.”
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