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2017 Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe to Debut at the New York Auto Show

Car people of the world with a passion for small, affordable, fun sports cars, the time is right to rejoice. Mazda has prepared a bit of a surprise for the 2016 New York Auto Show, which might come in the form of the Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe.
2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata 1 photo
Photo: Jeffrey Ross
The Japanese brand that builds the best-selling two-seat sports car in history has handed out press invitations around the world for the grand event. Mazda isn’t too specific about what model we should look forward to, except for two lines that go like this: “It is our great pleasure to inform you that we will unveil something new at the New York International Auto Show,” and “Help us blow the lid off at the New York Auto Show. Stay tuned.”

Need I say more about the possibility of a Roadster Coupe? Known in the United States as the MX-5 Miata Power Retractable Hard Top, the soon-to-be-unveiled model will most probably get a similar folding hardtop mechanism as the third generation of the roadster. In the case of the former generation, the hardtop adds approximately 79 pounds (36 kilograms) to the weight of the soft top model and it can be lowered in 12 seconds.

At the present moment, there’s no confirmation from Mazda if it plans to bring such a model to market. Then again, there are plenty of Mazda MX-5 Miata owners who prefer the automatic to the 6-speed manual and the more secure feeling of the hardtop. Since it was introduced in the U.S. in 2007, the hardtop has been preferred by more than 50 percent of Mazda MX-5 Miata customers. Considering that the United States is a huge market for such an offering, I tend to believe that Mazda won’t just tease us with a concept.

The MX-5 Speedster and Spyder concepts were enough of a tease last year at SEMA. If Mazda is wise and plays its cards well, an MX-5 with a hardtop roof could come to fruition in U.S. specification for the 2017 model year. If, however, the Japanese company doesn't go ahead with such a model, the aftermarket scene will develop the next best thing - a removable hardtop.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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