It’ll most likely be another year before we first see the new MX-5 – thought to be appearing at the Chicago Auto Show in February 2015 – but we have these exclusive renderings which reveal how the car is likely to look. It’ll feature Mazda’s ‘KODO – Soul of Motion’ design language, which makes an appearance on the current Mazda 3 and 6. We don’t know about you, but if it looks anything like this, we’ll experience indecent levels of want.

The bonnet is set to be relatively elongated due to the use of Mazda’s SkyActiv engines, which feature a long four-into-one exhaust manifold. On the subject of engines, rumours initially suggested Mazda would plump for a smaller turbo engine – most likely the 1.5-litre SkyActiv with an added blower. However, Mazda isn’t jumping on the forced-induction bandwagon like many other manufacturers are, so a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre SkyActiv-G engine is the most likely choice.

In its more powerful guise this inline-four engine makes 163bhp, so with the new MX-5 expected to weigh about the same as the current one, expect it to be slightly quicker. The 1.5-litre SkyActiv-G could also make an appearance in a low-cost, entry-level version of the MX-5. Like the current model, it’ll be available with either a folding hard top or folding soft top. It certainly seems like Mazda isn’t fiddling with the recipe much, which makes sense given the MX-5′s popularity.

So, what do you guys think? Excited by the prospect of the 2015 MX-5, or do you think Mazda’s approach needs to be a bit more radical?