Electric MX-5 Is Coming — What WA Sports Car Buyers Need to Know

The Mazda MX-5 has been a fixture on WA roads for decades — a rare sports car that's actually affordable to own, register, and run. But the next generation is shaping up to be the most controversial MX-5 in history, and if you're thinking about buying one, now or later, you need to know what's coming.

Mazda's CEO Has Said the Quiet Part Out Loud

In a recent interview with German publication Auto Motor und Sport, Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro confirmed the next-generation MX-5 platform is being engineered to support full electrification. His words: the successor "must also be ready for a scenario without a combustion engine."

That's a significant shift in language from a brand that has long resisted going electric with its beloved roadster. Moro also flagged that Mazda is targeting a total vehicle weight of "just under 1000kg and 1200kg" — no small challenge when you're adding a battery pack — and ruled out exotic materials like carbon fibre to get there.

The current ND-series MX-5 has been on sale since 2015 — over a decade — and has received minimal updates in that time. That longevity tells you something about how devoted its fan base is. These buyers don't want the car reinvented every three years. They want it to stay pure.

Could a Petrol MX-5 Still Happen?

Possibly — but don't bank on it. Speculation has pointed to Mazda's new 2.5-litre Skyactiv-Z four-cylinder petrol engine, potentially paired with some hybrid hardware, as a candidate for the next model. Mazda chief technical officer Ryuichi Umeshita acknowledged earlier this year that the engineering team is studying both a battery EV and an ICE version, but noted the ICE option is the lighter of the two.

Closer to home, Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi told local media that the current MX-5 could be the last with a petrol engine. He referenced comments from a visiting executive who hinted the outgoing model "may be the last ICE version" — which effectively pours cold water on the idea of a dual-powertrain lineup.

For WA buyers, this matters more than most. Perth's urban sprawl means plenty of MX-5 owners use theirs as a weekend car rather than a daily driver — short blasts down to the coast, a run through the hills, or a weekend trip down south. A lightweight EV roadster could genuinely suit that use case, provided the range holds up and public charging infrastructure continues to improve across the state.

What This Means If You're Buying Now

If you've been sitting on the fence about an MX-5, the current petrol model suddenly looks like a collector's item in the making. WA's fuel prices can sting, but the existing MX-5 is efficient enough that running costs are manageable — and the driving experience remains one of the best at the price point.

No timeline has been confirmed for the next-generation model, and Mazda hasn't given any indication of local pricing. What's clear is that the brand is under real pressure — from regulation, from global EV uptake, and from the market — to evolve the MX-5. Whether that results in a pure EV, a hybrid, or both remains to be seen.

Watch this space. And if you want a petrol MX-5, the window to get one new might be closing.