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Not content with merely showing off the design of the next Mazda MX-5, Mazda has announced that European versions of the MX-5 will get a 1.5L Skyactiv engine, while North American versions will get a 2.0L motor.
In North American trim, the 2.0L makes 155 horsepower and 150 lb-ft of torque, but Mazda claims that “all available drivetrains have been specifically tuned for the all-new MX-5.” Here’s hoping that they’ll match the current car’s 167 horsepower (it makes 140 lb-ft). Paired with the rumored 2200 lb curb weight, it should be plenty quick.
58 Comments on “Mazda Announces MX-5 Displacement, Drags Out Details Even Longer...”
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IF they stick to the target curb weight it MIGHT have enough HP. I was kinda hoping they would get it up around 175-180.
It’s not that the current car is slow, I just wouldn’t mind few more horses to kick it out of a corner quicker and for … well … SPEEEEEEEDDDD (clarksonian voice)
Here’s to hoping the 2200lbs is with the 2.0, not some JDM 1.0. I’m assuming the 1.5 will be some variant of the new Mazda2 engine, rumored to put out about 130?
While launching the latest version of “the greatest sportscar of all time” with a bunch econobox engines does seem a bit sacrilegious, it ought to make fitting some future Speed3/2 mill for a special edition later on, easier…. And, being the Zoom-Zoom company, I guess Mazda can turn it on it’s head, and claim to fit genuine sports car engines in all their cars…..
They’ve always had econobox engines. The 1.8L BP is one of the most character-free engines. I say this having owned two of them.
Character-free yea, but they last a surprisingly long time.
I had the chance to watch a Chumpcars race that featured a Festiva with the Miatas 1.8l BP, that thing was surprisingly potent around the track. Ford missed a good chance at making a cheap “hot hatch” with that combo.
If you really want to see a riot, Google for a Festiva with a turbocharged BP. 250+ hp in a car of that size makes for some very unhappy Mustang drivers.
While I have no illusions about the shortcomings of the BP, I will say this: both the exhaust sound and the torque curve encourage me to wind the thing out to 7,000 RPM. It also takes well to turbocharging, with the generally accepted reliable limit being about 250whp, roughly double the stock output. And if you do blow one up, the block was shared with everything from the Protege to the Escort to the Kia Sephia, which means that a replacement bottom end can be found for peanuts.
Worse sports car engines have been made.
My bet is that the 2.0L will be a bit heavier. It will probably have beefier prop shaft, diff, axles, and brakes to go along with the bigger engine. My WAG is 2350lbs for a 170hp 2.0L w/ LSD.
I’m an NC owner – the current MZR 2.0 engine is a modified version of the same engine found in other Mazda and Ford products.
I don’t get why they can’t just re-use the old 167hp motor, the new one has better torque at least, but still.
I’m not too concerned over power though, I still think they should trim some of the cars useless features off like the back-up camera, use the money saved for more carbon fiber bits. Maybe it’ll weight just 2k at the end.
Backup cameras are required on all new cars starting in 2017 or 2018. No reason to develop it for then and not include it now.
The brilliance of regulators at work again. Since an 18 wheeler may benefit from having a backup camera, why not force tricycles to, as well….
Safetywise, a Raptor with a backup camera permanently covered in dust and mud, is much more likely to back over a kid, than a Miata with no camera at all. Huh? says Bubba Gommiment…. and “It’s The Law”, says Faux News!
Given how difficult it would be to define what requires a camera and what doesn’t, requiring it on ALL vehicles if you’re going to require it doesn’t really bother me. In reality, we’re probably talking about 5lbs and $75 worth of “stuff” here so I don’t think it’s that big a deal.
Probably less than 1 pound if the car is already networked and has a display. Cell phone cameras only weigh a few grams.
Thats an additional $75 per each car built, which in turn it drives up the cars prices in order to compensate.
I think that back-up cameras should be standard on SUVs and the like, optional on sports cars and compacts.
Not even close to either 5 lbs. or $75. Literally all it is is the camera (which weighs maybe an ounce and costs $10), one wire (another ounce and a few cents), and a software change.
These electronic features are not what’s driving up weight. Safety standards and increasing expectations for rigidity and refinement are the culprits.
Given how difficult it would be to define, simultaneously civilized and intelligent beings leaves it alone. Dumb tyrant wannabes obviously don’t.
