New MX-5: it's coming tomorrow

Mazda is going into publicity overdrive as it prepares to simultaneously launch the all-new MX-5 (or Miata, if you're American) in three cities during the early hours of September 4th. Mazda is pulling out all the stops, with live streaming from an event in Monterey while events take place in Tokyo and Barcelona. We'll be reporting from the latter.

First though, a very brief history lesson: since debuting 25 years ago, the Mazda MX-5 has become the definitive affordable roadster. Inspired by British sports cars from the 1960s - think MGB and Lotus Elan - the MX-5 launched combining their glamour and driver appeal with the reliability and affordability of a hatchback. Needless to say, it's proved a winning formula, and over 900,000 of them have sold so far, marked by the shiny promo shot above.

Bar a few shots under the skin of the new SkyActiv chassis and transmission, we're still not sure what the new car will look like. We've only got an ace but completely unofficial rendering and the words of Mazda's Chief Designer Peter Birtwhistle to go on. ‘I think it will be a surprise for people', reckons Birtwhistle. ‘It's a tight, edgy little car that is going to appeal to a broader range of people.'

So what do we know? Its SkyActiv technology will make the new MX-5 100kg lighter than the car it replaces, the entry-level model set to tip the scales south of 1,050kg. This in turn allows downsizing in the engine department, a 1.5-litre engine with around 130bhp likely kicking off the range, with a 165bhp 2-litre engine above it. While prices haven't officially been announced yet, the MX-5 has cornered the circa-£20k roadster market, so don't expect any wild increases in price. Especially with the Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ to undercut.

There have been some rather exciting rumours of a joint venture between Mazda and Fiat, with an Abarth roadster spun off the MX-5 appearing further down the line, with a ‘speciality' Fiat due at the end of 2015. We can't wait to find out for certain.

It seems then that the original MX-5 recipe hasn't been changed much; it's just been spiced up a little with fresher ingredients. While this might not quite explain the massive marketing campaign, we're still interested to see what Mazda's new MX-5 has in store. What are you hoping to see when it's revealed tomorrow?