Next Mazda MX-5 'will be lighter and more powerful'

Next Mazda MX-5 'will be lighter and more powerful'

The Mazda MX-5 is about to get even sportier with engineers currently working on a lighter version of the popular two-seater and fitting it with a turbocharged engine.

A senior source told Autocar that the carmaker will release a model with a four-cylinder, 1.5-litre turbocharged engine in place of the 1.8 and 2-litre engines today's MX-5 owners are used to.

What's more, engineers are working on reducing the weight of the already agile car to help it zip along with its extra power.

The insider revealed that Mazda is aiming to produce a model that weighs just 800kg, a significant reduction from the first MX-5 released in 1989, which tipped the scales at 955kg and remains the lightest version of the vehicle to ever hit the market.

According to the source, the development of the new model for 2012/13 is part of Mazda's SkyActiv campaign, the goal of which is to improve the all round efficiency of its cars.

The new MX-5 is likely to be narrower and more compact than today's model and is expected to have a lower-friction transmission, variable cam phasing and a lock-up clutch.

Mazda's new designs could be an exciting development for one of the UK's favourite motors, which was recently ranked the best British sports car in a JD Power annual survey.

Written by Sebastian Turkenburg