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Tom Matano, designer of the NA Miata and FD RX-7, had envisioned an entire model family for the Miata. Built around a modular platform, the idea wasn’t just to create the classic MX-5 roadster, but also a Speedster and a Coupé. There were even plans for an officially sold pedal-powered children’s car.

Yet the road to that one car alone was long and complicated. As early as 1992, Matano’s team completed a clay model of the MX-5 NA Coupé and shipped it from California to Hiroshima. Instead of approving the design, however, Mazda executives refused to sign off on it. Their concern was that a Coupé might dilute the purist essence of the MX-5. Ironically, the closed-roof NA variant would have offered greater chassis rigidity at lower weight, improved aerodynamics, and even a larger trunk.

Mazda designer Tom Matano saw another opportunity when Mazda was searching for a special car for its appearance at the 1996 New York Auto Show. According to him, the team had just four weeks to complete the concept, with the intention of creating a body style that felt like a natural evolution of the Miata. This was achieved by redesigning key sections of the rear bodywork so it would flow seamlessly into the new fixed fiberglass roof.

Notable design cues borrowed from the FD3S RX-7 included the subtle double-bubble roof and the similarly styled B-pillar. Aside from that, the M Coupé remained mechanically almost identical to a standard NA8 Miata, apart from a Remus exhaust system. Inside, the seats featured embossed “M” logos, while a MOMO steering wheel, pedals, and shift knob completed the package.

Modular platform? Diversification? Filling every conceivable niche? In today’s automotive world, executives would probably applaud such an idea and greenlight the entire project lineup on the spot. Back in the 1990s, however, Mazda management remained unconvinced, and combined with the collapse of Japan’s bubble-era economy, the NA Coupé never made it into series production.

A true MX-5 Coupé that actually reached customers finally became reality in 2003. Mazda produced a small run for the Japanese domestic market based on the NB generation. Stylistically, however, the car never quite matched the elegance of its unofficial predecessor. In particular, the rear end, with its larger triangular side window and fastback-inspired lines, lacked the same visual cohesion. Only 179 examples were ever built.

https://www.dailysportscar.com/2026/05/06/heinrich-to-become-full-time-porsche-penske-gtp-driver.html