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If the latest Mazda MX-5 takes the roadster back to its original then the Speedster and Spyder go further back as modern takes on vintage open-top racers.
These hotties are strictly concept-only, born in the States and revealed at the annual SEMA show of aftermarket modifications.
The Speedster flicks its windshield and A-pillars to create a speedboat-style deck all the way to the raised rear lid that hugs each of the fixed carbonfibre buckets.
There are no changes to the 2.0-litre Skyactiv-G four-cylinder engine and six-speed manual combination in either concept, but the MX-5 Speedster weighs just 943kg – wiping 113kg off the production model and placing 100kg below the Spyder.
K&W adjustable coil-over suspension lowers the body by 30mm and brakes are upgraded to front Brembos.
The Spyder’s stretched tan fabric roof – called a ‘bikini top’ – and leather cabin works beautifully with the Mercury Silver paint, but hiding under all the that is still adjustable coil-overs, Brembos and 17-inch lightweight alloys – they’re actually a size larger than those on Speedster.
“MX-5 Speedster pares the roadster back to the essentials for an unadulterated, wind-in-the-hair driving experience evocative of the open-top sports cars of the 1950s,” the brand commented in a statement.
Mazda adds that the designers have aimed to “create thoroughly modern, bespoke concepts for what a lightweight performance car should be.”
They certainly have. Sadly, though, we’re unlikely to see production versions.
