Mazda MX-5 Superlight leaked ahead of Frankfurt
Mazda MX-5 Superlight - Click above for high-res image gallery
With an endless string of concepts cars peppered across these pages, we often find ourselves saying, "Yeah, I'd drive that." But with the Frankfurt-bound Mazda Superlight concept, we're saying "Hey – I wanna build that!"
Conceived and created as a way to celebrate the MX-5 Miata's 20th anniversary – along with showcasing Mazda's focus on lightweight performance – the Superlight's new profile and 2,194-pound curb weight is the brainchild of the automaker's European R&D center in Oberursel, Germany.
Based off the recently facelifted roadster, the most obvious change to the Superlight is its speedster profile, which involved removing the windshield, retractable roof and frame. From there, Mazda's European team extended the aluminum hood towards the cabin and mounted an aluminum, wide-angle rear-view mirror, along with a set of roll-over hoops fitted with LED brake lights.
The passenger compartment benefits from a thorough stripping, with the removal of the sound insulation, carpeting and air conditioning unit. In their place goes a set of carbon fiber racing buckets coated in the same brown leather as the steering wheel, armrests and aluminum shifter and hand brake. The dash is a custom fiberglass and plastic unit, with the stock MX-5's gauges joining an engine-start button bringing to life the standard 1.8-liter four-cylinder (putting out 126 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque) and equipped with a Mazdaspeed cold-air intake and exhaust. But with the diet and minimal engine mods, the run from 0-to-60 MPH comes in at 8.9 seconds.
The track has been increased by 50mm all around to accommodate the larger four-piston calipers and slotted discs, with the whole package dropped by 30mm courtesy of a Bilstein B16 coil-overs. Eibach anti-roll bars are fitted front and rear, and the Superlight rolls on stock 17-inch wheels coated in 205/45 rubber.
According to Mazda Motor Europe's Chief Designer, Peter Birtwhistle, "I've dreamed of building a Mazda MX-5 with this kind of radical form for a long time. Now that weight reduction has become a dominant factor in automotive development, the time is ripe for it." Ripe indeed, and color us inspired. Now if we can just find the right donor car...
Gallery: Mazda Superlight Concept
[Source: Mazda via Carscoop]
Technical Specifications
Body Type : Roadster Monocoque
Seating capacity: 2
External Dimensions:
- Overall length: 4,020 mm
- Overall width: 1,720 mm
- Overall height (unloaded): 1,110 mm
- Wheelbase: 2,330 mm
- Track (front/rear): 1,540/1,545 mm
- Ground clearance: 106 mm
Max. power: 126 PS (93 kW) at 6,500 rpm
Max. torque: 167 Nm at 4,500 rpm
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Front/rear suspension: Double wishbone/Multi-link
Damper (front/rear): Bilstein® monotube
Tyre size: 205/45 R17
Brake type (front/rear): Ventilated discs/Solid discs
Brake diameter (front/rear): 300/280 mm
Acceleration 0-100 km/h: 8,9 s
Fuel consumption (combined): 6,3 l/100km
CO2 emissions (combined): 150 g/km
Min. kerb weight (without driver): 995 kg
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Franz 1:02PM (9/11/2009)
That is pretty cool.
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zamafir 1:08PM (9/11/2009)
it'd be 100% cooler with a MS3 powerplant.
Benfolio 1:16PM (9/11/2009)
Yeah, and 50% more turbo lag, and 50% more running out of breath well before redline.
I think the DISI 2.3L would ruin the Miata.
zamafir 1:32PM (9/11/2009)
lol, right, as if mazda wouldn't retune the engine for almost lagless delivery if they applied it to a concept like this. They're not that inept.
Though a naught to sixty of 9 seconds for a superlight does fit that designation, regardless of chassis dynamics. Thank you mazda, way to remind us of how utterly appealing the S2000 is once again. I'll take the 800lbs heavier S2000 with dramatically more involving engine for track use any day, esp at what this would retail for were mazda to bring it to market.
Man this thing would suck on anything but the smallest of tracks. Which is exactly why i made my remark in the first place. Unless you prefer to drive cars as 'fast' as a TR3 on the track. More power to you, I love being on the track at VARA, but with that kinda lethargy it's a lot more fun to be driving something brilliant and classic than brand new. Looking forward to hearing about your experience tracking something with this little get up and go in a modern car and why it strikes a chord with you.
