Mazda Eyes Carbon Fiber for Next MX-5

The new MX-5 Miata hasn’t been around long, but Mazda is already looking to the future. With the MX-5 being one of the lightest cars on the road, Mazda knows that to make a future version even lighter it will have to use some exotic materials. Mazda is reportedly looking into maintaining the same size as the current MX-5 and reducing weight by using carbon fiber.

In speaking with Autocar, MX-5 program manager for Mazda Nobuhiro Yamamoto, who says that while the size is right, reduced weight will have to come from lightweight materials. According to Yamamoto, “Now carbon fiber is very expensive, but we have in development affordable carbon fiber, so the MX-5 will be lighter in the future.”

He also said that engines would get smaller with indications pointing to potential 3-cylinder powerplants. When it comes to sports cars, I’m not a huge fan of the trend of downsizing engines. I’d rather see engines become more efficient and stay larger, but as long as performance is there, I guess it doesn’t really matter.

He also noted that the MX-5 Speedster and Spyder concept weren’t suitable for production. No new version of the MX-5 is expected before about 2021, but it’ll be pretty cool if the next gen incorporates carbon fiber into its construction.