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View Full Version : Whats it going to look like thread?



minto
12-24-2011, 06:08 AM
Well Iv seen a few concepts kicking about but has it been 100% confirmed and things? Anyway, Here's some pics of what Iv seen so far.

http://i.auto-bild.de/ir_img/9/1/3/2/9/3/Mazda-MX-5-2013-Illustration-560x373-57c13730f3e2b330.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d137/NEUROMODS/ND.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d137/NEUROMODS/ND2.jpg

http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/6026/74769973.jpg

kung fu jesus
12-24-2011, 03:10 PM
Keep in mind, those are artist interpretations, so they are speculative.

Everything I have experienced in the lead-up to the ND's release tells me Mazda knows this model has to be a home run. In the focus group I attended, we were told they knew they messed up with the NC, to much chagrin of some NC owners present. The press releases about the engineering of the chassis, the engine, the dedication to lightness, it's very encouraging. I know a few people at R&D and Marketing, the vibe I get is a "Not-Fucking-Around Crew" mentality. Mazda's secrecy about the ND is uncharacteristic and I do believe this is a do or die model for them.

I would expect the Kodo design language ("soul of motion") to develop quickly. Look at the Shinari concept for broad brush strokes of that language. The Nagare language was never really accepted beyond the Furai concept.

Ikuo Maeda took over as design chief early last year. He penned the RX-8. Interestingly, he is a second generation Mazda designer. His father penned the original RX-7. Derek Jenkins was named director of design for North America less than a year before that. Derek came from VW/Audi NA, having penned the A8 and new Scirocco. I believe this means together, the two will look to set a long-lasting language into motion with Kodo. I think they have the talent to do so, local professional circles close to me in design confirm this.

f86sabjf
12-25-2011, 04:59 PM
I hope it doesnt look like the top yellow one. Reminds me of some kind of solstice caddy cross

miata5620
12-25-2011, 08:00 PM
I just hope they get rid of that smiling front end and make the new car feel more pure like the NAs and NBs. I have not driven any modified NCs but the stock ones I have been in just did not feel like the sports car the older models felt like.

HellaRareYellow
12-30-2011, 11:16 AM
I hope it doesnt look like the top yellow one. Reminds me of some kind of solstice caddy cross

Almost Z4~ish. yuk.

Dliverance
01-03-2012, 07:36 PM
I kinda like the first one. Looks a lot more aggressive than the previous body styles. Excluding the MSM of course.

Calebbel
01-03-2012, 07:48 PM
I kinda like the RX8ish looking front end

Skinny
01-04-2012, 05:03 AM
More of the first one, less of the magazing and nc one

zoom
01-04-2012, 07:24 PM
It's going to be ugly. Probably with the same nose as the '13 cx-5.

Emex
01-04-2012, 09:24 PM
Front end of the yellow one has Scirocco traits around the front end, any word on how much NC is going to be carried over?

satking
01-04-2012, 09:27 PM
They need to go back to basics like the original NA and allow the owners to make the upgrades they want.....the only extras I would add are a roll bar and an optional power hardtop

blackchicken
01-05-2012, 07:03 PM
KungFuJesus glad to hear the inside scoop from the focus group. I'm a long-time NB1 owner, now an NC2 owner and pretty regularly drive all the generations in stock and modded form. I agree that mazda screwed the pooch with the release of the NC. To me it was never the weight (especially since the weight was very carefully managed to barely increase over an NB2 or MSM) or the styling (flared arches were a bit weird but overall I preferred it to the NB2 or even my own NB1) or even the width increase (it brought interior gains over the cramped NB and gave the car a more "serious" stance going down the road).

So what blew it - to me, at least? - the stock suspension tuning! Marshmallow soft, body roll like a ship in a storm... truly unbecoming... and contrary to the potential of the RX8-shared chassis. The engine sitting low and behind the front axle in particular was a fantastic thing mazda engineered for the NC... as was the stiff chassis... the improved soft top... so why deliver these NC1 cars in particular to the press and to customers with such horrid chassis tuning and sitting miles off the pavement in 4x4 mode so that they didn't just handle sloppily, they also looked TERRIBLE!

