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riefdaddy
03-21-2014, 07:56 PM
I guess now they whole car is to be revealed in New York? At least according to AutoWeek...

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20140321/CARNEWS/140329984

UPDATE: New Mazda MX-5 to debut in New York
Mazda to celebrate Miata MX-5's 25th birthday in New York
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1995 Mazda Miata Mazda
Mazda is celebrating 25 years of the Miata.

By: Jake Lingeman on 3/21/2014


Everyone's favorite autocrosser, the Mazda Miata MX-5, is celebrating its 25th birthday in 2014. It made its global debut way back in 1989 at the Chicago Auto Show. This year, at the New York auto show, the company is going to host its biggest birthday party yet.

Mazda will showcase 15 of its favorite MX-5 vehicles, ranging from auto show concepts to race cars and production models.

"The MX-5 Miata is the quintessential Mazda," said Jim O'Sullivan, president and CEO of Mazda North America. "And after 25 years, every vehicle in the lineup continues to feature some characteristic of MX-5: a fluid shifter, lightness on its feet, quickness around a corner, a fun-to-drive DNA. With all the whiz-bang technology and comfort amenities increasingly added to modern vehicles, MX-5's direct connection between car and driver still remains the standard feature that puts smiles on drivers' faces."

We won't see the new Mazda on our streets until next year, we think, and its platform-sharing Alfa Spider brother could take even longer, if it happens at all. We saw some photos of the pair last July, when the company announced the pairing.

We don't know too much more. The Alfa and Mazda will share windshields and frames, front bulkhead and engine compartments, and front and rear axles. About 40 percent of the parts are common.

The roadsters will weight about 2,200 pounds, and deliver about 170 hp. Check out our breakdown of the new car from late last year.

UPDATE: Our sources have confirmed that Mazda will bring the new MX-5 to the New York auto show. The exact launch date it still to be decided. The original plan, according to sources, was that the car would be revealed in Chicago, where the first was unveiled 25 years ago.

We'll keep you informed as the New York show approaches.



Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20140321/carnews/140329984#ixzz2weHAwHL6
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WASABI
03-21-2014, 08:21 PM
Correct me if I'm wrong, but, am I mistaken in thinking that the new MX5 will not be sharing its platform with Alfa Spider, but instead with a Fiat roadster? Shouldn't Autoweek know this?

kung fu jesus
03-22-2014, 08:40 AM
I believe that is still up in the air, but Fiat S.P.a only has distribution channels in the US as Fiat, and Chrysler, so their roadster through Alfa would probably be badged as that if they are planning to sell it here.

Dandy
03-22-2014, 10:08 AM
As KFJ said, the Alpha/ Fiat decision appears up in the air; at least to those outside the company . . .

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/03/03/fiat-mazda-alfa-romeo-roadster-doubt-question-poll-report/ (http://www.autoblog.com/2014/03/03/fiat-mazda-alfa-romeo-roadster-doubt-question-poll-report/)

Posted Mar 3rd 2014 10:00AM at Autoblog


Alfa giveth and Alfa taketh away. With apologies to Job (he has gone through a lot, after all), that's how things are looking at the Italian automaker – whether it's the promise of new products or its impending return to the North American market. But it's especially true when it comes to new roadsters.

While Alfa Romeo (http://www.autoblog.com/category/alfa-romeo/) is expected to unveil the 4C Spider (http://www.autoblog.com/2014/02/26/alfa-romeo-4c-spider-geneva-report/) at the Geneva Motor Show (http://www.autoblog.com/geneva-motor-show/) this week, reports are now suggesting that its other roadster project is being called into question. That project is a joint venture betweenFiat (http://www.autoblog.com/fiat/) and Mazda (http://www.autoblog.com/mazda/), which was set to produce a version of its next MX-5 Miata (http://www.autoblog.com/mazda/mx-5+miata/) as an Alfa Romeo, and was even changing the design to accommodate Alfa's requirements.

Now it appears, however, that the whole project in doubt. The problem seems to stem from Sergio Marchionne's pronouncements that, as long as he's in charge, there won't be an Alfa Romeo built outside of Italy.

The principal poses some problems, but also leaves some windows open. For one, it could mean that the Alfa project would be postponed until after Marchionne (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/sergio+marchionne/) retires, but that's not expected (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/12/16/chrysler-fiat-ceo-sergio-marchionne-successor/) to happen any time soon. For another, it could mean that the Alfa roadster would be developed by Mazda and based on its architecture, but assembled back in Italy – although the deal is said to call for Mazda to do the manufacturing. The prospect that our colleagues at at Automotive News Europe are betting on, however, is that Marchionne will switch its commitment to Mazda to another brand.

Eliminating Ferrari (http://www.autoblog.com/ferrari/), Maserati (http://www.autoblog.com/maserati/) and Lancia (http://www.autoblog.com/category/lancia-1/) as possibilities, ANE figures the project could be transferred to either Fiat or the Abarth (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/abarth/) performance brand. Bertone's Fiat Barchetta (http://www.autoblog.com/2007/02/15/bertones-95th-anniversary-roadster-concept/) concept looked promising in 2007, and Abarth was long rumored to get its own roadster – and both manufacture outside of Italy as it is. But for that matter, we wonder why – with Fiat and Chrysler (http://www.autoblog.com/chrysler/) now under the same umbrella – it couldn't be done instead as a Dodge (http://www.autoblog.com/dodge/) or SRT (http://www.autoblog.com/srt/). The Copperhead concept of 1997 and the Demon (http://www.autoblog.com/2007/02/12/dodge-demon-concept-will-debut-in-geneva/) of 2008 did show some promise, after all. What do you think?