Trademark filing raises questions of next Mazda MX-5’s name

Mystery surrounds a new trademark for the Mazda MX-5, which has raised questions over the name the small sports-car will wear in Australia for its next generation.

Mazda has filed a trademark application in Australia for Miata – the name given to the MX-5 in North America (officially ‘MX-5 Miata’) – suggesting the Japanese car maker could be considering streamlining the model to one global name when the next-generation version arrives in the coming years.

While it’s not uncommon for car companies to protect model names, the move seems unusual considering the vehicle has been around since the late 1980s.

A spokesperson for Mazda Australia wouldn’t comment on the trademark filing, but sources inside the company poured cold water on the idea, telling Drive there were no plans to change the car’s name at this stage.