Mazda has been granted a patent for vertically opening doors. Is a new MX-5 on the way?

Mazda continues to work on architectures designed for sports cars. Two patent applications published in the United States on 2 July 2026 describe a structure developed for a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive car. The drawings show a two-door open-top body with a long bonnet, a rear-set cabin and a vertical opening mechanism. There is no reference to the MX-5, the Iconic Sp concept or any production model, but the two patents raise interesting possibilities regarding the Miata’s successor.

The rear section of the door swings outwards and upwards in a movement similar to that of scissor or butterfly doors. The angled position of the door pillar and hinges allows the door assembly to be connected to the structure supporting the windscreen, the front subframe and the suspension mountings. The design incorporates reinforcements positioned between the door pillar, the suspension mount and the front subframe. The aim is to increase the body’s rigidity without excessively increasing its weight. The second document also addresses the distribution of forces in the event of a frontal impact, channelling them towards the sills and the central tunnel.

The drawings show a longitudinally mounted four-cylinder engine, a conventional transmission tunnel and rear-wheel drive. This is the technical layout used by the MX-5, but the patent does not specify the engine capacity, power output, dimensions or details of the fuel system. Nor does it clarify whether the design is intended for a production roadster or an experimental platform. The closest design reference is the Mazda Iconic SP, unveiled at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show. The concept measures 4.18 metres in length, 1.85 metres in width and 1.15 metres in height, with a wheelbase of 2.59 metres. Mazda stated a kerb weight of 1,450 kilograms, a 50:50 weight distribution and a maximum power output of 370 cavalli.

The Iconic Sp uses an electric system combined with a twin-rotor engine to generate power. The concept car also features gull-wing doors, but the body style is a coupé and the mechanical configuration announced by Mazda differs from that shown in the patents.

The concept of a future MX-5 stems from the combination of an open-top body, a front-mounted longitudinal engine, rear-wheel drive and a focus on weight. These have been the core elements of the Mazda roadster since the very first generation. Vertical doors, however, would represent a departure from the simple and accessible design philosophy that the model has maintained. The other possibility is a distinct sports car, positioned above the MX-5 and stylistically linked to the Iconic Sp.