It does require a large viewscreen in the car though. Something I don’t ever want in a car, and I’m glad my Miata doesn’t have one.
I’ve seen a lot of Raptors, but never one covered in mud. Like most off-roaders, they’re mostly bought as fashion accessories by “lifestyle” customers. Moreover, those bad boys are massive and stand way off the ground; they honestly seem like the perfect candidate for the backup cams.
Here in San Diego, I see lots of dusty Raptors. The trust fund babies that drive them like to go to the desert or baja. I suppose it is possible that they buy spray on dirt, or maybe they just never wash their cars and let our TJ saturated air make them look less like poseurs.
Convertibles with their tops up have pretty terrible rearward visibility.
155hp in a new sports car, I don’t care how light, in 2014 is ffing pathetic. It should be 180hp, minimum, and really closer to 200.
Agreed, but I’m sure at some point there will be a ‘speed vesion with more.
Fingers crossed. However if the factory doesn’t do it I assume someone will figure out a way to fit a turbo in there. Having LESS horsepower then the old Miata doesn’t make much sense regardless of the weight savings. Especially when we are talking about just punching out a 4 cylinder for a little more for “fun”. Nobody complains about too much power.
It’ll probably “magically” gain 10 for next years model, then at the tail end of 2015 we’ll see a hardtop Mazdaspeed variant with 200hp.
I don’t get why this has become the “norm” for cars, hype up an underwhelming model and then make “the good one” soon after.
Keep in mind that power levels are not confirmed. All they have said so far is that it will have the 2.0L engine. The 155 hp figure comes from looking up the same engine used in the Mazda3 and CX-5.
A better comparison is to look at the NC Miata. That has the 2.0L Mazda MZR similar to what was used in the Focus and the Mazda 3. In the Mazda 3 and Focus that engine made about 145 hp, but made 167hp in the Miata. When I owned my ’06 Miata , the difference was attributed to having variable valve timing on both cams (apparently the econo models had VVT on the intake cam only), different cams, and better intake and exhaust manifolds.
I suspect that the Miata will have similar goodies over the econo-spec 2.0L SkyActiv-G engines. If I were a betting man I would say that this will entail
-higher redline
-strong recommendation to use premium fuel
-about 180hp or so, representing a similar horsepower bump over the econo engine that the previous gen enjoyed.
That’s what we thought would happen with the Toyobaru boxer twins, too. Not seeing anything fresh from those models, though.
If you look at the NC history, the power output has not changed other than a reset in how output is measured. There was never a true Mazdaspeed version either. I’m hoping that changes this time around though.
…it’s plenty of power for street driving a car that light, but i concur that by contemporary standards 155HP is a mere pittance for a two-litre engine…that’s said, it’s just about the same power-to-weight ratio toyota and subaru are offering in the twins, so it’s competitive for the segment; i just expected mazda to push harder with the ND…
I’m sure Keith Tanner and the crew at Flyin’ Miata are already hard at work on several remedies for folks who want the ND Miata, but think 155hp is not enough.
Aren’t the 2.0 & 2.5 basically the same engine except for the bore and the crankshaft? Seems like the ideal solution is on the shelf begging to be installed. The 2.5 certainly made the CX-5 come to life.
I don’t have any problems with the power and torque in my 2013 Club. I didn’t really have any problems with the power and torque in my 2001, either, and that was before I found a loose crankshaft nose bolt and realized the engine wasn’t operating anywhere near peak output.
If a Miata isn’t powerful enough for you, buy anything else. If for some reason you have to own a Miata and you can’t live with the stock NA power – there is a massive aftermarket providing tuning, FI, and engine swaps to satisfy your requirements and meet your budget.
Mazda has never put out a powerful MX-5 (save for maybe the Mazdaspeed version, but most owners complain that it’s underpowered, too) it’s not what the car is about. You can modify it for more power if you want, knock yourselves out. I just don’t get why every mention of the Miata draws a chorus of power-deficient cries. This car has never been about power. Ever. It’s still the most raced production car in the world. It’s your cognitive dissonance that is the problem, see? Mazda gets it, Miata owners get it, you don’t.
Well put, I’m not a Miata guy but I know that they’ve been all about fun in a reliable package, not power.
If you want power there are a number of other convertibles out there for that, heavier too.
Thanks ‘319583076’ for saving me the time to offer the numbskulls my take on their need for more power in an an MX-5. Plain and simply, they don’t get the reason for the MX5 and probably have other issues that they have unsuccessfully dealt with or deny or are still playing in a sandbox.
