Rumours suggest that Mazda’s engineers have been tasked with getting rid of a whopping 720 pounds (327 kg) from the 2,480 pound curb weight of the current MX-5 for the next-generation model.

If this wild rumour is indeed true, that would make the next-gen MX-5 a lot lighter than the first-gen car, which weighed 2,178 pounds in US spec, and even lighter than a Lotus Elise.

To achieve such huge weight loss in this day and age, where health and safety reins and customers demand luxury, the engineers will have to get picky with the details. High strength steels will be used, a smaller, lighter engine will be placed under the hood, and the car will be all-round more minimalist. The glovebox will also be scrapped in favour of lighter storage devices, and the owner’s manual will be replaced by a USB stick with all the information on it. The new MX-5 will also be made narrower, although this provides a challenge for side-impact crash safety.

To make the engine smaller and lighter, the MX-5 could be fitted with an engine as small as 1.4 litres, but it will be turbocharged and direct injected, and will also come with variable cam phasing and other components from Mazda’s SkyActiv engine technology. The manual shifter is also being refined to be as mechanically precise and short-throw as the original’s.

However, the inside source says that he believes the weight loss target set out by the company will not be achieved, although the progress made by engineers was described as “not bad.” Guess we’ll have to wait for the official debut of the car to find out.

Source: Inside Line