Mazda Adds Folding Hardtop to MX-5 Roadster

In a rather unexpected move, Mazda has just announced that it will be introducing a hardtop folding convertible roof to its archetypal sports car, the MX-5 roadster. We say unexpected, as Mazda has always been about keeping the car as lightweight and as pure as possible. In fact, with the current generation car, keeping things light was one of the first priorities of the design, which involved the widespread use of aluminum and lightweight plastics in order to balance out the premium equipment and enhanced safety structure which the new car features.

The notion of paring weight is the reason that Mazda shied away from using a power-folding soft-top on the newest version MX-5, or any previous MX-5 for that matter. The extra heft from the electric roof mechanisms was deemed too great a burden to bear, considering that the redesigned Z-Roof system was easy and fast enough to operate manually.

Yet its not just the roof of the new MX-5 that reaches entirely new levels of user-friendliness; although its as pure as production roadsters come, with available features such as heated seats and traction control, Mazda has effectively turned the MX-5 into a four-season candidate.

To make it even more accommodating in the colder months, the MX-5 is available with a "winter" hardtop option, but its a large, cumbersome thing that usually requires the help of a friend to put on or take off. Therefore, Mazdas solution to is follow in the footsteps of Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Volkswagen, Volvo, Pontiac and some other manufacturers, by going the way of the folding hardtop. This of course, is the surprising bit: for a company that previously wouldnt even offer a power soft-top to its sportiest of sports cars, why compromise overall performance by adding electric motors, additional wiring harnesses and solid panels now?

This being an MX-5, the folding roof mechanism on the Power Retractable Hardtop model isnt your typical offering. The cabins small dimensions allowed Mazda to incorporate a two-piece roof, as opposed to the more common three-piece unit, plus its extremely lightweight material, which is most likely aluminum or composite (Mazda didnt say), keeps the weight down. As the roof itself is neither heavy nor large, Mazda was able to use smaller, lightweight motors, further saving weight. Its estimated that the MX5s roof adds 66 pounds to the cars overall curb weight, which makes it the featherweight of retractable hardtops.

As the MX-5 was designed from the very beginning to be a convertible, the conversion to adapt the Power Retractable Hardtop model didnt require any structural changes. In fact, aside from the new roof and its various components, the only difference is a taller, body-colored hard tonneau cover, which shields the roof mechanisms from dust, dirt, leaves and other would-be villains when retracted. Also amazing, the entire roof unit fits into the same compact space as the current soft-top, leaving the standard 5.3 cu-ft trunk untouched.

Inside, the only notable difference, other than what should be a much more waterproof and quieter cabin, is a push-button to operate the new top.

Pricing and technical details of the roofs construction and mechanics will be announced closer to the cars launch at the British International Auto Show this July.