I challenge all of those deriders to take a Miata through a technical course or run of road and be able to effectively utilize the power available in even the 1.6L. Ninety nine percent of them would never get out of the 6th or 7th, let alone into the 8th percentile, forget 9th and full on.
We just recently completed a 5.0 V8 build, estimated Hp-375. We have a road(North Applegate Rd.) near here that I test cars on. I usually never time runs on this technical run of road of 11.9 miles because there is usually something you have to slow down for, flatbed trucks loaded with grapes, sightseers, or a bunch of cyclists, but over the past week I tested a recently acquire totally stock NA 1.6L with worn AW tires and 194,000 miles on it, and the newly built V8-Miata with serious suspension and chassis mods and Summer performance tires on 16″ wheels.
As stated, the road is a technical road that follows old farm to market wagon trails and the 100 year flood line along a river. Corner speeds are marked at 15-35mph with a couple of sort straights the longest about a quarter mile before you have to seriously arrest your speed for L-hand flat, but crowned 25mph turn.
I ran the V8 Miata for several days on that road while sorting the suspension adjustments, and then I ran both cars within a half hour of each other and got clean runs for both cars. The difference, the dual exhaust noise of a V8.
The old 1.6L with worn stock suspension, tires, and no chassis mods, only gave up 7 seconds in almost 12 miles, but it was a lot easier to drive quickly through the corners and in essence a lot more fun to drive. Given the modifications and tire that benefited the V8, I think I could have matched or bettered the V8 time.
It was hard to nuance the V8 power in a vehicle with only an 89″ wheelbase, though, the V8 car did rotate easier, but you also had to be wary of that. After the runs you don’t feel much satisfaction after a good run in the V8, where the old ‘Feeble’ 1.6L gives great satisfaction and leaves you smiling and wanting to do it again. With the V8, you are just glad the car and you are still in one piece and not smelling like you rolled and flipped through a barnyard or vineyard. So much for more power.
I have driven all the different type of power enhanced Miata’s, Supercharged, turbo charged, owned an MS, and have built and driven after market set-ups, and V6 & V8 Miata’s. I like turbocharging, but keep it small to be streetable. Supercharging can be more streetable, but with any of them, you have to be a damn good driver to safely and effectively utilize the power in a light, short wheelbase car unless your idea of fun is banzai-ing an on ramp, and that would be a waste of a great car. With all of the power enhanced cars, you gain little and lose a lot.
Randy Pobst says it better than I can. Anyone reading this should go here:
http://www.motortrend.com/features/performance/1411_2014_best_drivers_car_bonus_first_gen_mazda_mx_5_miata_porsche_918_spyder/
and read his take.
I put my money where my mouth is, gentlemen, see my username and avatar.
I won’t deny that on a twisty technical road, added power might not help the Miata. But for those of us who don’t get to drive on twisty roads everyday, getting our doors blown off at every stop light severly diminishes our enjoyment of the car (I’ve driven several Miatas of all vintages). I’m not asking for a big block V8, I’m asking for 180-200hp, the likes of which plenty of other reasonably light, fun-to-drive cars have.
Maybe Miata is okay losing me and guys like me as a customer, but is it really ridiculous to ask for 180-200hp like a GTI, Civic Si, Toyobaru, etc etc etc have? I could buy one of those, but they aren’t roadsters.
Maybe someone can explain to me why it’s such an unreasonable request to ask for a pretty small amount of additional power.
HEY S2K CHRIS!
We hear you, dude. You don’t like the Miata because you think it’s underpowered. Honda made the S2000 for you. You found it and bought it. Congratulations, enjoy it.
Mazda makes Miatas for people that want Miatas, not for people that want S2ks. Honda made those. You bought one.
Why do you demand an explanation for this? Who are you? Who do you think you are?
The Miata is not a car you will buy. Mazda isn’t going to change them for you.
And…as has been pointed out and I’m sure you’re already aware – aftermarket power is widely available for all Miatas at any budget. Nothing is stopping you from buying a Miata and dialing in the exact amount of power you need to be a drivetime hero blowing doors off of minivans, eurotrash, tuner wankers, and brodozers. All you gotta do is get out your checkbook, bro. You can even pay someone else to turn the wrench…
Why the attitude man? Why do Miata guys get so friggin defensive if someone suggest their favorite car could be improved upon in some way?
