Mazda Miata MX-5 1991-2008 brochure
Mazda Miata brochure PDF
Kansei Engineering Realizing the Miata vision
Once, automobiles were designed and built by hand. You could see and feel the mark of the craftsman in every detail. This human touch gave these cars a special feeling all their own. Today, Mazda has the advantage of computers to generate sophisticated engineering. Yet with the MX-5 Miata, as with every Mazda, we still trust the finaldesign to far more sensitive instruments.
Because the human touch is the basis of Kansei Engineering, the guiding philosophy behind every Mazda design. Kansei Engineering goes beyond technical precision. It insists that everything in a vehicle must act together to satisfy human needs, feelings, and emotions. Kansei Engineering begins at our Yokohama Research Center. We experiment with shapes, colors, and textures to find the most pleasing combinations. Weanalyze peoples response to sound and vibration. We study what causes driver fatigue, and how to minimize it.
Theory is then put into practice at our Miyoshi Proving Ground, where car and driver are monitored as they take on our Global Road Circuit, a 3.4-kilometer course that precisely replicates driving surfaces from around the world. Everything from genuine Belgian cobble stones to the familiar American interstate. We even have a road filled with the worst potholes you can imagine. By combining computer analyzed data with the drivers personal opinions, were able to fine tune the interior ergonomics, suspension settings, window placement, even road noise, until everything about the car feels just right.
Kansei Engineering has left its markon every aspect of the Miata design. You first see it in the playful, sensuous curves of the Miata. In creating its timeless form,one designers goal was to define a shape too slippery to hold water. So if a drop landed on .any of the body’s surfaces, it would simply roll right off. Yet beneath these fluid lines is a super-rigid structure born of our Dynamic Modal Analysis program. This complex software allowed Mazda engineers to analyze stress at more than 8900 body points, creating a framework so strong, even a roof would not improve its rigidity. You’ll feel a solid responsiveness unknown in roadsters of the past, and equalled by a select few of today’s sports cars.
Listen to the Miata. To create its distinctive sound, we tested an entire truckload of exhaust systems, and listened to recordings of over 100 different exhaust notes. This uncommon effort yielded a design that combines optimum power with the throaty growl of a classic roadster. It instantly connects you to what’s going on under the hood. You “shift by ear,” communicating with the Miata on yet another level.
Then there’s the precise, direct feel of every control, and thesubtle textures that surround you inside the cockpit. Every detail bears the mark of the dedicated and passionate people who created it. Discover Kansei Engineering in the Mazda Miata. You’ll fall in love with the sports car all over again.
With the topdown,the two-dimensional world EXPLODES INTO THREE, AND YOU DISCOVER AN EVER-CHANGING DOME OF SUN,CLOUDS, STARS, AND SKY.
Creating a natural habitat for THE PASSIONATE DRIVER
Instantly feeling you belong in a Miata should come as no surprise. After all, you’re the focal point of our cockpit design. This is where your senses and reflexes meetwith eager, agile response. Slip into the bucket seat. Special dual-layer cushioning provides equal measures of comfort and support, yet never isolates you from the road. Scan the dash and you’ll find your eye tracing a natural arc across complete instrumentation and the simple, clean center console.
Take hold of the softgrip wheel and shortthrow gearshift. Test the pedals that are placed for quick heel-and-toe driving. As you complete the circuit between these finely balanced controls, the Miata becomes a willing partner that speaks to you in the language of the open road.
The interior is further enhanced by features that are engineered for comfort. The softtop is a durable, easy-to-use, weather-tight design. Lock the optional hardtop in place, and the Miata becomes a handsomecoupe.Thestandard driver’s-side airbag is an advanced Supplemental Restraint System (SRS).
The Miata also lets you select from a wide range of options. The sound system has a security code to deter theft, and you may choose to include a compact disc player. Air conditioning and an anti-theft alarm are available. There’s even a smooth-fitting tonneau cover. And you can be sure each of these components measures up to the Mazda standards of long-lasting quality.
You see, the Miata was designed as the complete sports car. Just because you’re carving up a canyon highway, there’s no reason not to do it in style.
State-of-the-art is standard equipment
Power.Balance.Control.These are the elusive goals of sports car design. We achieve them by adopting a simple rule: Design and execute each element in the name of true sports car performance. The heart and soul of the Miata is a free-rewing, DOHC 16-valve, 4-cylinder engine. Multi-port fuel coupled with race-bred induction and exhaust tuning delivers effortless power throughout a wide rpm range.
To put maximum power to the road, the classic front-engine/rear drive layout is refined through use of an ingenious Power Plant Frame (PPF).This lightweight subframe locks the entire powertrain into a rigid, seamless unit. The result is immediate and precise throttle response.
Such response is easily controlled with the 5-speed shifter. It has short, crisp throws and a definite click as you snap through each gear. A four-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is also available. The Miata is exceptionally agile. This is due in part to its low overall weight and ideal 50/50 front/rear weight distribution. We reduced weight wherever possible (the car weighs just over 2100 lbs.), even giving Miata an aluminum hood and a special extra-light battery. Critical design work was done with the car suspended from its centerpoint by a cable. As the Miata floated in midair, we could see how placement of key components affected overall balance.
This extraordinary attention to detail has paid off in razor sharp handling and outstanding stability. An integral part of the handling equation is the unique tire/suspension combination. Tires specially designed and manufactured only for the Miata are light in weight, yet have tenacious grip. The 4 wheel double wishbone suspension includes Mazda developed rear wheel toe control, to improve tire contact during hard cornering.
And since "stop" is just as important as "go,"" fade-resistant 4-wheel disc brakes quickly haul the Miata down from speed. To provide added stability and steering control, our Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) is optional. As you can see, we’ve given Miata everything it needs to perform. You’ll find it does that job exceedingly well.
The critics fall HEAD OVER HEELS FOR THE MIATA
When the Miata burst onto the automotive scene, its appeal was wide-ranging and immediate. In the last decade, no other car has received such universal acclaim. Even now, more than a year after its debut, the accolades continue. "Americas Most Trouble-Free Sports Car"*.
"The comments from the Miata notebook continue to read like an entry in Rogets The saurus the list of synonyms following 'terrific.'" "All Mazda did with this
car is reinvent the sports car." "This car feels so lively and flingable, as if it had somehow slipped unnoticed beneath the laws of physics."
Like every Mazda, the Miata is a product of inspired engineering, thoughtful design, and an uncommon dedication to quality. From initial concept to final realization, we’ve done everything possible to make the Miata a vehicle you’ll want to take home. But we didn’t stop there.
We’ve also done everything possible to help you take it home. With Mazda American Credit, financing your new Miata is easy. Or if you prefer, you can lease.Just ask your Mazda Dealer." The Miata comes backed with our 36-month/50,000-mile, "bumper-to-bumper,”no-deductible warranty." And our Parts and Service Department provides ready access to Genuine Mazda Parts, expert mechanics, and quick, efficient, convenient repairs or servicing.
When we say "It Just Feels Right," we’re talking about more than just driving our cars and trucks. We want to make sure that being a Mazda customer feels just right, too.
The Mazda 36-Month/50,000-Mile Warranty
Mazda warrants that the Mazda vehicle will be free of defects with normal use and prescribed maintenance for 36 months or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first, or Mazda will repair any problem without charge. Ordinary maintenance items or adjustments, parts subject to normal wear and replacement, and certain other items are excluded. This transferable, “limited warranty" is free on all new 1991 Mazda vehicles sold and serviced in the United States. See your Mazda Dealer for details.
See Mazda Miata 1991-2009 Factory Service Manuals document
