Mazda sold a Miata coupe - we just didn't know about it.

"Alex87f" (alex87f) 08/11/2014 at 17:22 • Filed to: miata, coupe

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Like many opponauts, you probably often find yourself yearning for a coupe version of the MX-5. It goes like this:

"Ahh, if only Mazda made a coupe MX-5, the world would be a better place..."

I know, I've said it too. But what if I told you that it exists? And that's it's been mass produced by Mazda?

Well it has.

Back in 2003, Mazda offered a coupe Mazda Roadster for the Japanese market. These RHD-only cars were available with the base 1.6 engine (125hp, 5-speed), as well as with the 1.8 engine (158hp, 6-speed manual or 4-speed auto). And we didn't know about it.

The exact number produced is unknown (more on that in a bit), but is believed to be between 500 and 1000 cars. The shells started as roadster which were then modified into a coupe (before assembly), so it's not an entirely new shell but not a retrofit either. Adding the fixed roof actually increased the car's total weight by about 10kg, and thus made it a little slower in a straight line, though the presence of a roof did increase rigidity, which improved the car's handling. Having a roof also freed created a storage space behind the seats:

In addition, and to add to the weirdness, Mazda actually produced several variants of the NB coupe:

Base and Type S:

Those cars shared the same global design as the roadsters, save for the addition of ... well, the roof. Base models had the 1.6 engine with a Japan-rating of 125hp (mostly thanks to higher octane fuel), and Type S versions had 158hp from the 1.8 liter engine, with the 6-speed manual box.

Then came the weird versions, starting with...

The Type A:

This car was supposed to have an "Authentic design reminiscent of traditional racing cars", which is press blurb for a different bumper, fender extensions and a ducktail. Only 200 made, and only with the 1.8 and the 6-speed.

in real life:

And the fancy ducktail:

And then there was its weird sister..

The Type E:

This is the one with a "refined an elegant design" ("we made it look ungainly"), meant to be more about luxury than speed. 150 were made, all with the detuned 154hp 1.8 liter and the 4-speed autobox.

And in the real world:

Now at this point, some of you probably find themselves wanting to own one ( "but not the Type E" ). If you're in the US, you may or may not be able to register it by saying it's similar to the US NB Miata (like some people imported !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! 's). It might not be easy though. If you live in Europe, things might get quite a bit more complicated, but a Danish owner manager to register one.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

They're not cheap though, and will fetch around 30 000$ on the used Japanese car market.

Though they look pretty and are quite desirable, I still think an NC softtop with the fixed hardtop looks better. But I was glad to learn about another car I did not know about.

Textured Soy Protein > Alex87f 08/11/2014 at 17:23

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Well, I knew about it.

Brian Silvestro > Alex87f 08/11/2014 at 17:23

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wot

Alex87f > Textured Soy Protein 08/11/2014 at 17:25

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Yes but did you know about all the versions?

scoob > Alex87f 08/11/2014 at 17:26

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Wonder if it's possible to import this as it IS similar to a model sold in the US and get away with it.

Dsscats > Alex87f 08/11/2014 at 17:27

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I hate the 'types'

Sn210 > Alex87f 08/11/2014 at 17:28

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I had heard of the coupes, but not of the Types. Those bastards

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Alex87f 08/11/2014 at 17:28

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What a cheesy smile it wears.

mazda616 > Alex87f 08/11/2014 at 17:39

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Very nice. I like that. I knew there was a concept car Miata coupe but I never knew there was a production run. Cool!

Textured Soy Protein > Alex87f 08/11/2014 at 17:39

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Actually yeah, I made a post with all the versions in a reply to some other post, but the crappy kinja search isn't letting me find it.

I also remember back when they originally came out.

Edit: thanks to some google-fu I found my reply in question . I didn't mention the types, but yeah. At the time these came out, I was all over the original Mazda press release.

The Real Dacia Sandero > Alex87f 08/11/2014 at 17:41

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I knew about them, but from what I knew, they only made a handful of cars for shows and whatnot. Not that they had any sort of real production.

ranwhenparked > Alex87f 08/11/2014 at 17:41

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I guess I'm the only one, but I actually like the Type E. Also, I have to say the proper coupe roofline on all the cars looks way better than the hardtop we got in the States.

