2006 Mazda Miata MX-5 Overview
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EVOLUTION OF AN ICON:
"JInba Ittai" and "Lots of Fun"
"Jinba Ittai" or "Rider and horse as one" in Western terms - is the essence of the MX-5. Jinba Ittai drove all of the development team's decisions, yielding a car so nimble and fun to drive that the driver and car achieve true unity. This unified rider and horse concept allowed us to create a new MX-5 that's true to the spirit of the original, exceptionally lightweight, and lots of fun to drive.
-Mazda MX-5 program manager Takao Kijima
February 9, 1989 , marks a highly significant moment in sports car history: this is the day that Mazda presented the original MX-5/Miata at the Chicago Auto Show. By updating the classic formula that had defined fun yet affordable two seat sports cars for decades, Mazda reinvented the concept of a lightweight roadster.
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Sixteen years later, Mazda's focus on driving fun has only intensified. The classic roadster continues to evolve in the Hiroshima-based company's care and the MX-5 is still the only two-seater dedicated to the idea of rider and horse as one. Proving that the MX-5 is a fundamental expression of Mazda's soul, an all-new third-generation edition was unveiled at the 2005 Salon International de l'Auto in Geneva , Switzerland . Rethinking and re-engineering the MX-5 has provided Mazda the ideal opportunity to create the purest-ever expression of Zoom-Zoom motoring.
Key changes for the third-generation MX-5:
- A body structure that uses new materials and technologies to trim weight, improve crashworthiness, and increase rigidity
Mazda has long produced unique and exciting sports cars. The first Mazda automobile to win world-wide notoriety was the rotary-powered Cosmo Sport launched in 1967. The RX-7, which followed in 1978, won the hearts of sports car enthusiasts and more than its share of racing laurels. Two years ago, Mazda's introduction of the RX-8 revolutionized classic sports car definitions by offering exciting design, spectacular performance, and comfortable accommodation for four adults in one innovative package.
The classic lightweight sports car is near and dear to Mazda partly for cultural reasons. The Japanese derive great pleasure from simplicity, elegance, and compactness. Traditional Noh performing arts are expressed in simple gestures. Ceremonial tea masters demonstrate fine aesthetics in very limited spaces. So the concept of a functionally elegant sports car with compact dimensions is well understood and fondly admired at Mazda.
In May 2000, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized the Mazda MX-5 as the best-selling two-seat convertible sports car in history, with 531,890 units produced to that date. In April 2005, the Guinness Book of World Records updated the number of units produced to 700,000.
Evolution of an Icon
To renew the MX-5 for its third generation, Mazda engineers focused on evolving the lightweight sports car concept while acknowledging that this new generation must follow the tracks of a modern motoring icon. MX-5 program manager Takao Kijima not only looked ahead to understand how the motoring world's needs have changed since the original MX-5 was launched, he also looked back to pinpoint what made this Mazda so special in the eyes and hands of car enthusiasts the world over. What he found was an intensity of spirit possessed by very few sports cars.
Recalling the circumstances at Mazda that brought the original MX-5 to life in the 1980s, Kijima notes, “The driving force behind the success of the MX-5 project was the passion of Toshihiko Hirai, the engineer who proposed the car and managed its development. Hirai was convinced that Mazda needed an inimitable product to distinguish it from other Japanese makers so he drew from Mazda's heritage and adamantly persuaded other managers that the MX-5 sports car was well worth their support. When the MX-5 was unveiled after a few years of Hirai's dedicated effort, it was the first new lightweight open two-seater in more than a decade.
"Due to the first-generation MX-5's success, key elements such as the engine, unibody, and packaging carried over to the second generation. I lead the development of that car and found that it was not that difficult to nurture a product that customers truly admired.
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"The task of creating an all new third-generation MX-5 was a greater challenge because this project consisted of a blend: previous traditions joined with several innovative updates and state-of-the-art technologies that had the potential of advancing the car to new levels of performance and enjoyment.
