The All-New Mazda MX-5 Breaks Cover

After great anticipation and much speculation, Mazda has pulled the wraps off its brand spanking new MX-5/Miata with three simultaneous reveals in Maihama, Japan; Monterey, USA; and Barcelona, Spain. Wider, lower, lighter and more dramatically-styled than its predecessor, things are looking very promising.

2016_MX5_Side

We had hoped the Japanese manufacturer would divulge some hard numbers for its fourth-generation Roadster at launch, but it seems we’ll have to wait a little longer for those. In fact, the only certainties apart from Mazda’s obvious Kodo ’Soul of Motion’ design language is the adoption of Skyactiv technology, and that the production version will weigh around 100kg (220lb) less than the current NC model.

2016_MX5_Rear34

The MX-5/Miata has always been about the driving experience, so the significant weight reduction is a good sign that Mazda is staying true to the Roadster’s original ideals. Whether or not it’ll be packaged with a turbocharged engine – as hinted back in July – still remains to be seen, but chances are high. #GotBoost? We hope so!

2016_MX5_Interior

Inside, the car receives a driver-focused design with a low-slung driving position and quality fit and finishes. And yes, a manual shifter!

2016_MX5_Detail

Between now and its production debut next year, Mazda is bound to show us just how capable of a sportscar its new MX-5/Miata is, but for now we’ll just have to make do with these stills.

So what do you think? Without knowing all the essential details, has Mazda got it right with its new Roadster? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Brad Lord
brad@speedhunters.com

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1

Not sure about the looks

2

I definitely plan on buying one as a daily driver when it comes out.  Just plan on giving it a healthy drop and some nice wheels.  Not gonna track it, I already have a NA Miata dedicated for that.  Things are looking good so far, I hope the engine is as good as the chassis! 

Attached a pic of my track car to show some Miata love!

3

Front looks great. I'm not too fond of the rear lights, though.

4

If I put a finger over the headlights, it looks good then.  I like the weight drop, but would have been more excited to see a lighter Miata like the first gen.

5

aaaand im spent

6

MikeDonnelly Living the MX-5 dream!

7

I like it, can see a lot of F-Type and BRZ in the design, i think it has a lot of potential, and glad they went for lightness over more power. How long before it gets rocket bunnied :P

8

i did a custom widebody kit for it, what you think about it?

9

JavierOquendo love it - do you have an instagram?

10

What would the estimated euro price be on one of these?

11

Slappy Pistons JavierOquendo i do have instagram but i dont use it for my works if you want to see some other works go to my facebook album 

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=706911104&sk=photos&collection_token=706911104%3A2305272732%3A69&set=a.102763221104.93020.706911104&type=3

12

I sort of hope there's a base version that has no more than 115whp, because that's probably the sweet spot for UK B-roads.  It's fun to keep your foot mashed into the floor and hear an N/A engine singing away at full chat without worrying too much about the problem of roads suddenly being a lot shorter than you thought they were.  I'm forever lifting off these days in the deuce because I fell into the habit of chasing more powaaahhh but I feel like I'm probably missing something by not having something you can just drive balls deep to your heart's content.

13

JavierOquendo That's awesome

14

JavierOquendo Slappy Pistons Very nice, especially the "RB" 'vette.  TE37s are RAYS wheels though ;)

15

Taryn Croucher thx :D

16

Slappy Pistons you are absolutely right, i must have been really tired when i did the caption :P

17

this will be the technical base for next Alfa Romeo (spider?) generation as well

18

I like it very much. Love the sharper styling and the fact that it keeps the 'light and small' roadster concept. Hope it comes in N/A flavour tho...

19

What I love about the new generation Mazdas is the unique body style. To see it carry through to the MX-5 is brilliant. Mazda changed, but still kept, the smiling grille that the Miata is famous for :D I can't wait to see this car in action!

20

bananos iirc yes. I think there is some Alfa styling in this already (mostly the rear)

21

Sweet ride. It continues to evolve and be relevant Nice photos too!

22

Acc bananos guess there will be some revised styling elements but the rear looks kind of developed 4C - design.. basically they work together for technical platform, means a rear-wheel drive Alfa Romeo roadster, finally ;-)

23

Looks awesome.

24

wish it came with a hardtop like my na miata

25

You can see the Alfa influence all over this thing. Can't wait to see the Alfa version. It looks fantastic!

