Green Wheels: MX-5 Miata Spyder

The green machine

Cars have fascinated us ever since the first vehicle was built in the 18th century. Since then, they’ve developed into works of art, stunning us with their capabilities and beautiful designs. Among the many modern automobile manufacturers is Mazda, a Japanese automaker that has been in the business for almost a century. The company not only produces some very awesome cars but does so keeping environmental concerns in mind by attempting to reuse plastic and even milk! Its latest creation is the Mazda MX-5 Miata Spyder concept that runs on isobutanol and uses a lead-free battery. For those not familiar with isobutanol, it is a biofuel that is increasingly being considered as an alternative to conventional fuel. It is also used to power the Mazda/Dyson Racing in the American Le Mans Series.

MX-5 Miata Spyder

The exterior of the MX-5 Spyder concept is stunningly sleek. Painted in Stratosphere White and sporting Haartz Corporation’s grenadine-red canvas soft-top, the MX-5 has 10-spoke ADVAN RS 17-inch rims along with Yokohama AO48 225/45R17 performance tires. While it appears to be very low, there is still ample headroom. A redesigned front bumper, side skirts, new grille, sleek black headlights and air vents add to the appeal.

The interior, meanwhile, has been tastefully designed in black leather seats, ash-colored suede inserts and Aqua leather accents. The materials have also been used on the door panels. Aluminum trim gives the black and ash colors a lovely contrast. A MAZDASPEED short-throw shifter ensures comfort and ease while shifting gears.

Green factor

The use of isobutanol is a key step in ensuring that the MX-5 Miata Spyder concept has a green tag. What is great is that this alternative fuel has no bearing on vehicle performance. Unlike most green cars that are compromised in terms of performance owing to their hybrid or electric status, the MX-5 is not just green but performs as well as others.Isobutanol is made using bacteria that turns plant matter into fuel. If it continues to gain in popularity, it could very well reduce the need for dependence on foreign oil. This in turn will help lower the price of fuel and other products seeing as they won’t cost too much to ship.

The MX-5 concept also makes use of lithium-ion racing batteries that have been produced by Braille Battery. Lead-free, light-weight and with a longer life, the batteries are non-hazardous to the environment, adding to the vehicle’s green factor. This also adds to the vehicle’s lightness, no doubt boosting speed and power with a minimum of effort.

The powertrain

The MX-5 Miata Spyder has been fitted with a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder MZR engine that has been tweaked to run on isobutanol. This means there's no need to shell out additional cash on a highly modified engine, storage tank and blending facilities which is usually the case if a car is to run on alternative fuel. Besides, a lithium-ion battery has been put in to cut down on fuel use, making the vehicle more energy efficient.

Brembo brakes factor into the MX-5’s safety features. Incidentally, brakes from Brembo have been used in many high performance vehicles, including F1 racing cars and MotoGP bikes. Additional features include a Racing Beat header, intake, exhaust muffler and MAZDASPEED coil over kit.

The highs

What makes the MX-5 Miata concept car stand out has to be the green factor. While all Mazda Spyders are liked and loved, the MX-5 attracts more owing to its use of isobutanol and lithium-ion batteries. Looks-wise, it is sleeker and more flowing than the other models around. The tasteful interior, 10-inch spokes and red soft-top only add to its beauty.

There hasn’t been much talk about performance so it’s anybody’s guess. But judging from past models, the MX-5 Spyder concept is sure to amaze.

The lows

As far as anyone can tell, the MX-5 Spyder concept doesn’t seem to have any lows. More details will be revealed in 2012. Sadly, for those waiting to get their hands on this beauty, the wait could be infinite as there is no confirmation whether the Mazda MX-5 Spyder will even go into mass production. Another sad reminder that not all concepts make it through.

Cost and availability

As stated above, there is no wording on whether the MX-5 Miata Spyder concept will be made available for commercial use. As such, no details have been given about cost. The good news, however, is that we may see some of the mods on the MX-5 concept in later editions of the Miata itself.