I know the NC Miat... err, MX-5s aren't as nice to you guys as the NA and NB Miatas, but still...
http://jalopnik.com/5357487/more-mazda-mx+5-superlight-concept-2193-lbs-of-strippe...
Yes, please.
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Sept. 11, 2009 4:02 p.m. RexSeven HalfDork
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Sept. 11, 2009 4:49 p.m. TJ HalfDork
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Sept. 11, 2009 4:52 p.m. RexSeven HalfDork
Dammit! I didn't see that one.
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Sept. 11, 2009 5:44 p.m. Keith PowerDork
S'ok, that's a new photo.
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Sept. 11, 2009 7:36 p.m. Brust Reader
Keith, It's got to be cool to be referred to indirectly as the standard. (note about 5 comments deep in the jalopnik responses "neat, only a little heavier and a little less powerful than the targa miata")
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Sept. 11, 2009 7:41 p.m. aussiesmg SuperDork
LOL ^ that is funny, guess what I was going to ask.
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Sept. 11, 2009 8:19 p.m. S2 New Reader
Where's Chim-Chim in the picture? He usually rides next to Speed Racer!
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Sept. 11, 2009 8:37 p.m. Keith PowerDork
Oh wow, that is cool
Thanks Brust, you made my week.
Yeah, about 100 lbs heavier than the Targa (which has a roll cage and a roof, of course) and definitely less powerful.
It is odd that they built this car around a 1.8 instead of a 2.0. Same block in both cases, the 2.0 might even be lighter because it has bigger holes in the block.
I suspect the car was built on a 1.8 chassis because Mazda had one available that had been damaged so they passed it off to an aftermarket shop that had been pestering them. Cars like this are a crime of opportunity.
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Sept. 11, 2009 8:41 p.m. confuZion3 SuperDork
OK, so they drilled holes in EVERYTHING, took out most of the interior, replaced many metal things with magic woven carbon, lost the glass, dumped the insulation and still wound up with 2200 pounds? The Lotus Elise has a radio and some comfort items (like a windshield and a roof) and still weighs less.
I'm not saying that's not light, but could that be the weight with, say, a 180 pound driver? Maybe I'm interpreting it wrong.
How much does the NA weigh?
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Sept. 11, 2009 9:00 p.m. MrJoshua SuperDork
Unfortunately Miatae aren't as light as one would think.
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Sept. 11, 2009 10:19 p.m. Keith PowerDork
The 1990 base was 2150 or so. I don't know exactly what the spec was - those cars didn't even have a radio, remember - but they're reasonably light. Tough to pull significant weight out of too, as the interior is already pretty skeletal. It can be done, and an NA with the same sort of treatment would be in the 2000 lb range with an interior.
The NC is heavier, about 400 lbs heavier to start off.
Maybe they used the same kind of carbon that they use on road bikes. The sort that weighs more than aluminum.
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Sept. 12, 2009 12:24 a.m. ZOOMX5 New Reader
Don't get your hopes up, remember these? I know Mazda didn't claim them to be superlight, but unproduced all the same.
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Sept. 12, 2009 9:16 a.m. Keith PowerDork
The orange one - the Speedster - has a pretty interesting history. It was a Ferrari tribute car, then it got turned into a corporate show car in 1995. Some details did make it to production, check out the shape of the bottom of the doors. It's also the only piston-powered Mazda to make it into a Fast and Furious movie, I think :) It's been repainted, it used to be a very pretty merlot color.
The Monoposto is just goofy, and it never got much attention.
The most interesting Miata showcars to me were the Club Racer and the original Coupe- actually called the M Coupe, before BMW decided to use the name. The Club Racer was on the stand at the original unveiling of the Miata, the design team had put it together. I like it because it shows the team's intent for the car. Call it the first Spec Miata
Nothing ever made it to production although I think Racing Beat took a close look at that nose treatment!
And the Coupe. The original coupe was really pretty, more so than the later ones that made it into production. A little note that most people don't know about - it's asymmetrical. The design team tried two different treatments at the base of the c-pillar and the car never got reshaped. The rest of the body wasn't changed much. I've been on track in this car
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Sept. 12, 2009 10:19 a.m. Osterkraut Dork
I like the NC nose refresh. It looks good on the RX-8 too.
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May 4, 2011 6:23 a.m. Raze Dork
canoe
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May 4, 2011 8:23 a.m. nderwater Dork
Awesome timing for a zombie thread - it was great to see these cars at the Mitty this weekend. Other than the odd seam gap above the gas cap, the coupe is a stellar car from every angle. It's too bad they never put it into production! Anyone know of any of the JDM Roadster Coupes (NB) were ever imported to the states? I'd really love to see one.
