Mazda MX-5 reaches production milestone with one-millionth model

The one-millionth Mazda MX-5 has been produced in Japan, adding yet another milestone to the iconic soft-top’s growing list of historic achievements.

Repeatedly recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s best-selling two-seater sports car, the one-millionthMazda MX-5 ever produced, rolled of the Hiroshima production line on April 22 – 27 years after mass-production of the model first began in April 1989.

Evolving through four generations to date – the NA, NB, NC and ND – Mazda says the one-millionth car, a Soul Red Japanese-spec 1.5-litre soft-top, is to be displayed at events across Japan and around the world starting from May 3, “As a way of expressing thanks to MX-5 fans and owners”.

Mazda Motor Corporation president and CEO Masamichi Kogai said the marque will continue to focus on delivering “the joy of driving” to MX-5 buyers, while acknowledging the attribute “has become a symbol of our brand”.

“From the first generation through to today’s fourth-generation model, the reason we have been able to continue selling the MX-5 all these years, is due to the strong support of fans around the world,” Kogai said.

“Mazda aims to create a special bond with customers and become a ‘one-and-only’ brand they will choose again and again.”

With global sales of the all-new fourth-generation ND Mazda MX-5 already well underway, the model’s sales and production records will continue to grow as the 96-year-old Japanese car maker narrows in on its centennial year.

Since the original Mazda MX-5 debuted in February 1989 at the Chicago motor show, the hugely popular model has received over 200 awards, including taking out an unprecedented double-win at this year’s 2016 World Car of the Year Awards (claiming both World Car of the Year and World Car Design of the Year).

• February 1989 – First-generation NA Mazda MX-5 debuts at Chicago motor show

• October 1997 – Second-generation NB Mazda MX-5 debuts at Tokyo motor show

• March 2005 – Third-generation NC Mazda MX-5 debuts at Geneva motor show

• September 2014 – Fourth-generation ND Mazda MX-5 debuts at simultaneous events in the US, Spain and Japan

Mazda’s Next RX Sports Coupe Not A Priority

As much as the motoring enthusiasts and the media got very excited indeed at the sight of the RX-Vision concept at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, it seems that Mazda isn’t in any sort of rush to deliver it to us in production form.

According to CarAdvice, Yuji Nakemine, Mazda Corporation’s senior managing executive officer and global director said during his visit to Melbourne recently: “I was encouraged by the concept but still think, we just created that kind of concept, kind of a dream of bringing that to market in the future but at this moment, no specific plan to mass-produce the vehicle,”

He then added, “I think Mazda R&D will continue to look, that’s their dream as engineers. When it comes to business I think we have to study lots of elements, recovering engineering costs, tooling, we have to be realistic. At this time we have the MX-5 RF and soft-top, we shouldn’t be, kind of, distracted by so many rumours, our sales organisation should take advantage of the current product line-up.”

There was no shortage of rumours flying as the concept was unveiled last year, tentatively labelled as the RX-9, and the billed as the successor to the lineage that stands with the RX-8 and RX-7 before that.

The more popular talk surrounded the likelihood that Mazda would introduce a turbocharged rotary engine or even some type of hybrid drive to really give their next performance coupe some real supercar-worrying performance. And Mazda even allegedly filed some patents in the United States for that kind of engine, fuelling further speculation.

Despite the other rumour being a projected 2020 release for an RX-9 sports coupe to coincide with Mazda’s centenary, this denial by a top Mazda executive might mean that either the car won’t see a global production debut or that it will be delayed it by at least another few years.