In Japanese, the exceptional soul of the Mazda MX-5
is described by the expression Jinba-Ittai. The
direct translation of this is "rider and horse as
one". "Yabusame", a longstanding artistic ritual
ceremony in Japan, truly embodies the essence of
Jinba Ittai. An Archer mounted on horseback gallops
past a target and shoots an arrow. To achieve a
bull's eye, the archer and horse must move as one.
There must be a natural two-way communication and a
high degree of synergy in their alliance. This
oneness of motion between rider and horse was
selected as the most apt analogy depicting the
relationship between the driver and a mazda MX-5.
Jinba-Ittai is the essence of the soul of Mazda.
The rider-and-horse idiom and the effort to create a
car universally seen as "lots of fun" served as the
focal point around which the original and the
all-new Mazda MX-5 were designed and engineered.
While most sports cars manufacturers aim for
specific performance
targets - such as the time required to accelerate
from 0 to 60 mph, huge bhp levels or cornering G's
provided by the chassis - Mazda engineers
established goals to reinvigorate the car. In
essence, they became a celebration of the simple
delights of driving an open roadster. The "fun" was
designed for anyone and any location during sports
driving or the daily commute.