When Mazda first whipped the covers off the Mk4 MX-5 Miata, it focused on how light the car was. Weight loss was once again on the agenda at SEMA 2015, with the Speedster and Spyder both shaving precious kilos from the package, but the lightweight fascination didn't end there. SEMA 2016 will play host to a more stripped back version of last year's Speedster alongside a charcoal MX-5 RF.
The first, and most striking, car to grace the Mazda stand at SEMA this year will bethe Speedster Evolution. Although the standard MX-5 is simple and light, there's always room for more weight saving, something Mazda has achieved by removing the convertible roof and windscreen. There are also a slew of more subtle changes like lighter wheels, a new exhaust system and carbon fiber body panels, helping the cause.
Mazda says the Speedster Evolution is 100 lb (45 kg) lighter than last year's Speedster, and around 350 lb (159 kg) lighter than the production car. It also looks gorgeous, like a Porsche 550 and an MX-5 meshed into one package.
A blacked-out version of the MX-5 RF will also be on show at SEMA, although it's unlikely to garner as much attention as the Speedster Evolution. The RF was launched in New York earlier this year, and sacrifices some of the standard car's simplicity and lightness in favor of a dramatic folding hardtop.
None of the fundamentals have changed, and Mazda has left the windscreen on this time. Instead, it's finished the RF Kuro (Kuro being Japanese for black/charcoal) in special semi-matte black paint, and fitted a set of lightweight Rays wheels to match. The car sits on the same adjustable suspension you'd find on an MX-5 Cup car, too, for a meaner stance and flatter handling.
Both cars will be on display at SEMA, which runs from November 1 and 4 in Las Vegas.
Source: Mazda
