Next Mazda MX-5 to spawn additional models?

A new report indicates the next generation of the Mazda MX-5 will spawn at least one additional rear-wheel drive model before the end of the decade.

Developing a larger sports car that shares the bulk of its underpinnings with the MX-5 will help Mazda offset the Herculean cost of developing a small roadster. Details are currently scarce, but industry rumors indicate the car will retain the MX-5′s sporty handling while providing space for up to four passengers.

Mazda will focus on successfully launching the fourth-gen MX-5 before it turns its attention to developing a larger model.

“Our mission is to make the MX-5 very successful. After that we move towards the next stage but our current mission is purely how can we make the MX-5 successful,” explained Masahiro Moro, Mazda’s global head of sales and marketing, during a conference held at the company’s headquarters in Hiroshima, Japan.

Additional details about the MX-5′s bigger sibling will emerge when the fourth-gen model is presented at next year’s edition of the Chicago Motor Show.