2015 Mazda MX-5 to weigh approximately 2204 lbs

New Skyactiv engines in the works

Our spies have already caught the 2015 Mazda MX-5 on multiple occasions but new details are starting to emerge about the upcoming roadster.

In a recent interview with Auto Motor und Sport, Mazda's Kiyoshi Fujiwara revealed the next-generation MX-5 will be significantly lighter than its predecessor. Fujiwara declined to go into specifics but the magazine says the car will weigh approximately one tonne (2204 lbs). This will be achieved by utilizing a new lightweight structure which should give the model a better power-to-weight ratio.

In related news, Mazda is hard at work developing the next-generation of Skyactiv engines. Engineers are reportedly trying to make them more efficient than hybrid engines so they could adopt a homogeneous charge compression ignition system which could improve fuel efficiency by up to 30 percent. If everything pans out, the new engines could be introduced in 2018.

Source: Auto Motor und Sport

Naito Auto Engineering: The photographer’s story

Classic Driver sent photographer Tim Brown to Naito Auto Engineering in Japan, to capture some of the fabulous cars in the Tokyo showroom. But rather than write it up ourselves, we thought it would be more fun to read Tim’s own account of his visit...

“All the cars pictured here are from Naito-san's personal collection. His main business is in restoring and race-prepping classic cars and while the showroom isn’t exactly hidden away – it's on a main street with glass frontage – there is no sign or contact details, and it’s obviously only opened up by appointment. Since Naito-san has never (until now) advertised his business, it’s extremely rare for the media to have access, so I felt honoured.

“Naito-san is very unassuming – open, friendly and sincere – and looks more like a mechanic than a wealthy collector, with his T-shirt, sandals and long hair. Back in the 1970s, he raced historic cars in Europe (including a Lotus 11 and an ex-Jim Clark Lotus 18) and his sons So and Kei have followed in their father’s footsteps. They have been racing an Elan 26R in European events and both are keen to 'graduate' to such cars as the Porsche 907. The two large black-and-white paintings seen in a couple of my pictures were done by Kei, the younger of the two sons (wearing a grey T-shirt in the picture): the painting on the left is of an Escort MK1 engine, the one on the right is the flat 8 from the 907.

250 GTO parts: bit of a 'mess'?

“In another of my pictures, you can see the 'Sun 200 Tune-up Tester', imported from Hawaii by Naito-san’s father, an aerospace draftsman and one of the first factory riders for the Honda motorcycle racing team. Sitting on top of the tester was a pair of 10mm-lift camshafts for a 250 GTO – just in case they come in handy. Naito-san apologised for this 'mess' in the showroom; other examples of the 'mess' included the head of a Mini Cooper S rally car and a set of knock-off spinners.

“Details are a particular passion for Naito-san, who proudly showed me such items as the filler-cap and wipers of the Dino: all original, of course. And not only was the Ferrari 275 owned for many years by Luigi Chinetti, it is accompanied by a letter from Chinetti's son validating the car’s authenticity – as well as Chinetti's favourite suitcase (see pictures), which he took all over the world. It still contains a luggage receipt in his name from the Hotel Celtic on the Champs-Elysées (now the Hotel Balzac).”

Photos: Tim Brown

Naito Engineering's stocklist can be found in the Classic Driver Market.

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Pirelli celebrates the 50th anniversary of "The Cal"™

For 50 years "The Cal"™ has continued to mark the passing of time with images by the most highly acclaimed photographers of the moment - capturing and interpreting contemporary culture and often setting new trends. 

The history of the Pirelli Calendar can be divided into three different eras: 
- the first decade, from 1964 to '74, which was followed by a break in publication (for 
nine years) due to the world recession sparked by the Yom Kippur war and the oil 
crisis; 
- the second decade, from '84 to '94, which saw the Calendar being relaunched and 
becoming progressively more successful; 
- from 1994 to the present, spanning the turn of the millennium, during which time "The 
Cal"™ has achieved cult status as a trailblazer.