First revealed back in 1989, the Mazda Miata MX-5 has gone on to become the most popular sports car ever built with over 850,000 units sold since its inception. The open top rear wheel drive roadster is currently in its third design phase and for 2010 is being offered in two different variations with the MX-5 starting at $22,810 and the MX-5 Power Retractable Hard Top available as a either a Touring or Grand Touring model with sales starting at $26,850.
The MX-5 Miata is powered by an all new 2.0 Liter four cylinder that puts out 167 HP when shifted manually or 158 HP in the automatic version and 150 ft-lb of torque. While that may not sound like very much grunt, the 2,593 pound Miata is able to play on the track all day long and even though it may take 7.4 seconds to get from 0 to 60 MPH, the thought won’t cross your mind as you are passing more powerful cars in a turn.
For the 2010 model year, the MX-5 only receives some minor updates including a few new exterior colors and trim packages. The new MX-5 will be offered as a Sport, Touring and Grand Touring model with standard equipment varying per trim level. New car buyers will be able to choose from items like a six speaker AM/FM/CD player with auxiliary jack for MP3 players as well as fun stuff like a limited slip differential, cruise control, fog lamps and high tech stuff like Bluetooth hands free connectivity and SIRIUS satellite radio.
Once a year right around the start of the holiday season, the Southern Automotive Media association puts on an event aimed at lifting the spirits of a select group of patients from Baptist Hospital who have been dealt a raw deal in the game of life by bringing them along for a day at the track where they are all given the opportunity to join Homestead Miami Speedway’s elite 100 MPH club. As much of a charitable function as Rides and Smiles is every year, it is impossible to ignore the fact that as part of our volunteerism we too are fortunate enough to spend a day at the racetrack.
There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to make this even run as smoothly as it does and the manufacturers are certainly a large part of the program’s success by ensuring that there will be products like the supercharged FordShelby GT500, drop top Dodge Viper SRT-10 and a bright yellow Bumblebee Camaro from Chevrolet to help keep the kid’s enthusiasm overflowing as they await their chance to do a smoky burnout and then head south down the pit straight before entering into the twisty 2.3 mile long road course before climbing the banking of Nascar’s turns three and four on the north side of the track which then dropped them onto the front straight where they would reach the magical 100 MPH mark.
There were also a few benevolent individuals who donated both their time and their rides to bring smiles to all of the kid’s faces; like a race ready Ferrari 360, one flame spitting Ford GT, a bright yellow Corvette ZR-1 as well as one very special bright orange Porsche 911 GT3 RS; however we were selected to drive the brand new and equally as orange, Mazda Miata. To be perfectly honest, after receiving the news we were a bit bummed; but hey, it’s for the kids!
Mazda will unveil at the Frankfurt Motor Show the MX-5 Superlight concept, a model created to celebrate MX-5’s 20th anniversary. The Superlight concept is based on the facelifted roadster and comes with no windshield, retractable roof and frame.
The MX-5 Superlight was built in an attempt to improve driving performance, handling, fuel economy and CO2 emissions. This is combined with a radical exterior design requiring no windshield, and sporty chassis settings for pure roadster driving fun.
The MX-5 Superlight is powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder that delivers 126 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque and is equipped with a Mazdaspeed cold-air intake and exhaust. Thanks to its low weight: 2,194 lbs, the car sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds.
For close to two decades, Mazda has relied on the MX-5’s bankability to become one of the top-selling convertibles in history. The secret behind the MX-5’s success was largely due to it keeping a tried-and-tested formula: light weight and awesome dynamics.
And now that the MX-5 - the Miata in the US - is celebrating its 20th birthday, Mazda is releasing a special edition MX-5 that takes all the elements of past MX-5’s and tinkering with it to make it lighter and faster. The concept car, which is being called the MX-5 Superlight, is set to be introduced to the world at the Frankfurt Motor Show, where Mazda fans are already buzzing in anticipation for the car’s unveiling.
While details behind the MX-5 Superlight remains sketchy, the name ‘Superlight’ does give off the idea that the car would be stripped lighter to make it faster than it already is. Renderings of the concept car have also surfaced and judging from the sketches, the car underwent a number of structural changes, which includes the absence of A-pillars and the inclusion of front and rear decks that would help control the airflow surrounding the vehicle.
Mazda of Japan has just revealed a special edition MX-5 in celebration of the lightweight roadster’s 20th Anniversary as a member of the automaker’s lineup. Since its inception, the Mazda Miata has been awarded the title of world’s highest production two seater roadster by the Guiness Book of World Records. All of the double decade Miatas will be covered in Crystal White Pearl Mica, a color that is being used for the first time on the fun to drive roadster that will be sold for around $30,000.
