Could This Chubby Cheeked Roadster be the Next Miata?
The engineers at Mazda never rest when it comes to keeping their one and only Miata up to date. Just the other week, the MX-5 (Miata) Coupe was introduced into the Japanese market, but the spotlight shining on its arrival is about to be shared with a brand new concept car.
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| The Mazda Ibuki concept, which will be presented at this year's Tokyo auto show, borrows from the past to show the future of the Miata. (Photo: Mazda) |
The Ibuki, which will be presented at this year's Tokyo auto show, takes styling cues from the past to predict the future for Mazda's famous two-seat, rear-wheel drive sports car. The Ibuki borrows specific themes from modern Japanese vehicles, incorporating a combination of flat panels and beveled edges, putting it in the same vein stylistically as the Mazda's Secret Hideout concept of 2001 or Nissan's Cube.
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| Incorporating a combination of flat panels and beveled edges, the Ibuki follows the same styling vein as Mazda's Secret Hideout concept of 2001 (shown). (Photo: Mazda) |
Flowing lines curve up from the bumper, tracing the gentle window-ledge outline to the tip of the rear bumper, but not before cascading over the car's nonexistent overhangs. Mazda has borrowed a lot of styling cues from the original Miata that first rolled off the assembly line 14 years ago. The influence on the Ibuki is similar to the method that a company would take to modernize a nostalgic automobile, ironic considering the original Miata was doing just that to European sports cars of the '60s.
Stand back and compare the original, and immediately the borrowed details will clearly become apparent. Though the Ibuki does not feature pop-up headlamps, it does incorporate the ovoid ring-like LED headlamps that sit right on the car's curved front bumpers - strikingly similar to the classic Miata's turn signals. The gaping shark-like grille, with a finely curled lip is set right below into the curving bumper, again very similar to the first generation Miata. Easily recognizable, but slightly more subtle, is the silver-painted trim on the hood, side mirrors, and metallic ovoid door handles, all traits that pull heavily from the Mazda's sports car past.
