Quote :

"While the classic front-engine and rear-wheel drive proportions will carry through, the fourth-generation roadster will introduce smaller and far more efficient engine choices, lighter running gear and even electric power steering, to make the MX-5 the greenest – as well as the most controversial – convertible in Mazda’s history. A sub-1000kg [2200lbs] curb weight is the target, compared to the latest MX-5’s 1129kg to 1177kg mass... the company is said to be developing a range of light and compact 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre direct-injection petrol engines that will use forced induction such as a turbocharger to achieve performance levels equal to or better than the 1.8 and 2.0-litre four-cylinder units offered today. Fuel consumption and emissions outputs that are a fraction of today’s MX-5 are central to the small engine cause... GoAuto has learned that, when development of the existing NC-series MX-5 commenced in 2002, Mazda was constrained by its previous overlords Ford to keep costs down by using the heavy RX-8 hardware, and this created many headaches for the engineers."

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/4858CAACD8679808CA257582007A7CB2

I would be really impressed if they got it that light. That's around as light as a 240Z or a 1st gen Miata but with modern crash standards.

3/27/2009 12:03:53 PM

yeah, i think only the base models from the first few years made it under the 2200 lb mark.

This sounds like it might be fun. Hopefully they don't screw it up.

3/27/2009 5:15:25 PM

Quote :

"to achieve performance levels equal to or better than the 1.8 and 2.0-litre four-cylinder units offered today."

Their goal is to meet or beat a 2L engine with 170hp 140 ftlbs.

"Set attainable goals for yourself"
check

3/27/2009 6:21:30 PM

nevermind the 160hp b16 from the civic si back in the late nineties

3/27/2009 6:25:15 PM

SSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

3/27/2009 6:29:22 PM

^^ Not really a comparable car. FWD, for one thing.

If they give it around 170-180 hp at 2200 lbs, it would at least have enough power to be entertaining. 280 hp or a little better makes a Miata a very different animal, I assure you.

3/27/2009 8:38:09 PM

Nobody would ever accuse any year SI of being lively.

<120lbs feet of torque tends to lull the buttdyno to sleep.

3/27/2009 8:44:05 PM

170-180hp turbo (meaning, probably easier to modify) in a RWD car that weight would easily do 14's

3/27/2009 11:34:25 PM

1.6L + TURBO = WIN

mazda copied my formula!!!1

3/28/2009 9:53:50 AM

excellent. I'm psyched.

4/3/2009 2:19:33 AM

I'm always positive towards a car getting lighter! Yay go Mazda.

4/3/2009 11:21:08 AM

If these figures hold true it'll be a pretty sweet car. And even sweeter if another 100hp is just an intercooler/chip upgrade away.

4/3/2009 1:47:17 PM

Quote :

"And even sweeter if another 100hp is just an intercooler/chip upgrade away."

im going to attempt to pick dirt out of knat shit and say that seems a stretch... unless the stock injectors are somewhat undersized and the factory fuel pump is up to task

4/3/2009 2:46:35 PM

Not to mention that they are limiting the potential for power with the smaller engine. The 1.6t sounds nice, but there is only going to be so much more power that you can safely extract from it. The n/a 2.0 on the other hand can still be force fed.

4/3/2009 2:56:45 PM

^&^^While I realize that, I did say "if". I imagine this FI 1.6 direct injection I-4 is a new engine, so who's to say what the injectors will be like, or the intercooler. If GM can sell Solstices with 300hp from a 2.0L engine, I don't see why 260hp would be asking too much. I'm not saying this is exact science, rather in the realm of possibilities.

4/3/2009 3:25:28 PM

oh I agree with you... just being pessimistic.

4/3/2009 3:53:39 PM

Mazda Elise?

4/3/2009 6:35:32 PM

it'll be fn to drive over one of those in my ruck

4/3/2009 8:19:10 PM

always better to start with factory forced induction, even if the displacement is lower, because of engine management issues from turbo kits such as MAF calibrations.