"To select the appropriate technologies for the third-generation MX-5, I began by studying exactly how the original car came into being. Naturally, that led me to Mr. Hirai who is retired from teaching at a Japanese university. He and I collaborated on an SAE paper covering the development of the original MX-5 which focused on how Jinba Ittai—the synergy of rider and horse moving as one - was achieved through Kansei Engineering."
Research into Kansei Engineering began at the Hiroshima University ergonomics laboratory about 30 years ago. In contrast to building automobiles engineered to meet certain specific performance goals, the Kansei approach challenges the engineer's sensitivity and creativity. Emotional values such as 'fun' and 'beauty' are a higher priority than the traditional engineering indices. All the senses are involved. Kijima continues, "Instead of zero-to-60-mph acceleration statistics, Kansei Engineering helps us understand how the car feels through the driver's sense of touch, how it sounds at speed, how it looks with the top folded, and what pleasant scents can be enjoyed during a spring drive. For all intents, Kansei Engineering is the software we used to perfect the MX-5's hardware.
"We selected the Japanese artistic ritual JInba Ittai as the illustrative symbol of JInba Ittai. In this ritual, an archer mounted on a horse gallops past a target and shoots an arrow. To hit the target's bull's eye, the archer and horse must move as one. A natural two-way communication is essential and the horse and rider alliance must also exhibit a high degree of synergy. Updated to the 21st century, JInba Ittai is similar to the bond between a single-seat formula-car driver and his racer or the relationship between a high-performance sport motorcycle and its rider at speed.
"JInba Ittai stands for the cozy driver-car relationship targeted for the first-generation MX-5. Instead of aiming for sheer speed, the goal was establishing fun-to-drive attributes as the top priority.
"Our paper pointed out that, with Kansei Engineering, the focus is not on direct measures such as performance and quality achievements but rather the intangible virtues such as pleasure, beauty, and emotional attachment. In the end, Kansei Engineering is a navigational tool that leads development engineers to study every aspect of design, mechanical function, and dynamic response in order to achieve the highest possible degree of driving satisfaction.
"To integrate Kansei values into the original MX-5, Hirai created a fishbone chart with head of the fish labeled JInba Ittai and each rib extending from the spine of the fish labeled with key Kansei elements such as integrated feel, linear and direct feel, and so on. Notes depicting specific elements necessary to realize the Kansei attributes were positioned next to the respective rib.
"By working closely with Mr. Hirai on the SAE paper, I gained a deep appreciation of the original MX-5's developmental process. This understanding became the starting point for my third-generation effort.
"I decided that preserving the JInba Ittai and fun-to-drive character of the first- and second-generation cars was of utmost importance in the development of the new MX-5. One of the first steps with my team was the creation of a fish-bone chart that would clarify developmental goals and spell out the means by which those goals should be realized. Each team member stated in writing how they would realize the JInba Ittai concept within their respective development areas. To formalize their commitments, each team member's statement became part of a concept catalogue and copies of the final catalogue were issued to everyone participating in MX-5's development.
"One aspect of support I didn't have to worry much about was the backing of Mazda's top management. While sports cars are a lower priority than mainstream models at many companies, such is not the case at Mazda. Top management understands and embraces our sports car philosophy and considers driving fun the very core of Mazda's Zoom-Zoom strategy. As a result, management and the MX-5 development team worked together as one.
"Throughout this effort, those nurturing the new MX-5 regarded their car as something more than a machine. Thanks to its fun-loving character, it's capable of bringing happiness and enrichment to its owners. In contrast to today's consumer culture where convenience and efficiency outrank simple pleasures, MX-5 is a warm companion that exhibits a genuine enthusiasm for motoring. I'm very confident that the MX-5 we've engineered is the ultimate lightweight sports car and solid proof that Mazda is serious about building and selling products that are great fun to own and drive.”
Lots of Fun Concept
Throughout the 16 years of its existence, the MX-5 has always been defined in terms of the fun it delivers. This distinctive character is called 'lots of fun' by Mazda because the pleasure delivered includes but goes beyond driving enjoyment. In addition to providing the driver a sense of command over a spirited machine, the MX-5 offers the driver and passenger a sense of being in intimate touch with their surroundings. Other dimensions are the pride conveyed by the MX-5's attractive design, the enjoyment of customizing its appearance and function to suit personal tastes, and the joy of meeting friends in a car that's so universally admired. Fun is truly a multi-dimensional MX-5 quality.
