Ask Mazda designers a question for an upcoming article!

[MiataTurbo]

Hi All, I am new to the forum and am the proud owner of a (modified) 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata. I'm also a writer for Hagerty, and I have an amazing opportunity to speak with one of the lead designers of Miata.

I have some questions worked up, but I want to hear from other Miata fans: If you could ask the Miata designers anything, what would you ask?

[Hyper]

My only request = Simplicity as minimalist as possible and bring back the red interior LE!!!!

[— kung fu jesus —]

I am interested to know more about how the current design language relates to future consumers and the lifestyle an automobile like a roaster involves. Mazda has sort of abandoned a few languages in short order in the past and enjoy seeing how 'one that sticks' evolves. The tumultuous late '00s shuffled a lot of key design talent and Mazda scooped up Derek Jenkins, while ditching Laurens van der Acker. I think Mazda has been lucky to retain the services of Ikuo Maeda after all these years, I wonder how well the North American team plays with the Japanese team.

[— Phatmiata —]

I would like to know if Mazda plans to bring back a Turbo "Mazdaspeed" version since they recently killed off the Mazdaspeed3 ??

[etikoner]

Why didn't they ever offer one with a rotary?!!

[Pfunk]

I live here in Japan and am a frequent visitor to RS Aizawa, a tuning garage. In the five years I've been their customer, I have seen just about every incarnation of modded motor, from NA turbo 1.6s, through NB bored/stroked/high-comped 1.8s, to NC 2.5 s/c plants, and every combination in between. It's rare to see a stock mill, in fact, but of course RSA is a tuning garage. There is clearly a market here for higher-hp motors, but it doesn't appear that 2.0s will even be an option. I was wondering how Mazda decided to run with a 1.6 in Japan for the ND rather than a 2.0 as the US is slated to have, from what we can glean from the internet.

Second, for external design, to my eye the ND echos the NB (a good thing, in my opinion as a '98NB owner) more than the NA or NC. Do the designers agree? Can they share insight into the discussions that went on as they penned the ND and whether they based the current language more on one predecessor than another?

[MiataTurbo]

Thanks all! I'm sending him a compilation of questions before I leave work today so he can prepare his responses for the interview during the second week in January.

[— kung fu jesus —]

Are you interviewing the lead designer, chief engineer, or program lead?