The MX-5, also known as Miata (pronounced /miˈɑːtə/) in North America and Eunos Roadster in Japan, is a lightweight two-seater roadster, of front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, built by Mazda in Hiroshima, Japan. The model was introduced in 1989 at the Chicago Auto Show and kicked off a new era of low cost open-top two-seater sports cars not seen in the automotive industry since the 1970s. The MX-5 was conceived as a small roadster – with light weight and minimal mechanical complexity limited only by legal and safety requirements; technologically modern, but a philosophically direct descendant of the small British roadsters of the 1960s such as the Triumph Spitfire, Austin-Healey Sprite, MG Midget and Lotus Elan.
The second generation MX-5 (NB) was launched in 1998 and the current (NC) model having been in production since 2006, and it continues to be a best selling convertible and by February 2011, 900,000 MX-5s have been built and sold around the world
Since the launch of the third generation MX-5, Mazda consolidated worldwide marketing using the MX-5 name, though enthusiasts in the USA still refer to it as Miata, a name that means "reward" in Old High German.1 Generations and overview
2 From idea to production
2.1 Jinba ittai
3 First generation (NA)
3.1 M2 Special Editions
3.2 2011 BBR MX-5 Turbo
4 Second generation (NB)
4.1 MX-5 10th Anniversary Model (1999)
4.2 Facelift (2001)
4.3 Mazdaspeed MX-5 (2004)
5 Third generation (NC)
5.1 Facelift
5.2 MX-5 Superlight (2009)
5.3 MX-5 20th Anniversary Edition (2010)
6 Transmissions
7 Safety
8 Production numbers and details
9 Technical specifications
10 See also
11 References
12 External links
The MX5's first generation, the NA, sold over 400,000 units from 1989 to 1997 – with a 1.6 L (98 cu in) straight-4 engine to 1993, a 1.8 L (110 cu in) engine thereafter (with a de-tuned 1.6 as a budget option in some markets) – recognizable by its pop-up headlights. The second generation (NB) was introduced in 1998 with a slight increase in engine power; it can be recognized by the fixed headlights and the glass rear window. The third generation (NC) was introduced in 2005 with a 2.0 L (120 cu in) engine.It was launched at a time when production of small roadsters had fallen into almost total disuse. The Alfa Romeo Spider was the only comparable volume model in production at the time of the MX-5's launch. Just a decade earlier, a whole host of similar models - notably the MG B, Triumph TR7, Triumph Spitfire and Fiat Spider - had been available.
Mazda MX5
Mazda MX5
Mazda MX5
Mazda MX5
Mazda MX5
Mazda MX5
Mazda MX5
Mazda MX5
Mazda MX5
Mazda MX5
Mazda MX5
Mazda MX5
Mazda MX5
Mazda MX5
Mazda MX5
No comments:
Post a Comment