The original Mazda MX-5 of 1989 was Japan's attempt to resurrect the spirit of the classic '60s roadster with a package that was lightweight, cheap and fun to drive.
However, subsequent generations of the compact two-seater have grown (and bulked) up a bit in the quest to become more comfortable and refined.
That's set to change though. In an interview with the UK's What Car? magazine, Mazda's R&D boss Hirotaka Kanazawa explained that the next MX-5, due in 2014, will go back to its roots.
“We will return to the original. It will be lightweight and the cost will be lightweight too. It will be easy to handle and fun to drive,” he told the magazine.
Kanazwa divulged that some radical changes will take place beneath the skin, with the MX-5 using Mazda's Skyactiv body, chassis and engine technologies to keep weight to a minimum.
A separate report by Autocar magazine states that the new compact roadster could weigh as little as 800kg, far undercutting the current model's kerb weight of 1095kg and even the 1989 model's weight of just under a tonne.
Both sources speak of a downsized, turbocharged direct injection petrol engine providing motivation, its capacity said to be as low as 1.3-litres. The current model is powered by a 2-litre naturally aspirated engine with 118kW on tap, but if the aforementioned weight targets are met, a smaller and less powerful motor will prove more than sufficient.
Also said to be smaller in size, the next MX-5 will make use of Mazda's latest 'Kodo' design language.