You are insufferable, or a mildly clever troll. Enjoy your S2K, bro.
I think it was a pretty reasonable and mature discussion until you went in hysterics, man. Maybe take a little break, the internet is going to be a rough place if you melt down every time someone disagrees with you.
“Why the attitude man? Why do Miata guys get so friggin defensive if someone suggest their favorite car could be improved upon in some way?”
They’re hypersensitive because of the chick car thing
…(puts on flame suit)
Reg; “Maybe someone can explain to me why it’s such an unreasonable request to ask for a pretty small amount of additional power.”
Hi! Chris,
A small amount of power would be okay if the demographic that buys the MX5 could safely handle it, but as it is, enough of them find their way to the breakers with 116 or more stock Hp, so the insurance would spike up accordingly with more Hp, resulting in more damaged Miata’s, and the higher rates would mean that less would be sold. The S2K suffered from that situation.
Additionally, the mileage would suffer, and there would probably be some loss of driveability with a less useable torque curve as you find in the S2K. I briefly had an early SK2, and it was a pain in the arse for daily driving, its torque curve being more suitable for the track. No issues with its handling, its limits being quite high, except it wasn’t as forgiving or as fun to drive as the Miata.
I have had three new Miata’s, and still have my first one(93′), and I continue to enjoy its great handling, easy about town torque, and very good MPG. Wouldn’t give up any of that for a lot more Hp, but for me a little bit more Hp then stock 116, maybe, would be welcomed, but then I have many thousands of road and track miles in the type and could utilize the extra power, but I don’t want it bad enough to give up Torque or MPG or higher insurance rates.
As for “improvement”, that depends on your perspective and what you want out of your car. Like many others who understand what the MX5 is all about, a stock one is pretty special and with each “improvement” you lose some of that. Improved suspension equals higher limits, but less forgiveness. Improved net Hp equals lower MPG and usually, less driveability and higher insurance rates due to the tendency for too many to lose control with “a pretty small amount of additional power”.
The joy of driving a stock Miata, especially and early one, is addictive, I didn’t enjoy my 2000 or MS, nearly as well as my 93′ 1.6L, and I still, after 22 years, find its Hp quite adequate even with the pedal on the floor.
Despite what other performance cars you add to your stable, the Mx5 is the one you will turn to most often for driving fun.
First gen BMW Z3 was not that differnent on configuration to Miata. after evolving 2 generation in marketing driven way with more power and space and gizmos, it became a very different car.
I’ve driven many miatas over the years…NA, NB, MSM, NCs…and I think my friend’s manual-rack, early 1.6L NA might actually be the most fun of them all.
I was hoping we’d get the 1.5 liter like Europe.
I’d rather have Ebola than a SLOWER Miata than we have now.
I agree slower is a step down but I don’t think Ebola is something to joke about.
So this is the same 2.0L Skyactiv in the current Mazda3 i?
Similar, but it will surely not be identical. Like the NC got an MZR engine similar but not identical to what was found in that generation Mazda3/Focus.
I can’t believe the number of people who apparently want to see a bigger, heavier engine in the nose of a car whose whole reason for being is balance and light weight.
I’m sure they’ll tweak the engine for more top end and better breathing just like they have every other Miata engine, and I bet it will be rated at 170 hp. For perspective, that’s going to be about the same power-to-weight ratio as a BMW 435i. But a turbo or a bigger lump are just not the right approach for this car. If that’s what you’re after, BMW has a 3250-lb Z4 just for you.
You dont need a bigger or heavier engine for more power. The Miata engines are poor performers for their displacement, and underwhelming to rev, being quite trucky.
100hp per liter is no biggies these days, so the Miata shoudl be a 200hp car easy. Whatever it has, no need to replicate the english tractor mtor effect from healy, it should be a sweet rever.
I would also be intereted in a turbo 1.5 3cyl with 220 hp.
So with this new engine is it going to blow up like all the mazda 3 engines are?
Was looking for a little Mazda3 to boot around town in, started reading about all the engines dying at 50k or 99k- they wont even stock the engines in scrap yards because they are too much hassle to sell. Reading on mazda 3 forums it was like reading about a different car company than who makes the mx-5.
Consumer Reports surveyed reliability for the Mazda 3 has been the top-notch “Excellent” in the Major Engine Problems category (i.e. requiring “Engine rebuild or replacement”) every year since 2006.
