If you look closely, they did actually use one design the M-Coupe and applied it onto the production models of the NB.
If you look closely, they did actually use one design the M-Coupe and applied it onto the production models of the NB.
Rocker panel and rounded door edge?
Phatmiata (05-16-2014)
This coupe was put together by Mazda North America as an internal project. Mazda Japan built more serious coupe styling study in 1990-91. MNAO also did an earlier coupe. Mazda NA also did an early coupe concept. There was no need to build the M-Coupe to show Mazda what a Roadster coupe would look like, they already knew.
Pretty obvious in side profile that the America coupe treatment was not the origin of the production coupe.
Early American attempt, years before the M-Coupe.
Everything you've said just paraphrases what Miata.net says on the subject, written by someone 10+ years ago who didn't know the F010 even existed. Brian Long quotes Tom Matano who stressed the M-Coupe was only ever a styling exercise; there was never an intention to use it for marketing a coupe idea, thats just something the media made up. In a similar vein, the Monoposto and Superlight only ever existed to provide something interesting to look at a show.
The F010 was a project ordered by Shigenori Fukada. Note, the two different sides.
Someone translate this;
etikoner (05-16-2014)
Then there was no need to build another coupe for a show car when the FD left the US. They apparently already had plenty of coupes to choose from.
Interesting info though.
I've got a lot less horsepower - luckily they are Japanese horses - usually in better shape and more motivated.
Well, F010 was not a show grade car; the left side looked different from the right side. It was also a Canadian spec car and therefore could not be imported into the US. The M2-1008; not sure any survived (Mazda only has a sole replica left); that was Japanese spec, and of course could not be imported into the US. The M-Coupe used a road registered US spec car.
The F010 had a pretty rough interior
Rough fibreglassing
I think the M-Coupe should be looked at not as a Mazda Motors project (as far as I know, its never been exhibited outside of North America) but as a MNAO project. In the same way, the MX5 Superlight is really a Mazda Europe showcar project, and also irrelevant to the MX5 story. The Superlight started out (allegedly) as an unregistered red 1.8 base spec MX5 that had fell off the transporter.
When it comes to show cars, Mazda is a master of smoke and mirrors. Did anyone really think they were going to launch a 2.0 IRTB'd NB (MX5 MPS concept), or a FM-supercharged NC (the Yusho) or a throttle-bodied' NC (the GT; the GT that is on sale is nothing like the cars the press tested).
One of the times I have seen the yellow NA prototype, I saw some stress cracks in the paint/body where the B pillar meets the fender. These styling and concept prototypes are meant as exercises and typically used to promote the model they are based off of.