mx-5 05

To all Mazda MX-5 fans out there, your prayers have been answered! There are rumours that the latest MX-5 will have turbocharged, MPS and even hard-top variants in the near future.

Speaking to Drive Australia, Nobuhiro Yamamoto, programme manager for the fourth-generation MX-5, admitted that the company is working on a range of ideas to keep this roadster at the top of its game throughout its 10-year lifespan. Kudo Hidetoshi, Mazda's global head of public relations, had hinted to the publication earlier in the year that both a turbo and MPS version of the MX-5 were possible.

Yamamoto has been quite effusive about his reservations with regards to turbocharged engines, as it adds complexity and reliability issues, but according to the publication, he does admit that it is probably the best way forward.

In what should be regarded as pure speculation at this point, the Australian publication believes that a turbocharged 2.5 litre four-cylinder engine for its next-generation CX-9 SUV could perhaps be shoehorned into the MX-5 for a turbo or MPS version. Honestly, this sounds totally insane at this point, but then again, stranger things have happened in the automotive marketplace.

Martin Benders, Mazda Australia's managing director had even more juicy details to share with the publication regarding the hard-top roof for the MX-5. Apparently, Benders has been privy to the ideas for a hard-top that may include different body styles, and not just a simple folding mechanical metal roof that was featured on the previous-generation MX-5.

"I think because this car is so different they don't just want to pop a hard-top on it, they want to do something more interesting," he elaborated. Benders feels that a totally new dimension to the MX-5 could be explored to create something truly special.