Mazda’s MX game changers

Six years before the MX-5 Miata arrived to reshape the automotive landscape, Mazda released the MX-02 concept car. The vehicle never made it to production, but it was jam-packed with innovative technology, including keyless entry, four-wheel steering, and a low-drag body design that provided excellent fuel economy figures.

Mazda threw the kitchen sink at the MX-03 concept, which boasted a huge spec and enticing list of innovations. The four-seater coupe featured four-wheel drive, a triple-rotor 315 hp engine, four-wheel steering, a head-up display, and an aircraft yoke steering column instead of a regular wheel.

This stylish, discreet coupe was produced for nearly a decade from 1987 and featured two generations. It was known for both reliability and its powerful performance for the time, starting with a 2.2L turbocharger with four-wheel steering and then moving to a 2.5L V6 in later models.

Launched in the early 1990s (in the same era as the MX-5 Miata and RX-7), the sleek MX-3 shared many characteristics of its illustrious stablemates. As with all Mazdas, it was a real driver’s car, and its headline-grabbing V6 engine—one of the smallest ever produced—made it a highly innovative vehicle, too.

In many ways, the MX-Sport Tourer was one of Mazda’s most forward-thinking concept cars. It featured a hybrid gas-electric engine to reduce emissions that switched seamlessly between rear and four-wheel drive, a Vario Lamella folding roof, and freestyle doors.

This funky concept made its debut at the 2004 Detroit Auto Show. Featuring a four-cylinder engine, the car would signpost the way for a small city vehicle aimed at a young audience. The MX-MicroSport featured a keyless entry system in the form of a card, which held driver preferences such as favorite navigational routes and audio sources.