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Thread: Aussie Mazda MX-5 Miata specs leak suggests power loss

  1. #1

    Default Aussie Mazda MX-5 Miata specs leak suggests power loss

    Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Mazda


    Mazda's 2016 MX-5 Miata reveal didn't include much in the way of specifications, but the car's debut seems to have blown the lid off of the rumormill, with the latest word out of Australia including fresh claims of curb weight and engine output.

    Before delving into the findings from Motoring.com, we're going to take a moment to find a few grains of salt. It's not that we don't trust the Oz publication, it's just that we wouldn't be surprised to learn their car's specifications will vary from that of our eventual North American car.

    Of course, we don't expect the footprint of the new ND model to itself to differ much - it will still be the most compact Miata ever - overall length is expected to check in at just over 154 inches - that's about 1.4 inches shorter than the original NA Miata and over 4 inches shorter than today's NC generation, yet it'll ride atop a longer wheelbase and be slightly wider while sitting lower to the ground.

    Motoring.com sources indicate that a 1.5-liter Skyactiv four-cylinder will nestle low in the ND's engine bay, with a rating of just 96 kW - that's 129 horsepower, a 13-percent drop in power over the Aussie-spec 2.0-liter four in the current Miata. Torque figures were apparently not disclosed by their source, but the publication expects the torque figure to come in above the 144 Nm (106 pound-feet) of the top-spec 1.5-liter four in the forthcoming Mazda2.

    Countering that apparent shortfall is the car's hotly anticipated drop in weight. The ADM MX-5 is said to weigh 1,020 kilograms - that's just under 2,250 pounds - meaning Mazda would make good on its claimed 100-kg (220-pound) diet for the car. To put that number in perspective, ponder that a US-spec 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C has a curb weight of 2,465 pounds. True, it's about 3 inches longer, but it's also a car with a carbon-fiber tub, aluminum subframes, fiberglass skin and a deep-discount interior. Credit the Miata's shrinking footprint, an increased use of aluminum and a by-the-gram approach to engineering. Some back-of-the-envelope calculations reveals that's close to a 20-percent weight drop, which should go a long way toward compensating for the loss in power.

    We've previously heard rumors of the Miata having a Skyactiv engine displacing anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 liters, with the smart money seemingly being on Mazda's 2.0-liter engine seen in its Mazda3 compact. Despite the power drop, this 1.5-liter four could well provide enough motivation even for North American buyers, but we still wouldn't be surprised to see the 2.0 fitted to our cars.

    Mazda has confirmed that the 2016 MX-5 Miata will make its auto show debut at the Paris Motor Show early next month... will it also take the opportunity to attach some more specifications to the next generation of its iconic roadster? Here's hoping.Aussie Mazda MX-5 Miata specs leak suggests power loss originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Sep 2014 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2014
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    Brisbane
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    Default Aussie Mazda MX-5 Miata specs leak suggests power loss

    Yeah you can't trust those Aussies. I previously heard Mazda was looking at a cheaper entry level model to compete price wise with the 86/BRZ. The Toybaru sells for around $40k while the MX5 NC was around $50k. We might well get both a 1.5l base model and a 2l premium model for the Australian market.
    Last edited by ozynigma; 13-09-2014 at 06:09 AM.

  3. Default

    It'll probably be a 2.0 base and something bigger for the premiums models.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2009
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    Bathurst
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    Motoring.com and all car journalists have lost all credibility.
    About the only thing any of them got right about the MX5 over the past few years is that it's got 4 wheels.

    We won't get the small engine, just like we didn't with the NC.
    Even if we do, it will be a lower cost option to the 2ltr.

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