Mazda Exec Says Sports Cars Still ‘Critical,' and Not Just Miata
The 2026 Mazda CX-5 is just a few hours old, and if the previous generation is any indication, this redesigned model will sell like hotcakes for years to come. While that's good news for the Japanese automaker's balance sheet, what enthusiasts really want to know is what the future holds for Mazda sports cars.
In conversation with Stefan Meisterfeld, VP of Strategic Planning for North America, The Drive learned that Mazda still considers sporty, fun-to-drive cars 'critical' to its business—and from the sounds of it, there may be room in the lineup for a sports car other than the venerable MX-5 Miata.
'We want to serve different customers with different solutions, with different wallets and functional needs, and emotional needs,' Meisterfeld told The Drive . 'So the MX-5 and then sports cars in general will remain a critical component of this.
'The Miata is very near and dear to all of us. Our engineers will never give up on this heritage, and clearly, this is very important. We will continue to offer the Miata, and we will continue to look into new interpretations. The sports car heritage that we have as a brand is very, very important for us,' added Meisterfeld. Blue Fish Productions for Mazda
While Meisterfeld isn't exactly hinting, let alone promising a new sports car, it's worth highlighting that he precisely referenced 'MX-5 and then sports cars in general' as two different buckets, per se.
Like most brands out there, Mazda has to think hard about where to invest its capital, and creating new or refreshing existing crossovers and SUVs will always be the safest bet. The current CX-30, CX-50, CX-70, and CX-90 are big players in the most important (and competitive) passenger vehicle segments. However, the sedan and hatchback versions of the 3 don't quite replace the void left by the old RX-8 and Mazdaspeed variants.
'The business is mostly around the crossovers, but all of these crossovers also have some elements of our core driving DNA that is basically embodied by the MX-5,' said Meisterfeld.
At the end of the day, Meisterfeld isn't wrong about the brand's SUVs possessing that Mazda driving DNA that makes them some of the most entertaining to drive, but if sports cars are truly critical to Mazda, then hopefully we'll have news on that front soon.
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