Mazda to Unveil Superlight Concept at Frankfurt

Mazda has released only a few details of its latest concept car based on the MX 5

To premiere at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show

Mazda Motors recently let spill only a few vague specifications concerning its newest concept car which is to be unveiled at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show that begins on September 15th.

What it is

Mazda calls it the Mazda MX-5 Superlight version – meaning that it could be best described as a sort of MX-5 “speedster” or “club racer” that has had all the unneeded bits and pieces stripped out (including the windshield) to make the most of whatever engine is placed under the hood (no word yet on what that might be).

Taking what the company calls “the lightweight technology that Mazda is famous for to a new level”, the focus of the Superlight will be “improving driving performance, handling, fuel economy and CO2 emissions.”

What it isn’t

The Superlight is not, and certainly appears as though it is never destined to be, a production MX-5. Created at Mazda’s design center in Oberusel, Germany, just outside Frankfurt, the Superlight is, if nothing else, a celebration commemorating 20 years of the MX-5 (the roadster was unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show on February 10th of that year and appeared in dealer showrooms in the U.S. in July).

The details

The details, unfortunately, are scarce. In addition to the missing windshield, the few images supplied by Mazda also show the lack of door handles. What the pictures don’t show, other than the engine, is the technology behind the “Superlight” moniker, or any of the attendant suspension and performance systems.

Images courtesy of Mazda USA

Tags: Chicago Auto Show, frankfurt motor show, Fuel Economy, mazda, mazda mx-5, mazda mx-5 superlight