RazoE > Alex87f 08/11/2014 at 17:41

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There was an NA coupe as well. Don't know if it made it out of concept form, though.

Textured Soy Protein > RazoE 08/11/2014 at 17:47

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That was a concept only.

Devilishprune > Alex87f 08/11/2014 at 17:51

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Cool! I didn't know about any of these. I like the looks of the coupe NB better than the soft-top NBs, but I can't imagine why you would want to give up the ragtop; it makes it feel faster since you're already in a slow car.

And this may be unpopular, but I like both of the "types". The E looks better in real-life minus those hideous wheels.

TotallyThatStupid > Alex87f 08/11/2014 at 17:58

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Make a great roadster.

ZiptieMcBumper > Textured Soy Protein 08/11/2014 at 18:04

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"Mass produced" is a relative term.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > Alex87f 08/11/2014 at 18:05

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Miata Coupe. You're welcome.

shinsen > Alex87f 08/11/2014 at 18:10

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I want a storage bin like that for my miata, but its too "elegant" for us plebeian Americans :-(

Pessimippopotamus > Alex87f 08/11/2014 at 18:15

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There's also this, Monocraft MM1, which is based on Mazda Roadster Coupe TS, which makes it semi-official, and something you could buy in Japan. Although I can't confirm it, the word online is that it officially received Mazda's blessings.

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > Alex87f 08/11/2014 at 19:32

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Nerd-Vol > Alex87f 08/11/2014 at 23:58

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I don't like them! Am I going to jail?

Alex87f > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul 08/12/2014 at 01:16

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Minus reliability :)

Alex87f > ranwhenparked 08/12/2014 at 01:17

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Yeah it actually looks way better in real life than in the press photos!

Alex87f > shinsen 08/12/2014 at 01:19

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Refinement and elegance are qualities one earns through years of storage bin designing.

Alex87f > Nerd-Vol 08/12/2014 at 01:19

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No you're not.

Some people might stone you though.

Menirz > Alex87f 07/13/2015 at 02:24

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What happened to the “more on that later” bit when you were talking about the number manufactured?

Menirz > Alex87f 07/13/2015 at 02:27

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But with added awesome!

Menirz > ranwhenparked 07/13/2015 at 02:28

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When I look at the Type E, I keep getting this uncanny valley sort of feeling that I’m looking at a hommage to the Jaguar E-Type

Master Cylinder > Pessimippopotamus 08/29/2015 at 09:21

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I quite like that, actually.

MaxDoss3 > shinsen 08/29/2015 at 17:31

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The NC has a storage space like that and its deeper too

Flavien Vidal > Alex87f 10/20/2015 at 04:30

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Old write-up but hey, whatever :)

Here is my neighbours:

Nauraushaun > Alex87f 11/30/2015 at 03:14

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Oh wow. Nope.

LongbowMkII > Pessimippopotamus 11/30/2015 at 06:50

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that looks great.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Alex87f 11/30/2015 at 08:17

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Yeah, fixed hard tops look so much better on all three generations. This coupe version looks sorta wonky. Maybe I am just not used to this, but I think the removable hard top on an NB looks great.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > Alex87f 11/30/2015 at 08:59

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One could argue that the Mazda Kabura Concept was an NC Miata Coupe concept, albeit concept-only, like the NA coupe concept.

Personally, I have always wished they had made a Miata 3-door lift-back coupe, that had MX3’s roofline, on Miata’s proper RWD SLA-suspension chassis. Yes, I know that is perilously close to FD-3S RX-7, but so-be-it... FD RX-7 is not exactly the paragon of affordability, even though it is innovative, and downright gorgeous.

That could have been a production car, and affordable implementation near to Giorgetto Giugiaro’s Alfa Romeo Canguro concept car design.

Maybe now that Mazda and FCA are cooperating, they can do that... ND Miata, new Fiat 124, both as roadsters, and a new Alfa Duetto roadster, and Canguro coupe.

Racin'Jason001 > Alex87f 03/22/2017 at 17:30

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Neat!

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Pessimippopotamus 11/30/2017 at 00:26

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So much want. I really love the Miata coupe, but this raises it to the next level.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Alex87f 11/30/2017 at 00:29

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I’d run the normal headlights and probably taillights, but otherwise love the Type A. It sounds/looks practically perfect.