Benfolio 1:42PM (9/11/2009)
What it needs is a bigger turbo, but then you'll have more lag..... or how about a smaller turbo, but then there's no top end still...... how about a twin turbo rotary $40,000 Miata? Okay.
Redline 1:43PM (9/11/2009)
@ Zamafir: Or a Renesis unit perhaps?
Shiftright 1:47PM (9/11/2009)
Zamafir, track tests I've seen have the standard MX-5 hitting 60 in around seven seconds, so with less weight even without more power this would be a quick car. Sure, more horsepower is always good, but that has never been the point of the MX-5.
Shiftright 1:49PM (9/11/2009)
Ooops, please ignore my last coment. Just saw the power specs. 126 hp? Huh? The base US model has around 170 I believe. What gives?
zamafir 1:51PM (9/11/2009)
@Shiftright - look below, different engine to save weight.
BoxerFanatic 1:55PM (9/11/2009)
There are such things as twin-scroll turbos, short exhaust tracts, variable vane impellers, etc.. that widen the powerband of a turbo.
And it seems like there are plenty of turbocharged 4-cylinders that have good response curves, especially with direct injection, and higher static compression (which mitigates off-boost lag a bit by behaving like a healthier NA engine during that lag period)
From these comments, one would think that nobody has ever built a well-developed turbo I4 before, and thinks it can't be done. Subaru, Porsche, Mitsubishi, and others would probably disagree. If they can do it, Mazda can, too.
zamafir 2:02PM (9/11/2009)
@BoxerFanatic - Thank you sir. Just because the MS3 has lag (and honestly, that's fine for those who own it because that larger turbo gives it GTI/R32 trumping power) doesn't mean other FI 4s do.
Paul 2:15PM (9/11/2009)
What a disappointment: Where would you even drive this? Why bother doing all that work and only putting the 1.8L/5-speed in it?
Frankly, given that most tracks wouldn't even let you run without a proper windscreen, this is pointless. Without even a hint of feasibility, for road OR track, it's hard to get excited about this concept at all. This is 100% styling department m*st*rb*ti*n.
If a simple, stripped 2.0L/6-speed for the sport/comp niche could be made profitably (or nearly), their brand would certainly benefit from the track-cred. But certainly not this.
HotRodzNKustoms 3:25PM (9/11/2009)
@shiftright it's the 1.8 from the 1st and 2nd gen cars it is an excellent motor (I have a 1.8 1st gen) and it is still offered in Europe and is considered the "more traditional" set up.
Mez Jr 3:52PM (9/11/2009)
they did all that to save what... 500 lb? at most? Thats a lot, sure but, its still heavier than an Elise.
If they were really serious, they'd drop the wheels down to 15's or so to lose more weight and take more rotating mass off the wheels for better handling/power to the road. A car that size and with that power does not need 17 inch wheels and monster brakes. (as can be seen in the brake wheel gap in that photo. Then, they can drop the dual out exhaust, the thing's a 1.8L 4, you don't need a huge muffler with two outs for that.
PJ 4:41AM (9/12/2009)
I'll vouch for Benfolio. I've driven and tracked fair number of Miatas (and owned two), and a handful of MazdaSpeed 3s and 6s with the DISI 2.3, and I sure wouldn't bolt the latter into the former. The Miata is all about crisp, immediate responses in linear proportion to input. The DISI is all about a couple thousand rpms' worth of punch that starts with a half-second of lag and then falls on its face at 6,000 rpm.
The 2.0 seems like the best fit. If it does 7-second 0-60s in a 2500 lb Miata, it'd be deep into the 6s in a 2100 lb one, and that's plenty fast for a car with no windshield ;-)
Jared 9:46PM (9/12/2009)
the Speed3 motor belongs in an RX8... not a Miata.
This thing would be a complete blast to drive... even if it doesn't have the big power numbers.
naggs 1:42AM (9/13/2009)
a turbo miata would not work because to increase the power you would have to increase the weight, a powerful miata is called a corvette
MATT 1:07PM (9/11/2009)
that thing is pretty awesome looking.
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Kattleox 2:10PM (9/11/2009)
Yeah, it is! I'll look great next to my 211!
nastinupe 1:11PM (9/11/2009)
What's the freakin point? It's slower than the regular ones. 0 -60 in 8.9 seconds? WTF? Just give me a hardtop one.
Reply