Believe me when I say I wanted to write a lovely little news bite about the 25th anniversary of the Mazda Miata, and the reveal of the fourth generation Miata MX5. I was as excited as any gearhead, set to watch the livestream of the reveal for the 2016 model, ready to comment on the Alfa design cues, the classic inspiration, the projected specs. But I can’t do it- mainly because there isn’t much to say. Perhaps unfairly this article has very little to do with the car – unfortunately, just like its reveal.
One truly has to feel badly for Derek Jenkins, Director of Design for Mazda North America, and after feeling badly they have to wonder if perhaps tonight’s live stream was entirely orchestrated by him, without a single other Mazda employee’s involvement.Perhaps that could offer explanation for the half an hour of elevator music, ten minutes of intro, a shot of the car and then what felt like 25 years of Duran Duran playing songs that Mr. Jenkins claims are related to the Miata because “they met with success, more success and more success,” and also because, “he’s a big fan.”
I have no ill feelings towards either the band or the Director of design, but I do find myself curious, as the hundreds of YouTube commenters did as well, as to how they could manage a full 80’s concert, but couldn’t get a camera angle not directly pointed at their brand new car’s left side.
The lack of reveal in this enormous reveal was so absurd that I found myself scouring the web, along with dozens of other automotive journalists, mind, for images of a car that is now public. Given the ancestry and importance of the Miata’s front end, an unmistakable grille, with iconic styling cues never fully in or out of fashion, one might say that would be the most important part of the car to show. But instead we got saddled with a nice flat image of a decidedly Alfa inspired rear fender, and admittedly nicely contoured left door.
Perhaps that explains why Mr. Jenkins spent all the time he had before the concert, and an hour later, the time he had before press questions, explaining the styling choices. They are all well and good. In my opinion the car looks like a brand new Miata, in the very best way possible. With 4C inspiration for the doors and rear wheel arches, and what looks like LFA headlamps, the car certainly has style.
But as soon as the images leaked (a car’s images should never have to leak after the reveal) I could see that for myself. What I couldn’t see was the engine, the projected mileage, top speeds, braking distance or anything of any use at all. In fact, it seemed all Mr. Jenkins really knew what to say was what could be seen, if allowed, with the naked eye.
The car is truly beautiful to look at. While the interior remains a staunch reminder of the Miata’s humble origins, with somewhat bulbous looking plastic bits here and there, and a SatNav seemingly stuck right in the middle of the dash, for all but the driver to see, there is a style and class with this new model that is entirely its own.
Unfortunately, all that styling and timing and fanfare got lost in the chaotic mess of this evening’s reveal. As if the camera angles weren’t sin enough one simply had to feel the emanating humiliation of the historian literally cut off mid-sentence to from a pre-filmed bit with concerning wardrobe choices to the, you guessed it, left side of the new Miata.
I have hope for this little car that can, and I can’t seem to say enough how fond I am of the styling. Those looks give it sticking power, for sure. All I can say, however, is that I hope their engineers are better than their marketing team.