Photo: Mazda
It’s said that time flies when you’re having fun, and for the peeps over at Mazda, getting in the sports car biz also proved lucrative. Since its introduction in 1989, the MX-5 sold more than a million units all across the world, and that’s nothing less than incredible.
Over the span of four generations and 27 years, a little company from Japan managed to rewrite the sports car industry by staying true to what makes such a vehicle great in the first place: the fun factor of driving. Or Jinba Ittai.
To celebrate this production milestone, the Japanese automaker sent the one-millionth MX-5 off on a 12-month world tour. Manufactured in April 2016, the celebratory MX-5 looks different from when it rolled off the line. More to the point, the vehicle was exhibited at 35 events where 10,000-plus enthusiasts signed their name on the bodywork. But is it a work of art of four wheels?
What this car is, for both Mazda and us car-speaking folks, is a reminder that slow-car-fast isn’t only a preference, but a recipe that speaks to people with very different interests in terms of transportation. In fact, the MX-5 Miata and RF don’t do fast. The two sibs are experts at being fun in the corners.
“Seeing so many signatures from all over the world really brought home the fact that people from different countries, cultures, and generations have supported the MX-5 for more than a quarter of a century,” declared Masashi Nakayama, program manager and chief designer of the fourth-gen MX-5.
“We are forever grateful to these fans, and we will continue working to elevate this car, a symbol of Mazda’s dedication to driving pleasure, to the realm of high culture as we set our sights on the next milestone - 2 million units,” he added. So yeah, that's a confirmation the MX-5 is here to stay.
What’s most surprising about Mazda’s tenacity with improving the breed without spoiling its trademark traits is the weight. More to the point, the U.S.-spec NA tips the scales at 2,182 pounds (989 kg), whereas the Euro-spec ND with the 1.5-liter engine weighs merely 2,149 pounds (975 kg). And in a time of super-size-me SUVs, this evolution is all the more worthy of praise.
To celebrate this production milestone, the Japanese automaker sent the one-millionth MX-5 off on a 12-month world tour. Manufactured in April 2016, the celebratory MX-5 looks different from when it rolled off the line. More to the point, the vehicle was exhibited at 35 events where 10,000-plus enthusiasts signed their name on the bodywork. But is it a work of art of four wheels?
What this car is, for both Mazda and us car-speaking folks, is a reminder that slow-car-fast isn’t only a preference, but a recipe that speaks to people with very different interests in terms of transportation. In fact, the MX-5 Miata and RF don’t do fast. The two sibs are experts at being fun in the corners.
“Seeing so many signatures from all over the world really brought home the fact that people from different countries, cultures, and generations have supported the MX-5 for more than a quarter of a century,” declared Masashi Nakayama, program manager and chief designer of the fourth-gen MX-5.
“We are forever grateful to these fans, and we will continue working to elevate this car, a symbol of Mazda’s dedication to driving pleasure, to the realm of high culture as we set our sights on the next milestone - 2 million units,” he added. So yeah, that's a confirmation the MX-5 is here to stay.
What’s most surprising about Mazda’s tenacity with improving the breed without spoiling its trademark traits is the weight. More to the point, the U.S.-spec NA tips the scales at 2,182 pounds (989 kg), whereas the Euro-spec ND with the 1.5-liter engine weighs merely 2,149 pounds (975 kg). And in a time of super-size-me SUVs, this evolution is all the more worthy of praise.
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