The Mazda MX-04 Concept That Hinted at the Miata’s Future
Conceptual Echoes - The 1980s were a turning point for many automakers, especially in Japan, where bold ideas and experimental engineering began challenging Europe’s long-standing dominance. This era produced machines that felt like glimpses into alternate automotive futures—cars such as Nissan’s MID4 with its advanced all-wheel steering, Subaru’s SVX that carried its concept-car curves into production, and Mazda’s own MX series of experimental studies. Within this creative surge, one project stood out for its unusual flexibility and forward-thinking structure: the Mazda MX-04, a concept roadster that appeared two years beforethe MX-5 Miata and raised the lingering question of whether it could have become Mazda’s defining lightweight sports car.
The Mazda MX-04 Concept. (Picture from Story-Cars)
Mazda’s MX line did not unfold in the numerical order one might assume. It began with the MX-02, skipping MX-01 entirely, then moved to the MX-03, a white GT-style coupé packed with sharp lines and advanced technology powered by a rotary Wankel engine. By the time Mazda reached the MX-04 in 1987, the MX series had become a platform where imaginative engineering met daring aesthetics. The MX-04embraced elements of classic 1960s British sports cars—long hood, compact tail, and open-air spirit—while presenting them through the futuristic lens of late-20th-century Japanese design, including fixed headlights rather than the pop-up units Mazda would later givethe MX-5.
What truly separated the MX-04 from conventional sports-car concepts was its ability to transform. Mazda built it as a multi-purpose machine that could shift between two distinct body styles: an open configuration relying on a sail-like side panel instead of doors, and a version with a solid roof and standard doors that looked far more traditional. Then, in an even bolder twist, Mazda created a second variant stripped of most exterior panels, revealing a raw, race-car-like form with round headlights. This flexible approach allowed the MX-04 to resemble everything from a futuristic roadster to something closer to a Lotus Seven, long before modularity became a common design ambition.
This transformability was possible only because ofthe MX-04’s unconventional construction. Mazda used a separate chassis built around an aluminum-alloy backbone paired with a carbon-reinforced composite floor—an extremely advanced combination for the 1980s. Plastic exterior panels could be removed with relative ease, enabling the two dramatically different looks. In some ways the MX-04 even anticipated ideas later seen on the BMW Z1, which arrived two years after Mazda’s concept with its own removable panels, although Mazda explored the method with lighter materials and a more experimental architecture.
Mazda’s engineering ambitions extended beneath the body as well. Staying true to its identity of the time, the MX-04 housed a compact two-rotor Wankel rotary engine with a total displacement of 1.0 liter and direct fuel injection designed to run on a lean mixture. Rather than relying solely on rear-wheel drive, as might be expected from a roadster inspired by British classics, Mazda equipped the concept with permanent all-wheel drive. Additional features—an engine start button and an onboard mobile phone—seemed almost futuristic for the late 1980s, hinting at the technological direction the industry would eventually take.
Given its debut just beforethe MX-5’s creation, enthusiasts naturally wondered whether the MX-04 served as an early blueprint for the Miata. However, the production MX-5 emerged with a philosophy nearly opposite to the MX-04’s complexity. While Mazda initially considered using a similar chassis-body structure, the idea proved too costly and impractical for the mass production the company envisioned. Other cars using comparable methods, like the BMW Z1 and Lotus Elan M100, ended up priced far higher and built in far smaller numbers. Mazda realized that a simple, traditional, rear-wheel-drive layout resonated more with drivers seeking an affordable, classic roadster experience. | 9aou1uG49yM |
As a result, the MX-04 did not become the Miata—but its existence remains significant. It represents Mazda’s experimental courage during a decade defined by ambitious ideas and rapid technological leaps. Even though the Miata ultimately succeeded by returning to simplicity, the MX-04 captured a different side of Mazda’s creative identity: the willingness to test boundaries, explore alternative possibilities, and imagine new ways a sports car could exist. Its dual-body nature, advanced materials, and rotary-powered all-wheel-drive layout tell the story of a manufacturer unafraid to challenge convention, leaving behind a concept that still sparks curiosity about what might have been. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | AUTO.CZ | STORY-CARS ]
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The Mazda MX-04 Concept That Hinted at the Miata’s Future
As a result, the MX-04 did not become the Miata—but its existence remains significant. It represents Mazda’s experimental courage during a decade defined by ambitious ideas and rapid technological leaps. Even though the Miata ultimately succeeded by returning to simplicity, the MX-04 captured a different side of Mazda’s creative identity: the willingness to test boundaries, explore alternative possibilities, and imagine new ways a sports car could exist. Its dual-body nature, advanced materials, and rotary-powered all-wheel-drive layout tell the story of a manufacturer unafraid to challenge convention, leaving behind a concept that still sparks curiosity about what might have been. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | AUTO.CZ | STORY-CARS ]