4/4/2009 2:08:56 AM

light is right

4/4/2009 5:23:36 PM

i cant even fit into one of those

4/4/2009 5:58:41 PM

BUMP

6/9/2011 2:52:23 PM

Quote :

"Rumormill: Mazda targeting 1,760-pound target for next Miata - 400 pounds lighter than first-gen The future is looking bright for the next-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata. According to Inside Line, the head honchos at the Japanese automaker have instructed the company's engineers to strip a whopping 720 pounds from the vehicles already comparably light 2,480-pound curb weight. If successful, that would put the new comer into the feathery 1,760-pound range, which is 400 pounds less than the first-generation roadster. How do they plan to do it? Engineers are turning to high-strength steel for the vehicle's chassis and contemplating a smaller-displacement engine. A turbocharged, direct-injection 1.4-liter four pot could work its way under the hood, though IL reports that the vehicle may also be considerably narrower than the current car. Other clever weight-saving moves include the deletion of the dashboard glove box and the replacement of the traditional paper owner's manual with an electronic copy on a USB stick. Here's hoping you've got your laptop on you the next time you need to check your service intervals. The report claims that the engineers at Mazda aren't entirely sure they can hit the weight target, but the vehicle will be much closer to the waif-like 2,178-lb 1989 Miata than the heftier 2011 model"

Even if they only come somewhat close to this goal that would be amazing. I'm really looking forward to seeing the next gen Miata now!

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/08/mazda-targeting-1-760-pound-target-for-next-miata-400-pounds-l/

[Edited on June 9, 2011 at 3:02 PM. Reason : link]

6/9/2011 3:01:50 PM

hmm... 1.4 liter is gonna need a bittty turbo to make torque.
however... if it proves to like rpm which a 1.4 liter should this thing could be a monster.

6/9/2011 3:23:40 PM

Quote :

"How do they plan to do it? Engineers are turning to high-strength steel for the vehicle's chassis and contemplating a smaller-displacement engine. plastic."

[Edited on June 9, 2011 at 3:24 PM. Reason : .]

6/9/2011 3:24:03 PM

Quote :

"If GM can sell Solstices with 300hp from a 2.0L engine, I don't see why 260hp would be asking too much"

260hp from a 1.6l is quite a lot, especially directly from a manufacturer. I'd say the ballpark of 230-240hp for a turbo'd 1.6L is more realistic.

If Mazda follows through and holds it around 2200lbs with equivalent or more power, we could be looking at a vehicle that could give current Lotus Elise owners a run for their money. Seriously.

[Edited on June 9, 2011 at 3:37 PM. Reason : .]

6/9/2011 3:37:14 PM

especially after cobb makes a chip to bump fuel pressure and hopefully a "race tune" package


^ i think you read the article from 09

[Edited on June 9, 2011 at 3:46 PM. Reason : .]

6/9/2011 3:45:42 PM

If this car weighs 1800lbs all it needs is 160hp to exceed the power to weight ratio of an S2000. 1800lbs and 250 hp would give it a P/W ratio superior to a base Corvette, lol. Of course I think anything over 170hp stock is highly unlikely.

6/9/2011 4:56:49 PM

Will you still have to open the doors with your pinky finger?

6/9/2011 5:43:04 PM

k no one cares

6/9/2011 5:53:46 PM

Please, Mazda, don't fuck this up. Don't make it fat, don't make it slow, and don't make it expensive. If you nail it, there's a significant chance that one of these could follow me home.

...but I'll believe it when I see it.

6/9/2011 6:08:18 PM

in completely unrelated news, the new elise might actually not look like shit

6/9/2011 6:13:36 PM

Quote :

"i think you read the article from 09 "

I did. And I read the one TKE posted as well. Trying for 1,700lbs is very optimistic imo. Realistic will be around 2,200lbs, though I hope it is less.

I really want them to make a 200+hp 2.5L I-4 n/a powerplant to throw in the next gen miata. That would be cool. What's with all this 1.x L powerplants?

