Mazda MX-5 is moving deeper into the latter phase of its current life cycle, though Mazda already confirmed work on the next chapter. The company says a prototype for the future NE generation exists, even though the final technical direction still has not been fixed.
The present ND generation first entered production in Hiroshima in March 2015. North America received the car as a 2016 model year entry. Eleven years now sit behind the current roadster, and Mazda still keeps two body choices in production: a soft-top version and a folding metal-roof variant.
Both versions keep the same front mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout. The same architecture also supported the short-lived Abarth 124 Spider, built in the same factory from 2016 through 2019.
Reports cited in the source indicate the ND may stay in service until the end of the decade. Even so, Mazda already acknowledged the NE project exists internally. What remains unresolved is the final combination of exterior design and drivetrain layout.
The powertrain question still sits open. Current discussion around the next MX-5 points toward some level of electrification at launch. The source notes a fully electrified product rather than a mild-hybrid route. One path under discussion involves a plug-in hybrid setup. Another involves a range-extender arrangement using a four-cylinder engine working as a generator. Synthetic fuels also remain part of the broader conversation around the model.
A fully electric route raises engineering difficulty because added mass would directly affect the character of the car. Weight remains one of the main concerns linked to the future package.
Before Mazda settles those choices, independent rendering work has already started again. This latest digital proposal came from @lsdesignsrl on Instagram. The artist says the CGI study takes inspiration from an MX-6 Concept created earlier.
The rendered roadster keeps familiar proportions, though some front-end details move away from what a production MX-5 usually carries. Pop-up headlights appear in some views, yet the source notes that those units would not reach production because of pedestrian safety requirements.
The article also points out a mixed reaction to the rendering itself. The shape is seen as acceptable, though still incomplete in relation to what the MX-5 badge would require in final form.
For now, Mazda continues internal work while digital artists keep filling the silence around the NE with unofficial proposals.
