Mazda MX-5 Miata

MAZDA MIATA HOLDS THE Guinness World Record for the best-selling two-seater sports car in the world. The Japanese manufacturer has given the much loved Miata (known as the MX-5 in some markets) a complete revamp, which is expected to debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show as the fourth-gen Miata.

The 2015 Miata holds on to the basic design pedigree of the original Miata: light weight, simple, balanced, engine in front, rear wheel drive. Mazda’s new design language: ‘KODO Soul of Motion’ seems to have worked out very well for the new Miata.

The Miata Mk4 is underpinned by 'Skyactiv' technology, which is Mazda’s term for a plethora of advanced vehicle components that include a platform, engine, transmission, chassis etc. We get a more rigid and light chassis that meets global crash test standards such as US and EuroNCAP as well as JNCAP. This has resulted in the 2015 model being the most compact Miata to date, and it's
over 100kg lighter than the model it replaces. Expected kerb weight for the soft top is just above one ton.

Mazda hasn’t revealed any engine details for the new car, but we expect petrol-only direct injection engines in 1.5- and 2.0-litre guises, developing 130bhp and 165bhp, respectively. The engines will drive the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission, though an automatic option is expected.

In these days of tiny, big-power turbo petrols, the Miata’s power figures are pedestrian at best. Still, being lighter, smaller and more rigid, the new Miata sounds like it may well be more fun than it’s predecessors.