Recognizing this special characteristic, the core product concept of the new MX-5 is "a car in which JInba Ittai dynamics and lots of fun are carried forward and evolved for another generation."
Evolution of Jinba Ittai
Although Kijima was the chassis specialist for the first generation and program manager for the second generation, a lot of soul searching by team members was necessary because few others had participated in the development of the first- or second-generation MX-5 models. By driving competitive sports cars and the current MX-5 extensively in wide-ranging conditions, these members soon identified those attributes that should continue unaltered and other qualities that warranted updating for life in the 21st century.
Nearly 100 team members created a catalogue expressing their personal passion for the "rider and horse as one" concept and the means they intended to use to instill the MX-5 with this emotion. One example: Chief Designer Yasushi Nakamuta pledged "to create a design which gives FUN to people every time they see, touch, and drive the car by combining lightweight sports car virtues - such as simple beauty and function - with a very direct feel and a meticulous shape for every part."
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Distinctive packaging was the first attribute selected for preservation. Maintaining the original car's front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, open-cockpit, two-seat basic layout was deemed a better means of achieving driving enjoyment than simply creating a car with superior performance. Therefore fundamental features from the first generation - the front-midship engine location, double wishbone suspension systems, a snug cockpit, and a powerplant frame linking the transmission to the differential - were passed on to the third-generation. And given the universal admiration for the MX-5's exterior design proportions, the essence of that look was also deemed worthy of preserving.
Since the original and the second-generation MX-5 were created, sports car buyers have become much more environmentally aware and more interested in features aimed at protecting their safety. In order to address those concerns in the third-generation MX-5, the development team searched for appropriate advanced technology to improve safety and comfort.
New Fish Bone Chart
The long list of attributes that ultimately lead to the JInba Ittai goal line - oneness between car and driver - were arranged in six new fish bone categories: driving, braking, cornering, listening, touching, and styling. Then, to achieve true synergy between those discrete categories, a cooperative framework was created to help developmental team members be more aware of the progress of the entire engineering process.
Four of these cross-disciplinary categories drawn from Kansei Engineering principles are:
LIGHTNESS - even though the new MX-5 is slightly larger than its predecessors, keeping it as light as possible improves every aspect of performance. A gram strategy (discussed in detail in the next chapter) was critical to the lightweight cause. Related imperatives are a low center of gravity, 50:50 weight distribution, and the lowest possible moment of inertia in the yaw plane.
CONSTISTENCY - the balance and natural interaction between driving, cornering, braking, and listening aspects requires a harmonious approach. A special team was created to study various components - shifter, steering wheel, control pedals, etc. with the aim of achieving a high degree of balance and consistency in the car's overall personality. Liveliness and nimble behavior in every dynamic move were deemed critical to maximizing driving enjoyment. Handling was selected as the MX-5's focal point and every other performance aspect was drawn into harmony with that primary criterion.
PERFORMANCE FEEL - how the car feels in the hands of a sensitive driver was subdivided under five descriptive headings - linear, lively, powerful, torqueful, and smooth. This emphasizes the more subtle tactile relationship between car and driver over raw indices such as acceleration and cornering-g figures. Establishing these subheadings helped coordinate the evaluation and optimization of all the performance attributes.
CRAFTSMANSHIP - in addition to static attributes, the development engineers also concentrated on new dynamic aspects of craftsmanship. To this end they conducted in-depth research into the dynamics of driver behavior, focusing on the driving position, the layout, operation and feel of the controls, the harmonic engine sound, the tactile aspects of the interior design, and outward visibility.
2006 Mazda MX-5 Overview2006 Mazda MX-5 Chassis Details
2006 Mazda MX-5 Exterior/Interior Details
2006 Mazda MX-5 Safety, Security Environmental Details
2006 Mazda MX-5 Special Features
2006 Mazda MX-5 Specifications