Quote :

"When it comes to performance, there's no substitute for cubic inches. And the quickest-though often not the easiest-solution is to shoehorn the biggest engine you've got into the smallest car..."

-Ian Adcock

Quote :

"Please, Mazda, don't fuck this up. Don't make it fat, don't make it slow, and don't make it expensive. If you nail it, there's a significant chance that one of these could follow me home. ...but I'll believe it when I see it. "

+111111!1!11one

[Edited on June 9, 2011 at 7:26 PM. Reason : .]

6/9/2011 7:25:11 PM

^^and will sadly go up a lot in base price, and weight.

6/9/2011 11:33:50 PM

I'll take 2000 lbs with 170 hp. That is an agressive weight goal and very doable power goal. 180 hp would be even sweeter for say the mazdaspeed version or the more performancy model.

6/15/2011 8:08:52 PM

I'll take 2000 lbs with 170 220 hp. That is an agressive weight goal and very doable power goal. 180 260 hp would be even sweeter for say the mazdaspeed version or the more performancy model.

Quote :

" MORE PERFORMANCY MODEL "

6/15/2011 8:51:48 PM

rather than more power, I'd rather see them do more slick stuff to more efficiently get the power to the ground and have a more reliable, cheaper motor. kinda like the LFA and gt-r, minus the cheap and reliable bits

6/15/2011 9:17:52 PM

I'm surprised, none has trolled about dropping a small block v8 in it already...

6/16/2011 2:39:14 AM

^^A more reliable and cheaper motor than it already has?

:scratcheshead:

I'm curious to know what you think of the Miata's current engine.

6/16/2011 8:13:51 AM

i meant instead of spending r&d money on putting in a better motor, use that money on a better drivetrain design. if it's a success, add power in later years/editions

[Edited on June 16, 2011 at 10:47 AM. Reason : i'd personally homogenize the model's motor offerings with that of the 6: 2.3, 2.3T, & 3.x v6]

6/16/2011 10:43:26 AM

Mazda has just come out with a completely new line of engines to meet emissions and fuel economy requirements. They are second generation direct injected motors. I imagine the current MZR motors (in Mx-5 and Speed3/Speed6) will be discontinued soon or updated.

6/16/2011 1:45:29 PM

You guys are stuck in the 1990's. Anything less than 300hp is not a real sports car.

6/16/2011 8:21:08 PM

it is kinda strange how the V6 Mustangs and Camaros have raised the bar so high. 10 years ago a V6 Mustang had 170hp and a Camaro had like 200.

6/16/2011 11:19:35 PM

Back when it was hot to swap a 5.0L into a miata, the miata guys were saying "OH GOD NO 200HP IS WAY TOO MUCH YOU'LL KILL US ALL" hahaha.

Miatas have always been slow from the factory. Probably always will be.

On a related note, are mazda's still trash in general?

[Edited on June 16, 2011 at 11:33 PM. Reason : .]

6/16/2011 11:31:37 PM

i like the speed 3s their only problems as far as i'm concerned it seems their injectors top out at about 330whp on a non fuxored dyno but thats plenty for most people

6/17/2011 9:31:44 PM

We have a Mazda 3 in the family. Good car so far. The 5 speed is not as refined as say a honda, but works well otherwise. Hopefully lasts longer than the old 626's.

6/18/2011 12:06:06 AM

The real junk on the 626s were those auto trans.

6/18/2011 12:07:22 AM

Honda makes best shifters. Ever. BMW is utter and complete garbage by comparison.

6/18/2011 12:07:51 AM

my neighbor had a 626 with a manual transmission. That thing had like 250k on it. He said the autos were garbage.

6/18/2011 6:56:53 AM

What do you guys know about the miller cycle engine mazda put in the 626 back in the 90's? Any good? The hp and mileage numbers don't seem to indicate it was worth it. I've never messed with one in person.

6/18/2011 10:07:29 AM