I have always said that the formula for the world’s best sports car will have to come from a collaboration between a Italian coachbuilder/designer and Japanese engineering. Italians just know how best to give a car soul, character and detailing to last a lifetime and the Japanese know best how to build a car to be efficient, reliable and trouble free. Now the best of both worlds have come together to take the roadster market by storm.
Fiat Group and Mazda Motor Corp. plan to develop and build a new roadster for the Mazda and Alfa Romeo brands, the companies said yesterday. Alfa will launch its version of the roadster in the global market starting 2015. It will be sold as the Alfa Spider (a classic name plate) in North America and will mark the brand’s hotly awaited return to the world’s biggest market for two-seat sports cars, Fiat said. The jointly developed car will be built at Mazda’s factory in Hiroshima. It will be a successor to the rear-wheel-drive MX-5/Miata roadster and will have distinct styling for each brand. (Pictured below is an initial concept only)
Engineers from both companies are studying how to cooperate on a joint vehicle that will be an “iconic,” lightweight, rear-drive roadster with differentiated design and identity for each brand, a joint statement said. The car would be based on MX-5 architecture. Fiat and Mazda are also talking about further cooperation in Europe, they said. Both automakers are discussing a partnership to expand overseas sales channels. We cant wait for this car to be released.
