he next-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata will have a sibling, but it won't be a Mazda, it will be an Alfa Romeo. The Japanese automaker has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Alfa parent Fiat to co-develop a roadster based on the MX-5 platform that is expected to see production in Mazda's Hiroshima factory, with the Alfa version coming in 2015.
Pegged as "a successor to the MX-5," the production date will push the next-gen Miata's arrival back a bit. In 2010 it was predicted we'd see the new Miata this year, with its 2,200-pound weight target, 50/50 weight distribution and potential twin-backbone chassis structure. Obviously that isn't happening. Whenever the new model and its Alfa mate do come, each brand will get "differentiated, distinctly styled, iconic and brand-specific light weight roadsters featuring rear-wheel drive," using in-house engines provided by their own brands. The link-up is excellent news for Mazda, the small, independent company searching for just these kinds of "technology and product development alliances".Courtesy: autoblog.com
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