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Mazda at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show: MX-5 Superlight Version and Mazda CX-7 Facelift


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SEE ALSO: 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show - Press Pass Coverage

NOTTING HILL, AUSTRALIA - September 15, 2009: At this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show Mazda celebrates the heritage of the MX-5 roadster with a special show car, the MX-5 Superlight version. Created by Mazda’s European design team, the show car takes Mazda’s lightweight strategy to a new level that is pure fun to drive yet extremely fuel-efficient. Joining at the stand is the new CX-7 facelift, Mazda’s sport crossover SUV is now available with a 2.2 L Turbo Diesel – the first Japanese passenger car with a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system.

MX-5 Superlight Version Show Car – Less is More
To commemorate 20 years of record-breaking success, Mazda created the MX-5 Superlight version especially for this year’s IAA. Based on the exciting third-generation production roadster, the show car is a radical evolution of the MX-5 formula pared down to the pure, exhilarating basics of driving fun. It offers an even closer sense of oneness between driver and car, and even better handling and fuel efficiency. Like the first MX-5, which represented a rebirth of the classic roadster in 1989, the MX-5 Superlight version resurrects the roofless sports cars of the past in a design that is both retro and futuristic. It provides a true sports car experience with the lively MZR 1.8-litre petrol engine combined with a radical exterior design requiring no windshield, and sporty chassis settings.

Mazda CX-7 Facelift – Clean-Running Turbo Diesel for Europe
This facelifted version of Mazda’s sports utility vehicle (SUV) has an enhanced design to give it an even more premium Mazda identity inside and out, and new technologies that make it even more affordable and fun to drive. New to the line-up is the next-generation MZR-CD 2.2-litre turbo diesel common-rail engine (average fuel consumption: 7.5 litres/100km, CO2 199 g/km) with a powerful 173 PS and 400 Nm of maximum torque. This version is the first Japanese passenger car ever to have a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system. It joins the acclaimed MZR 2.3-litre DISI turbo petrol engine producing 260 PS and 380 Nm of maximum torque carried over from the current model. The facelifted CX-7 introduces several new chassis updates for enhanced handling and steering that include a stiffer body shell and new dampers. It also inherits Mazda’s torque-split All-wheel Drive (AWD) system, for superior traction in all on-road situations.

SEE ALSO: 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show - Press Pass Coverage