There’s no way in hell the US version will be 2200 lb. It may break 2300, but it won’t be by much.
As far as I know, the engine in the Miata has never been identical to the one in the 3, even if they used the same building blocks. The current 2.0L in the 3 puts out 155 hp, and Mazda said the Miata’s will be “tuned,” so of course it will have more power.
The SkyActiv 2.0L got a healthy bump in power & torque over the prior 2.0L. Even without a tune, the new engine has 10 lb-ft more torque. If the Miata sees the same power increase as the 3, that puts it up to 175 hp. Honestly, I think they didn’t announce it because they haven’t finished tuning it yet.
The best weight/power ratio on the current Miata is 2480 lb / 167 hp = 14.85. If the new one weighs 2300 lb & packs 175 hp, that comes out to 13.14, or a better than 10% improvement. If you are the type of person who likes the Miata and would possibly buy one, that’s awesome. If you are the type of person who doesn’t like the Miata and complains that it needs more power, you wouldn’t buy one anyway.
“If you are the type of person who doesn’t like the Miata and complains that it needs more power, you wouldn’t buy one anyway.”
Not sure how you can make that claim given I’m a guy who bought a competitor specifically because it had more power.
Numbers: “S2K Chris, I’d like you to meet Miata Mike.”
S2K Chris: “You like Miatas? Dude, not enough power. I’ve driven them all, but they just don’t have enough power. They are so impotent, power-wise, I bought a very similar car with more power, the S2K. It is more powerful than the Miata, that is why I bought it. Perhaps you noticed my ‘name’, it includes the name of the more-powerful-than-the-Miata car that I purchased instead of the Miata because the Miata isn’t powerful enough for me. If you could see my online avatar at TTAC, there is a picture of my S2K, in case the name wasn’t enough. It’s red!”
Miata Mike: “Nice to meet you. Enjoy your car.”
S2K Chris: “Why won’t you validate my decision to buy the Honda S2K over the Mazda Miata? Why won’t someone explain why Mazda doesn’t make the Miata more powerful? Y’know, like the S2K. It’s just right for me, power-wise. If the Miata were more powerful, like the S2K that I purchased, I might but the Miata. But Mazda just never gave the little car its due, so I spent my money on the more powerful car that suits me to a tee. Guys say that the Miata isn’t for guys like me, y’know, the ones that want more power than the Miata offers. I don’t get it, I mean I bought a similar car with more power specifically because the Miata isn’t powerful enough for me!”
Miata Mike: “Yeah, that’s great. Like I said, enjoy your S2K, they are nice cars.”
S2KChris: “I know, right? They’re more powerful than the Miata. I don’t get why the Miata isn’t as powerful as the S2K. Because I bought the S2K specifically because it’s more powerful than the Miata. Y’know, with my own money even! It’s red!”
If I could favorite/+1/thumbsup or whatever the digital natives are doing today, I would.
I think the Miata/MX5 is cheaper to insure too.
Why all the outrage?
Mazda hasn’t even announced the hp yet, and the typing warriors are already at it. Grand pronouncements based on almost nothing.
The Mazda3 with the 6MT and 2.0 Skyactiv drives very nicely indeed and it’s 2900 lbs with a wide ratio gearbox, whose ratios would no doubt be shorter in the MX5.
It’s our poor gasoline that inhibits the maximum power output to a certain extent. The rest of the world has a 14:1 CR, while ours is 13. Overseas ratings are 162 hp versus the 155 we get.
Anyway, if Mazda wanted to generate buzz by being coy, they’re doing well. Much ado about nothing.
I agree. Wait ’til the specs come out to complain about the car needing more HP, or God forbid, take it for a test drive before passing judgement.
Even if the 2.0 only has the same HP as the Mazda 3 version ( it won’t ), and if it comes in at 100 more lbs than the stated goal of 2200 lbs, it’ll still have a tiny (.02) HP to weight advantage over the current model.
I own a 90 Miata, with all of 116 HP, and I love it. Just enough power to have fun, but not enough to get into any serious trouble. But…… I recently drove my friends ’12 Miata, and damn, it felt like a rocket compared to mine. If the ’15 Miata has just a little more power than the previous generation, it’ll be a blast.
A more comprehensive report on the new MX5> http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/paris-motor-show/new-mazda-mx-5-showcased-paris-motor-show?utm_medium=EMAIL&utm_campaign=&utm_content=link2_2_1&utm_source=20141004