Mazda Vision Study Model teases stunning next-gen Miata

Mazda is teasing car enthusiasts with a low-slung sports car design that could portend the next Miata. The Mazda Vision Study Model was buried in a mid-term plan outlining an $11 billion push toward electrification. Reading between the lines it seems almost certain that the next Miata will be a hybrid, but maybe it really will look this good.

The size of the Vision Study Model indicate that the car is Miata-sized, especially if you look at the proportion of the door and windshield relative to the car. This isn’t a larger vehicle that might house, say, an inline-six. That project was sadly canceled (or perhaps on indefinite hold) in order to build more crossovers.

The front of the Vision Study Model appears to be an evolution of the current ND Miata. It has the same pronounced fenders but a lower and more aggressive Mazda signature grille. The headlights mimic pop-ups but look to be fixed, perhaps a reference to the NA. Although, Mazda has been experimenting with fixed headlights that resemble pop-ups since the RX-Vision Concept.

From the rear, another Miata design cue can be found in the taillights. The original NA had two round elements separated by an hourglass element in the middle. The Vision Study Model merges the round elements and makes the Venn diagram intersection part of the sheetmetal.

Of course, the glaring difference between the Miata and the Vision Study Model is that the latter is not a convertible. The solid top doesn’t appear to be a retractable hardtop like the Miata RF‘s, either. However, Mazda uses the word “Vision” to name concepts that are not intended for production as is, but for inspiration to guide designers toward future vehicles.

So what is the future of the Miata? CEO Akira Marumoto said in the mid-term plan that by 2030 the company will have three battery-electric models, five plug-in hybrid models, and five hybrid models (excluding mild hybrids). It’s unlikely that the Miata will be one of the three BEVs, so a hybrid is the most probable option.

However, Mazda estimates that even by 2030, 60 to 75 percent of the market will still require traditional gasoline engines. “We are not dismissing internal combustion vehicles,” Marumoto said.

He admitted that Mazda’s previous mid-term plans, revealed in Jun 2021, underestimated EV demand. Back then Marumoto said EVs would comprise 25 percent of Mazda’s global sales by 2030; now he says that number could be as high as 40 percent, inclusive of EV-intensive markets such as China. Mazda may be playing catch-up to the EV craze, but we hope that somewhere in its plans there’s still room for that rear-wheel-drive straight-six sedan and coupe that were planned.

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9 Responses to Mazda Vision Study Model teases stunning next-gen Miata

  1. Ginkei Garage Inc. says:

    What a beautiful piece of design. Pretty far from a production-ready design but so timeless and elegant. Just like the RX Vision before, if only… Maybe in an alternative universe…
    At least the Miata-like size makes it more probable than a larger coupe. Let’s hope.

  2. Jim Daniels says:

    That is a beautiful shape and those kind of shapes only make it into production in Italy with price tags starting around $350,000. What I also noticed is the hood is so low It is unlikely to have a piston driven motor. Possibly a rotary? However, the grill appears to be solid, and the Mazda emblem appears to be lite up like many EVs. This could be all wheel or rear wheel driven. All of these clues add up to an EV if this is more than a computer rendering. The proportion could also be that of a mid engine EV or ICE although there is no ducting for cooling of an ICE motor. Just some things I noticed.

  3. Land Ark says:

    It’s an interesting design study. I’m not sure the doors, which would clearly be butterfly style, wouldn’t make it to production – and I would be happy for that.

    I’d be happy with a mild refresh that squared up the rear end on the current car and made it more attractive. It’s really a beautiful design as is. This study takes it several steps beyond and I would be very surprised if they did away with the soft top. But, the possibility of a true coupe version would be pretty interesting.

  4. Mike P. says:

    The question from a few days ago– when they’ll make a good looking car again– it looks like we may start seeing curves again…

  5. Su says:

    Too awesome to make it into production. 🙁

  6. Negishi no Keibajo says:

    Awesome. P.S. If this post makes it, it’s the first after years of trying.

  7. rockzzstud says:

    I’m not sure the doors, which would clearly be butterfly style, wouldn’t make it to production – and I would be happy for that.

  8. Jonathan P. says:

    Maybe it’s my poor eyesight, but it looks to me like if somebody slapped a Miata with an old Cosmo, and then mixed in some futuristic vibes.

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