Mazda unveiled the first-generation MX-5 at the Chicago Auto Show on 9 February 1989. At that time, virtually no lightweight open-top sports cars were available. The segment, which had blossomed in England in the latter half of the 1940s, gained popularity thanks to the agile handling, characteristic style and affordability of such vehicles. But after the 1960s, with the market focused more on safety and comfort, these cars had all but disappeared. The aim of the engineers and designers at Mazda who produced the first-generation model was simple: To bring back a funto-drive lightweight sports car for people around the world like themselves – people who love cars and love to drive.
To build a car that satisfies this passion for driving, they developed the MX-5 based on the principle that it would combine a lightweight, compact open-top twoseater body with a front-midship engine, rear-wheel drive configuration, a 50:50 front-rear weight distribution, a low yaw inertia moment and an affordable price. The simple, familiar nature of its compact sports car styling, the light feeling and faithful, linear response Mazda defined as Jinba Ittai, and the open feeling it offered resonated with car lovers around the globe. It soon won a number of awards, gained widespread popularity, and fan clubs big and small began to spring up worldwide. The second-generation model was revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 1997, and the third-generation model debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in February 2005. Production reached 900,000 units in February 2011. In doing so the MX-5 broke its own Guinness World Record as the world’s bestselling twoseater sports car, a title it first achieved in May 2000.
Merely looking at the all-new MX-5 will make any car lover happy. All drivers, from beginners to those with racing experience, will have the best drive of their lives. Putting the top down and enjoying the refreshing breeze will bring a smile to anybody’s face. Drivers thus experience a world of driving pleasure as only the Mazda MX-5 can offer.
