Availability of handling-honed KPC model coincides with signs Mazda’s classic has a solid future.

LOCAL market arrival of an MX-5 roadster with an even sharper handing edge than any predecessor has synched with international high-up reassurance that this brand icon will live on for years yet.

Hiroshima’s dedication to keeping the two-seater alive comes with an acknowledgement that this intent is fuelled more by emotion than logic; in volume terms, the product is now extremely niche.

That status appears reflected in comment out of Mazda NZ about the just-landed Roadster GT variant, whose primary allure is that it delivers with Kinematic Posture Control, a new software-driven technology that allows to push the dynamic envelope further than its already highly-regarded predecessors.

Mazda NZ has not shared any volume predictions for the edition, which only furnishes in purist form – as a six-speed open top manual – because it is only aimed at the purist kind of driver.

Whereas the automatic has proven more popular, it’s mainly gone to those who want a good-looking car offering an easy drive.

The roadster maintains the visual allure, but it’s not for tooling around town.

Mazda describes GT Roadster as being for “… buyers who are seeking to shave a few seconds-off their lap times at their local club day.”

At $54,990, the new model is the same price as retracting hardtop MX-5 RF Limited in manual. The latter rounds out MX-5 representation in also coming with a six-speed automatic, for a $2000 premium.

MotoringNZ has written about KPC previously (https://www.motoringnz.com/news/2021/12/17/suspension-tweak-for-mx-5).

Basically, it recognises a difference in speeds between the back wheels while cornering, lightly applying the brakes on the inner wheel. This prevents lift, enhancing the characteristics of the MX-5’s rear multi-link suspension and suppressing body roll.

In addition to this, the new model takes Bilstein Sports Suspension Dampers along with red Brembo front brakes. It also gains a set of lightweight 17-inch Gunmetal BBS Forged Alloy Wheels with 205/45 Tyres, and a front strut brace to complete the package. Also, it takes a special colour seen here: Platinum Quartz Metallic.

It’s doubtful the Roadster GT is a runout for the current ND generation MX-5, though that car is now well-established, having been released seven years ago.

Talk about MX-5’s place in the Mazda product family has intensified as Hiroshima picks up the pace with electrified and fully battery-committed products. Will this be the end of the 33-year-old nameplate?

A story recently published by British weekly Autocar might provide reassurance for the car’s global fanbase.

The magazine says Mazda is committed to keeping the formula of its venerable model intact even as it embarks on a strategy to heavily overhaul, expand and electrify its line-up in the coming years.

The publication says Mazda’s head of product development and engineering in Europe, Joachim Kunz, has given strong hints that the MX-5 will be considered completely separately to the more mainstream models that underpin the firm’s growth, with a view to maintaining its enthusiast appeal.

“It’s our brand icon and it is always treated very specially,” Autocar reported Kunz as saying.

“At the moment, it looks like we will have this car forever, with this size and concept and combustion engine. Of course, some day, we will have to electrify it, but we want to keep this pure concept.”

Crucially, the company has no intention of moving the MX-5 over to its small car architecture, as that would mean sacrificing its character-defining rear-driven layout.

Kunz acknowledged that Mazda’s Europe division has less influence over the MX-5 than it does with other models because it “is the baby of headquarters” in Japan, where engineers are committed to carrying its core characteristics over into new generations.

Kunz explained that the MX-5 has a longer life cycle than other Mazda models – “having one generation for 10 years is not a problem for us” – which suggests a replacement for ND may not break cover until 2024.

There’s conjecture the MX-5 will exploit Mazda’s innovative Skyactiv-X combustion technology, which serves to reduce consumption and boost torque without the need for a turbocharger and can be deployed in conjunction with a mild-hybrid system.