MX-5 hybrid or EV possible

The retiring chief of the MX-5 roadster development program has admitted the iconic roadster could become a hybrid or electric vehicle in the future as emissions regulations tighten, but only if it was still able to deliver fun and pleasure to the driver.

Nobuhiro Yamamoto told motoring.com.au current petrol-electric and battery technology did not deliver the sort of driving enjoyment synonymous with the MX-5, which has always relied on light weight and small capacity internal combustion petrol engines.

But he said that situation may change in the future.

"This car is all about fun to drive and having the pleasure of driving," he said via an interpreter during the recent Australian launch of the latest ND MX-5.

"Given that is the meaning of its existence then if we are applying a hybrid system or electric system that really helped deliver those value [sic] then I have no intention of denying using those things."

Yamamoto cited the weight of current alternate propulsion systems, reliability and "performance feel" as turn-offs for MX-5.

"If you look at today's [electric] motors I don't think you can get great performance that you want to get with this car.

"If you look around the technologies of current hybrid system or today's electric system we cannot find a proper system to match this car, so given that I don't think it's a good idea for now.

"MX-5 has such importance and value because so many people if MX-5 disappears from earth then those people maybe get into trouble [Ed: are upset]," he added. "But if hybrid cars suddenly disappear from the face of the earth I don't think many people think that's trouble.

"So we need to maintain this precious car and make sure its stays."

Yamamoto confirmed he had sampled high-powered Tesla EVs, but was not convinced electric power would work for the MX-5.

"It [Tesla] is kind of totally different from the rest of the electric cars I can tell that. But if you ask me whether the feeling is something that I seek for, then compared to the gasoline internal combustion engine I don't really sit well with that feeling yet.

"For me, right now, I would say it's not the feeling I want to have. Those senses you want to have in a car, the Tesla one is not one that satisfies."

Yamamoto joined Mazda in 1973 and after spending his early years associated with the rotary engine program, was assistant manager in charge of development of the second generation NB MX-5, deputy program manager of the third generation NC and then took over as program manager in 2007.

Born in January 1955, he has passed the Japanese mandatory retirement age but has been retained under special agreement to usher the ND MX-5 into production.

Yamamoto, who also admitted to motoring.com.au that a turbocharged ND MX-5 was possible, said keeping up with the changing environmental and emissions standards was a crucial aspect of ensuring the MX-5 continued.

"You have to keep up with the regulations and trends of those things, otherwise you have to exit from the marketplace," he said. "So you have to always pay attention to those things and make sure you make efforts to meet and satisfy those regulations.

"If you fail to do that then you just have to disappear. In order to keep this vehicle which has big scale volume, in order to maintain this car in the marketplace you have to make sure you protect this car but follow those requirements from the marketplace and that's something of course we make sure we are doing."

Evidence of that is found under the bonnet of the ND MX-5, which is powered by a choice of naturally-aspirated Skyactiv-G 1.5 and 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines, the former officially averaging 6.1L/100km as a manual and the latter 6.9L/100km. The old MZR 2.0 in the NC MX-5 averaged 8.5L/100km.

"If you remember what people were saying 10 years ago that all cars will become hybrid vehicles," Yamamoto added. "But Mazda really studied that and we kind of predicted that internal combustion system will just keep staying on and that's why we developed the Skyactiv system.

"And now look at today ... people appreciate because we have this great fuel economy ... so now we can say our decision back there was not wrong."

Mazda's next generation Skyactiv II engines will start rolling out around 2017. Promising improved fuel consumption and performance, they will feature Mazda's homogeneous-charge compression-ignition (HCCI) fuel delivery system, which is the Japanese brand's equivalent to the Mercedes-Benz DiesOtto system – diesel-like compression ignition for petrol engines.