The new special edition MX-5 is is offered in two flavors, the first example is based on the Roadster RS version featuring a rag top and six speed manual transmission, while the other will be built upon the VS platform taking full advantage of the vehicle’s power assisted retractable hard top and six speed automatic gearbox.
Setting the 20th Anniversary Miata apart from the rest of the crowd are a set of functional Recaro racing buckets wrapped in red and black leather, exclusive 20th Anniversary badges, clear fog light covers, a glass window for the soft top model and a set of stylish multi spoke 17 inch aluminum wheels
Touring car driver turned Fifth Gear host, Jason Plato had a chance to compare two lightweight convertibles that you wouldn’t normally put in the same category. He admits to liking the Mini Cooper S Convertible but he says that the Mazda MX-5 is much more fun. So which is quicker around their test circuit the Japanese roadster or the BMW owned Brits?
The 2009 Mazda Miata, or MX-5 as it is known around the world, is a great car if you have one thing in mind, fun. You won’t be able to pick up a friend from the airport after their month long European vacation; there simply isn’t the room. When it comes to bringing someone along for the ride, you will have to choose between your girlfriend (or boyfriend) or your dog. You will have to keep a beanie in the glove box for cold days, because driving with the top up is just unacceptable.
However if you are the type of driver who looks forward to getting behind the wheel, like to compete in autocross events or just want to play Mario Andretti on your commute to work, the Mazda Miata is what you are looking for. Sure there are no big turbos or V8 rumble, instead you will find a reliable four cylinder engine that revs higher than the previous model, and although the 170 HP Miata won’t win any dyno competitions, it is more than enough power to motivate the 2,400 pound open air roadster to do things you would expect from a much more exotic, more expensive vehicle.
The Mazda MX-5 is the Japanese interpretation of the British roadster: small, light, nimble and reliable (Japan added the last one.) Most of these characteristics contribute to decent fuel economy (20 mpg city/27 mpg highway), but the Japanese are overachievers and want more from the little MX-5. So now, the next generation due in 2012 will likely carry a hybrid or diesel version. "I would say the chance of a diesel or hybrid engine [for MX-5] is more than 50 per cent," Mazda MX-5 program manager Takao Kijima.
How can this be? The best part about the MX-5 is that it offers a fun drive with the top down (even if others can see you driving it.) Nothing would kill that more that the substantial extra weight of hybrid system, or the smell of an oil burner.
Kijima knows these concerns too, so he’s already come up with a very Lotus-like answer for the hybrid’s weight: add lightness. He says the new MX-5 will be ten percent lighter than the current generation and will be a similar weight to the first generation. Kijima says that there was a push from markets like the U.S. to make the car bigger and heavier, but he’s resisting (wise choice).
As for the sent of the diesel, just blame it on the dog riding shotgun.
So the 2012 MX-5 now has a real challenge ahead of it. It has to stay small, light and nimble, while seeking fuel economy, sustainability and "more balls".
Mazda unveiled at the Paris Auto Show the freshened Mazda MX-5 and Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe. The MX-5 facelift will be introduced on the European market in early spring 2009.
The powertrain has been enhanced to enable the driver to enjoy the full potential of the engine’s performance (a key “fun to drive” aspect of the MX-5). Specifically, the speed at which the engine delivers maximum power has been raised from 6,700 rpm to 7,000 rpm (2.0-litre M/T version) and the rev limit has been raised from 7,000 rpm to 7,500 rpm (all 2.0-litre versions).
With the six-speed manual transmission, the meshing surfaces of the 1st–4th triple-cone synchronizers are now carbon coated, and the 3rd–4th synchronizer diameter has been increased. These improvements enable smoother shifts up to the engine’s heightened rev limit of 7,500 rpm.
A six-speed Activematic automatic transmission that’s newly available with the MX-5 for Europe incorporates two new control technologies. One is Direct Activematic (DAM), which allows the driver to quickly change gears using paddles on the steering wheel while still driving in the “D” range.
The Paris Auto Show is just a few days away, but this doesn’t mean we can’t get information and images about what we will see there. Although we got to see the first official image earlier this month, here are some new pics of the facelifted 2009 Mazda MX-5.
The facelift features only minor changes: new grille, restyled bumper, new fog light inserts and headlights. Nothing impressive under the hood either: the engine line-up remains unchanged: there will be the 126 hp 1.8-liter (Europe only) or the 160 hp 2.0-liter. The engines will be mated to a six-speed manual transmission.
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