Having driven both NC1 and NC2 there were some very real improvements in the 2009 suspension tuning. The 4x4 look was not QUITE as egregious... more comparable to how high stock NB and NA cars sat from factory (they need help in this department too, IMO). But even NC2 suspension tuning is pretty lame. It is not longer so bad as to make you want to cry as a long-time miata enthusiast :D but it is nowhere near sufficient for even a semi-serious enthusiast driver.

Like most of us know, of course, even mild changes to the NC suspension (springs, sways, a good alignment) utterly transform the feel of the car. Quick turn-in returns to the steering, body roll goes away, the car takes on an eager feel that is missing in stock form. And with an exhaust the MZR motor starts to live up to its larger displacement (revs nice and quick too, reminiscent of the 1.6L NA1 engine in many ways except with greater low-end torque). And don't get me wrong, NA and NB models both benefit greatly from suspension mods and few power tweaks... in this regard the NC is no different from previous miatas.... so the difference is not one of kind but more of degree: whereas a stock NA or NB delivers a decent sporting feel on mazda's stock suspension tuning, the NC *needs* suspension help to handle any transient changes.

As for intake/exhaust "sound", the best sounding generation in STOCK form was always the NA. It has a decent exhaust tuning that you can hear both top up and top down. My stock NB exhaust was a disappointment compared to the NA stock exhaust tone. The NC is like the NB in this regard... stock exhaust is disappointing and nearly silent from the driver's seat. The NC2 does get points for a nice induction growl, however.

Whoa... this was supposed to be "what is the ND going to look like?" wasn't it? :) My own prediction (hope?) is that the car will be close *in spirit* to the Ibuki concept that foreshadowed the NC.
http://www.automobilemag.com/features/0311_ibuki/viewall.html

From what I read somewhere, NC was a partial delivery of Ibuki... the full implementation of Ibuki will come about in ND. I'd like to see weight about what NB1 was (2300lb), which is only ~150lb weight reduction from a softtop NC and so very achievable. If they go further and get closer to NA1 weight (2100lb) then all the better. I would also like to see the car corner in STOCK FORM as flat and composed as the GT86/BRZ seems to be cornering (based on videos I've seen). In short, I want this car to be in STOCK FORM as good as most of us make our NA/NB/NC miatas with basic suspension and stiffness mods... and I would like the intake+exhaust to be tuned for aggressive and sporty sound. Gearbox, I'm not too worried, mazda usually does well with this. Steering feel, ditto (but a ratio as quick as the R53 MINIs is a good idea here, so slightly quicker ratio than the current car).

All in all, I hope the ND driving experience is led by mazda's engineers and not "focus groups", definitely not by beancounters. And I think that if the car gets lighter and a bit smaller and more basic in its features and mission the price can also be dropped by about $4K, making it as relatively affordable a sports car as the NA1 was when released (NA1 cost was on par with Honda's CRX Si when released; NB1 cost shot up significantly, in comparison; NC1 held the line on prices relative to the NB2 but GT and PRHT models are definitely overpriced by a good $5K). :eagerness:

blackchicken
01-05-2012, 08:58 PM
Wow I didn't think that would be so long... that would not have happened in Tapatalk on my iphone lol. :eek:

Grumpy
01-05-2012, 09:56 PM
The Ibuki styling was 2003. I wouldn't mind it if it were used, but I think that's going backwards in their styling cues for the brand. Since then there's also been Nagare styling and most recently, and IMHO the most likely option for the ND to is the Kodo styling as seen in the Shinari Concept.

http://chivethethrottle.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/mazda-shinari-concept-2.jpg?w=920&h=610

