I noticed today for the first time, that the engine compartment of my ND RF has two slots, one either side, at the back of the engine compartment. Here is a photo of one of them, with a bit of windscreen wiper for reference.
Just because I am nosey, does anyone know what these holes are for???
David
Guessing active bonnet system which yours doesnât have?
No its not them, they are lower down. My ST has the same holes (never noticed before).
Not for the scary active bonnet thingies â I have those, the yellow wires. This picture will make it clear.
David
So not those above, maybe bonnet gas struts (optional) in some countries?
Nope, they fit on the existing brackets and bonnet hinge. Maybe there for the robot to position panels during assembly?
I also wondered about the struts, which are not OEM. But no. The shape of the edges of these holes seems to indicate more than robot positioning needs.
David
Weight saving thenđ
They could be anythingâŚventilation, manufacturing tooling /jig aids
They are just âholesâ!!
Pre-drilled mouse holes to give rodents easy access to interior fuse box and wiring.
One less bit to rust.
They could be intentional weak spots that ensure that the structure collapses in a predictive manner such as to ensure the maximum impact energy is absorbed during a crashâŚOr they could be âjoke holesâ put there by Mazda engineers to wind up MX5 forums 
I had an idea: perhaps the cup holders will fit in these slots, so that one can use them while working under the bonnet.I have to check; perhaps there is not quite enough roomâŚ
David
