Next Mazda MX-5 Could Feature Butterfly Doors

Newly uncovered Mazda patent filings suggest the company is working on one of the most unusual sports cars in the model’s history. The documents describe a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive roadster with a unique door design and leave room for a possible hybrid powertrain.

Since its debut in 1989, the Mazda MX-5 has become the world’s best-selling roadster. Across four generations, the car has stayed true to a simple formula: low weight, rear-wheel drive, straightforward engineering, and engaging driving dynamics. Those traits have made the MX-5 one of Mazda’s most recognizable performance models.

Recently published patent materials have drawn significant attention from sports-car enthusiasts. Although the filings never mention the MX-5 by name, the illustrations and technical descriptions point to a compact rear-wheel-drive roadster. Several overseas outlets believe it could preview either the next-generation MX-5 or an entirely new sports car from Mazda.

According to the patents, Mazda engineers are developing a new body structure designed to improve chassis rigidity and crash protection. The most striking element of the project, however, is the door mechanism.

The documents describe doors that open both outward and upward, in a motion similar to scissor or butterfly doors. Designs like this are commonly associated with exotic supercars from Lamborghini and McLaren, but Mazda’s application appears to be driven more by engineering considerations than by styling alone.

The patent explains that the unusual hinge placement could help channel suspension loads more effectively through the body structure, increasing overall rigidity while keeping vehicle weight low. The filing also references additional body reinforcements and a newly stamped front structure intended to improve strength without a significant weight penalty.

Mazda has not officially identified which model the patents relate to. Even so, overseas reports suggest the most likely candidate is a production version of the Mazda Iconic SP, which the company revealed earlier.

If that speculation proves accurate, the vehicle could ultimately become the next-generation MX-5. Mazda has already indicated that it is preparing a new Miata with a gasoline engine, though the company has also hinted that it may be among the last combustion-powered models before broader electrification reaches the lineup.