Quite a while back after someone had a request for what it might look like if the Shinari styling were to be used on the ND, I came up with this:

http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/yy213/askut/carstuff/Mazda-Shinari-concept-9e2-1.jpg

Looking at it, I think the wheelbase is too long, mainly due to the fact I kept the full trunk, and left too much space for the roof storage. But, not too long ago top speed posted this shot which would look pretty good I think.

http://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/jpg/201012/mazda-mx-5w.jpg

I feel it's likely that they'll use the brand styling, but I think to keep a Miata looking like a Miata that they should go with the Ibuki styling with some tweaks (headlights on this concept picture suck balls, but the rest looks pretty good)

http://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/crop/201108/2013-mazda-mx-5_460x0w.jpg

Tekel
01-06-2012, 10:10 AM
I just wish they would get rid of the God forsaken smile. :mad:

psulja
01-06-2012, 10:21 AM
I just wish they would get rid of the God forsaken smile. :mad:

Well to be fair, all 3 gens so far have some sort of smile going on. I don't think it's that bad.

friday
01-06-2012, 10:26 AM
styling is important, but I am probably most interested in specs. I know there have been numerous rumors about something really lite weight (around 2200lbs) and I would love to see that.

jaredef
01-06-2012, 05:42 PM
if it doesnt have a smile, its not a miata

I<3flippyheadlights
01-06-2012, 06:18 PM
I <3 THE IBUKI STYLING!

Its like "rawr, Im ferocious and I will eat you."

In all honesty I like it more then the other one. The other is too sharp, wheels to big, very edgy. A miata should have curves, seem playful and simple. Oh, and it always needs to smile.

Benbrg
01-08-2012, 03:03 AM
I hope it has the dimensions of an NB.. and that they keep it subtle and classy. If you look at all generations of miata, it has always been a deep design with nothing overly sharp or controversial.

IMO the NC was fat. The NA was a more pure design, but the NB was the best version of the miata from a sporting standpoint. Its dimensions allow for more stability while still retaining a lightweight nimbleness.

I always look at my miata and wish that it was just slightly wider. The nb has those dimensions, especially in the rear fenders. In that area, it resembles the m2 1006, which is never a bad thing. Hopefully, Mazda gets it right with the ND.

Meow
01-11-2012, 03:58 AM
I kinda like the first one. Looks a lot more aggressive than the previous body styles. Excluding the MSM of course.

couldn't agree more.

I'm looking forward to a more definitive answer and pictures

atlnb
01-18-2012, 03:27 AM
1st pic is the best, the others not so much/not at all.

Skinny
01-18-2012, 05:23 AM
Screw styling ques that keep it in the ''brand.'' There is a reason that no other mazda even had a thought at getting into my drivers list. One ugly trend shouldnt be the downfall of an entire lineup...and this goes to all manufacturers not just mazda.

iamdallas
01-18-2012, 05:32 AM
Lets just hope it doesn't get heavier/bigger... I can deal with an ugly face.

theothersawyer
01-18-2012, 11:06 AM
My guess is that is going to look nothing like the pictures in the 1st post, because if you look at them they all look like the NC. This is going to be a complete redesign not a midcycle refresh. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if it did not have a the styling cues of other mazda's. I mean in a way the Miata is to Mazda what the Mustang is to Ford, and it doesn't seem like Mazda can afford to get the ND wrong. I just really hope they don't screw things up and go back to the roots of lightweight/handling, which it seems like they are going to.

JewelChick
04-07-2012, 09:20 PM
I love the smile on my 2001. I wish it would come back.

All the talk about the next Miata is that it's supposed to be a return to the original concept. With the exception of the orange one shown above, all renderings I've seen are completely hideous. The most beautiful thing about the Miata from the very beginning (to me) was that it looked like a happy little Autopia car! I don't want a car that looks like it belongs in a Stephen King movie.

And when will they get away from the dark, depressing colors? Bring back the yellow. And I'd love to see it in a retro-aqua.