Weight is not good for sports cars as it hurts acceleration throttle response, handling and agility. It affects braking distances and fuel economy. That’s why Mazda engineers worked hard to reduce weight while building a roomier and safer car.
To save weight designers had to aluminum for the hood and trunk lid along with suspension and braking components. These is widespread use of high-strength and ultra high-strength steel in the unitary construction body that boosts body strength while simultaneously cutting weight. The new 2.0-liter engine features an aluminum block and head and the intake manifold and cam cover are made from lightweight composite plastic. Finally, overall weight has increased by just 27 lbs over the second-generation car and yet the car is roomier for tall or large adults and safer thanks to its stronger body and improved safety features.
By utilizing the “gram strategy” Mazda achieved a vehicle that is roomier and safer. This means that every gram was made by assessing the weight of the vehicle in the smallest possible increments. Under this “gram strategy”, the design of the rear-view mirror was simplified, thus trimming 84 grams, or 0.19 lbs. By applying this strategy throughout every nook and cranny of the MX-5’s design, Mazda engineers were quite effective in building a light, roomier, stronger and safer sports car.
Another imperative was to improve bending rigidity by 22% and torsional rigidity by 47%. They achieved it by using high-strength and ultra-high strength steelin the construction of the body-in-white. In addition, the rear of the transmission is rigidity linked to the front of the differential housing by a Z-shaped frame made of aluminum. This assures that the driver’s throttle inputs are faithfully and promptly conveyed to the rear wheels, ensuring the maximum possible oneness between car and driver.
