MX-5 Miata strong and responsive
Iconic Mazda roadster sheds pounds, greatly ups fun factor
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. —Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman, founder of Lotus Cars, died in 1982, a full seven years before the first Mazda Miata rolled off the assembly line. His design philosophy for both sports cars and race cars focused on light weight and superior handling rather than brute horsepower.
Never a porker to begin with — the Miata was a Japanese reimagining of the classic lightweight 1960s British roadster, only without the oil leaks. The new, fourth-generation MX-5 has, nonetheless, been put on a diet.
Accordingly, more highstrength steel was added to the MX-5’s structure to improve safety while reducing weight. At 1,058 kilograms for the GX and GS models (add 20 kg for the GT and a further 22 kg for the available six-speed automatic transmission), the 2016 MX-5 is some 68 kg lighter than the third-generation MX-5, and only 83 kg heavier than the initial 1990 model — a noteworthy achievement considering the tech and safety features added to the new car.
There are grousers whining that the 2.0-litre Skyactiv-G four cylinder powering North American MX-5s produces only 155 horsepower (at 6,000 rpm) and 148 pound-feet of torque (at 4,600 rpm), which is less than the 167 hp of the third-generation model, and not nearly enough.
Since its debut 26 years ago, more than 950,000 MX-5 Miatas have been sold globally. The fact it is the most popular two-seat sports car in the world is not because of over-sophistication but because it is simple. Forget scrolling through the owner’s manual to figure out the myriad buttons and settings. Just jump in, throw back the soft-top and drive.
And drive we did, in U.S.spec, pre-production models, top down and heading north from Hollywood toward the twisting, undulating rural mountain roads running through the parched Angeles National Forest above L.A. The more the tarmac corkscrewed, the more the MX-5 was in its element. It has absolutely brilliant handling.
The fourth-generation MX5 uses a double-wishbone front suspension and a rear multi-link setup for a firm, but civilized ride. Plus, the engine sits lower and farther back in the engine bay, which lowers the centre of gravity and thus improves transitional response.
Mazda North America vehicle development engineer Dave Coleman said the goal was to tune the car to be fun when driving on real roads, not the track.
Matching tire grip and suspension compliance in superlatives is the new doublepinion electronic powerassist steering rack, with a smaller steering gear ratio designed to instil a sense of road feel, says Mazda, and reduce steering kickback. Tuned to clearly communicate the car’s cornering loads, it inspires a confidence.
The engine is flat-out strong and responsive, with horsepower and torque maxing at lower rpm than in the last MX-5. Keep in mind that the car’s power-to-weight ratio is just 6.825 kg/hp (it was 8.6 in the original Miata).
Fuel economy is rated at 8.8 litres per 100 km in the city and 6.9 L/100 km for the highway for the sixspeed manual, a 20 per cent improvement.
The new manual transmission comes with the same tight shift throw but with lighter effort and a big, fat shift knob to hold on to. Sixth gear is 1:1, not an overdrive as before. (Yes, there is an automatic transmission available — with Mazda saying it expects about 40 per cent of the cars sold to be so equipped. Heresy in my book.)
Mazda has been refining what it calls its Kodo — Soul of Motion — design language for the past five years, defined on the MX-5 by a long and lowered hood, short overhangs, a cosy cabin pushed far back on the body and large wheels hung as close to all four corners as possible. The A-pillars are more upright for better visibility.
The MX-5 was designed around the driver. Pedals fall in line with the natural movement of the feet for greater comfort. And small tweaks in the seating position make a significant difference for taller drivers — more recline, more leg clearance between seat and steering wheel, etc. And while the soft-top has been made even easier to open and close — it can be done one-handed — headroom clearance is still tight for taller folks. There is no power hard-top option available for the new model — for now.
Judging by the ear-to-ear grins of all assembled, I’d say driving the new roadster makes one feel as though there’s not a care in the world. That is the pure and simple genius of the 2016 MX-5. And with prices ranging from $31,900 for the base GX to $39,200 for the topline GT, it’s cheap therapy.
Cars are expected to be in dealerships by early summer. Standard items on all models include air conditioning, push-button start, cruise control, USB input, Bluetooth wireless phone pairing and audio streaming and a CD player.
There is no additional cost for the optional six-speed automatic.