Page 1 of 1 At its heart, Mazda has always been a company relentlessly pursuing a fun-to-drive spirit for all its cars. And no Mazda product better personifies this spirit than the Roadster/ MX-5: the small, lightweight, open-top, two seat sports car. Launched in 1989, the Mazda Roadster/MX-5 re-established for enthusiasts around the world the concept of the lightweight opentop sports car and has gained an overwhelming amount of support from worldwide customers-the Roadster/MX-5 is recognized in the Guinness Book of World Recordas the best-selling, lightweight opentop two-seater sports car of all time.
The Mazda Ibuki concept made its worldwide debut at the 2003 Tokyo Motor Show and clearly showcases Mazda's current efforts in both design and technology as the development team works to further refine the company's famous lightweight, open-top sports car. The Ibuki concept (the name comes from a Japanese word that refers to 'breathing new energy into' and 'adding vigor') reaches back to its 1989 origins as it hints towards one possible approach for a future Roadster/MX-5 model.
The overall aim with this concept was to further refine the fun-to-drive spirit that can be derived from a lightweight, open-top sports car. At the same time, the design team has worked to advance the true roadster identity and further refine the levels of comfort and safety in a vehicle with the top down. In an effort to more fully realize oneness between car and driver-a oneness that was the overall intent of the original Roadster/MX-5-the Ibuki design team has borrowed from the advanced front-midship engine layout of Mazda RX-8, although in this case employing an inline four-cylinder engine.
Overall vehicle proportions have been defined by extremely short front and rear overhangs that confidently signify the extreme fun-to-drive spirit achieved by the innovative engine layout. The overall shape is clean and simple, reminiscent of the original Mazda Roadster/MX-5, with a wide and stable stance, pronounced fenders and the elegant use of oval shapes throughout the design. Page 1 of 1
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At its heart, Mazda has always been a company relentlessly pursuing a fun-to-drive spirit for all its cars. And no Mazda product better personifies this spirit than the Roadster/ MX-5: the small, lightweight, open-top, two seat sports car. Launched in 1989, the Mazda Roadster/MX-5 re-established for enthusiasts around the world the concept of the lightweight opentop sports car and has gained an overwhelming amount of support from worldwide customers-the Roadster/MX-5 is recognized in the Guinness Book of World Recordas the best-selling, lightweight opentop two-seater sports car of all time.