After years of discussions about the release of the Mazdaspeed MX-5, a source within Mazda stated that this model would not see production. It had been rumored that in late 2007, the performance version of the MX-5 would be released packing the turbocharged 2.3L engine found in the popular Mazdaspeed3, but hopes faded when those rumors became mid 2008, and more so when the rumor shifted to sometime in 2009. The announcement from Mazda only confirms what many had assumed, but it was not due to lack of effort on the part of the Mazda engineers.
The Mazda rep mentioned that the 2.3L turbo engine, which was designed for a transverse layout, will not fit into the longitudinal layout required for the rear wheel drive MX-5. Test fitting found that while the engine did fit into the engine bay, the high volume fuel pump mounted on the “rear” of the cylinder head, and driven off of the camshaft pulley, would not fit with the location of the firewall. Redesigning the pump layout or the firewall wasn’t deemed to be feasible, so the company opted to make it official.
However, there is some good news in the form of OEM aftermarket support for the MX-5, as the Mazdaspeed division offers some suspension and engine goodies, and several companies are currently developing a supercharger setup for the current MX-5.
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MAZDASPEED MX-5 "Postponed".
