Mazda MX-5

Mazda MX-5 at a glance

Every generation has two seats, a front-mounted four-cylinder engine and rear-wheel drive. All four were built in Hiroshima. The production totals for NA, NB and NC come from the generation pages and the yearly production table on Wikipedia; the figures for the NA weight differ between the infobox and the text, so both are given.

NA (1989–1997): pop-up lights and a twin-cam 1.6

Tom Matano and Shunji Tanaka shaped the first car, and the production version was unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show on 10 February 1989. Deliveries started in the United States and Canada in May 1989, in Japan on 1 September 1989 and in Europe in 1990. The NA is the only MX-5 with pop-up headlights.

The steel body had an aluminium bonnet, independent double wishbones at all four corners and disc brakes all round. The five-speed manual gearbox came from the Mazda 929, and a four-speed automatic was optional. Mazda claimed a top speed of 188 km/h for the 1.6.

Limited runs started early: 250 cars in British Racing Green for the UK in 1991, 800 Monza cars for the UK in 1997 and 400 Berkeley cars in 1998. Automobile Magazine named the NA its 1990 Automobile of the Year.

NB (1998–2005): fixed headlamps and a turbo

The second generation went on sale in February 1998, again designed under Tom Matano. The pop-up lights were dropped for pedestrian-safety reasons, and a six-speed manual became available. The 1.8 had 104 kW (141 PS) at launch; a facelift for the 2001 model year added variable valve timing, and UK figures rose to 109 kW (148 PS) and 168 Nm. The 10th Anniversary model of 1999, limited to 7,500 cars with 3,700 for Europe, reached 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds and 214 km/h.

The Mazdaspeed MX-5, sold as the Roadster Turbo in Japan, used an IHI turbocharger and remains the only factory turbocharged MX-5. Its top speed was 204 km/h, limited by the rev limiter. Japan also got a fixed-roof Roadster Coupé in 2003, limited to 179 cars.

NC (2005–2015): bigger, with a folding hardtop

The third generation took its styling cues from the 2003 Ibuki concept and shared its front wishbone and rear multi-link suspension with the Mazda RX-8. It grew to 4,000 mm in length on a 2,330 mm wheelbase and weighed 1,110 kg as a soft-top.

In July 2006 Mazda added the Power Retractable Hard Top. The folding roof adds 36 kg and does not take any boot space. A facelift shown at the 2008 Paris Motor Show and an update announced in July 2012 kept the car fresh until 2015.

The NC won Car of the Year Japan 2005–2006 and, as a used car, What Car?'s 2014 award for the best fun car. In Europe the 20th Anniversary Edition of 2010 was limited to 2,000 cars.

ND (since 2015): back to below a tonne

Mazda unveiled the fourth generation on 3 September 2014 and began production on 4 March 2015. At 3,915 mm it is shorter than the NA, and the lightest version, the 1.5 with a manual gearbox, weighs 990 kg. The automatic adds 20 kg and the RF about 50 kg.

The RF, or Retractable Fastback, with a rigid roof panel that folds behind the seats, was announced in late 2016. The 2.0 was revised for 2019 with a 7,500 rpm redline and 135 kW. On 24 March 2016 the MX-5 won both World Car of the Year and World Car Design of the Year. The ND also became the basis for the Fiat 124 Spider and Abarth 124, which used Fiat's own 1.4 turbo.

An update announced in February 2024 brought new headlights with daytime running lights, new tail lights, a new infotainment system, a new limited-slip differential, a revised steering rack and a DSC-Track mode that lets the car slide further before the stability control steps in.

Prices and running costs in 2026

ADAC lists five German versions of the roadster with the 100 kW (136 PS) 1.5 from June 2026, from €34,190 (Prime-Line) to €41,590 (Yakudo). The 1.5 Prime-Line reaches 204 km/h, uses 6.1 l/100 km in the WLTP cycle (139 g/km CO₂), weighs 1,084 kg and has a 130-litre boot and a 45-litre tank. ADAC lists a six-year or 150,000 km vehicle warranty. The 135 kW 2.0 roadster was listed in Germany until August 2024; in October 2023 the 2.0 Exclusive-Line cost €37,790 (ADAC).

Production milestones

Mazda's yearly table counts 1,089,697 cars built from 1988 to 2018, with the best year in 1990 at 95,640. The history of Mazda shows how the roadster fits into a company better known for rotary engines.

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