The Newly Redesigned Mazda MX-5 Drops 995Kg to Become Superlight
Marissa Liu — September 24, 2009 — Autos
References: carscoop.blogspot & autoblog
The Mazda MX-5 Superlight is one sweet-looking roadster. Built to celebrate the Mazda MX-5 Miata’s 20th anniversary this is the car Mazda Motor Europe’s Chief Designer, Peter Birtwhistle, “dreamed of building.”
The most obvious change to the Mazda MX-5 Superlight was to put the car on a weight loss diet. Mazda removed the windshield, retractable roof and frame, extended the aluminum hood towards the cabin and mounted an aluminum, wide-angle rear-view mirror, along with a set of roll-over hoops fitted with LED brake lights. The dash is custom-made from fiberglass and plastic, with an engine-start button that brings to life the standard 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine. The makeover helped the Mazda MX-5 Superlight drop 995kg but due to the minimal engine modifications it runs 0-to-60 MPH at 8.9 seconds.
The most obvious change to the Mazda MX-5 Superlight was to put the car on a weight loss diet. Mazda removed the windshield, retractable roof and frame, extended the aluminum hood towards the cabin and mounted an aluminum, wide-angle rear-view mirror, along with a set of roll-over hoops fitted with LED brake lights. The dash is custom-made from fiberglass and plastic, with an engine-start button that brings to life the standard 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine. The makeover helped the Mazda MX-5 Superlight drop 995kg but due to the minimal engine modifications it runs 0-to-60 MPH at 8.9 seconds.
Trend Themes
1. Lightweight Car Design - There is a growing trend towards creating lightweight vehicles as seen with the Mazda MX-5 Superlight, which creates opportunities for companies in the automobile and transportation industries to explore new materials and technologies.
2. Minimalist Auto Features - The minimalist features of the Mazda MX-5 Superlight, such as the custom fiberglass and plastic dash, suggest a trend towards simplifying auto design and reducing unnecessary parts, which creates opportunities for manufacturing and materials companies to explore innovative new solutions.
3. Performance Efficiency Enhancement - The Mazda MX-5 Superlight's modifications demonstrate a trend towards improving the performance efficiency of vehicles, and present opportunities for technology and automotive industries to research and develop new ways to boost energy efficiency and optimize engines.
Industry Implications
1. Automobile Manufacturing - The lightweight and minimalist design of the Mazda MX-5 Superlight presents an opportunity for the automobile manufacturing industry to explore new materials and approaches to create lighter, more efficient vehicles that are less damaging to the environment.
2. Transportation - The trend towards creating lightweight vehicles that are more energy efficient suggests opportunities for companies in the transportation industry to invest in ways to reduce fuel consumption and adopt more efficient forms of transport.
3. Materials Science - The advancements in materials technology that enable the creation of lightweight cars and other vehicles create opportunities for companies in the materials science industry to develop new, more efficient materials that help improve fuel efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
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