26

JavierOquendo nice work!  still followed the car's lines well, making it look stock :)

27

Really love it! kinda reminds me of a Fiat Dino in some way.

28

I really do not like it.  The leter versions of the NC are really the best looking model.  I hate the front of this one.

29

nugundam93 thx yeah that was the main goal to make the lines flow with the rest of the car

30

Front reminds me of the Mazda RX-8 and the rear kind of looks like the Z4.

I wonder if they are going to make a hardtop version

31

The front looks great to me.  The rest looks like a BMW Z3.

32

Slappy Pistons 1.5L makes 130bhp, while the 2.0L makes 165bhp

33

It reminds me a cheap version of F-Type.  Specially in rear view shot. I like it by the way!

34

100kg!! Good job Mazda! This is what we need, not 2ton 600 hp monsters.

35

+1!

36

omg yes!

37

First thing that comes to mind is a skyline r34 rear circle light conversion

38

Just look at the size of the intercooler you could put in that thing! :-D

I like it! Turbo please! If not, Flyin' Miata will have a forced induction kit available in short order :-)

39

Still not giving up my Mazdaspeed Miata though :)

40
Pete the perfect pilot

Not sure on the looks, will wait to seeing it "live". Definitely should have a rotary option though, that's a given, and long overdue. Hope that with mad mike running a mx5 Mazda powered rota, Mazda will see this as an ideal a opportunity!

41

Rear lights look slightly Jag F - type to me

42

Not a fan. To describe it, it looks like E92 BMW and F-Type Jag had a Down's baby... Pardon me.

43

muhammadilham Slappy Pistons nice.

44

I actually quite like this. Still looks small and fun, interior is reasonably neat with the essential large tacho, proper gearbox and nice hugging seats. I'd be more than happy to snap one up if the engine specs are right.

45

KKL  I thought the front had a tesla kind of vibe.

46

My hope for this care is that it maintains it simplicity in the engine bay, I am a fan of there supper clean engine bay that the 89-99 have.

47

Not a fan of the headlights. They're too small and strange looking. They remind me of the light on the new IS Lexus and they're some of the ugliest headlight I've ever seen. Whatever happened to pop-ups, are they not allowed anymore?

48

Pop ups will not pass health and safety codes

49

They gonna put skyactiv diesel in it.

50

@Achillies you really think that looks great?!

51

I am sure the dynamics of the car will be great, but lets get real here;  cars are have emotional appeal, namely in the "face".  Those headlights need to be about 20% bigger to have that perfect preportion that Cadillac was able to nail with the second gen CTS.

Based on the fact that this looks misshapen, I will pass.

52

JavierOquendo by getting rid of that ugly "open mouth smile" look that all new mazdas have, you sir have made me change my opinion on the looks of the car!

53

StephenD they could easily be engineered to meet safety standards. It's just marketing people who think buyers dont want pop-up headlights anymore, ever.

54

Having driven an NC, then bought and raced NB, and now owning and modifying an NA I can say one thing as I have "devolved" in the generations: these cars get better as you dial back the years and it's hard to explain exactly why. 

Even if you make a car light, there is something about the minimalism you find in an NA that is alluring in a world of GPS equipped this, auto parked that and power adjustable everything. It's hard to explain, but when you get in an NA compared to an NC it just feels more mechanical. The original design of this car sought to embody that and as they have evolved they lost it.

Even the gauges in this car just seem too modern when I think "Miata." Maybe it's just like seeing your kids grow up though. You will never be able to go back in point to a certain time no matter how successful your kids are, how happy they are in their lives or what they have accomplished. There is just an intangible moment in time that gets lost as years progress. 

To me it doesn't seem like a Miata. From the side it looks too much like a BRZ convertible and over all it just looks too big. 

I'll still take an NA with a V8 swap or Renesis engine over this (my planned build in the next 2 years) over this any day. Theres just something about an original you can never replace. We'll see how it drives though...

55

Spaghetti I moved the headlights up a bit and enlarged them:

56
57

Looks great! Until I saw this...

58

Not quite there but OK looks.

59

HolySteel StephenD in order for a car to pass european safety standards the front end must easily deform to aid in pedestrian safety. it is possible yes, but it will be very costly, and i cant see a pop up headlight that will "easily deform" stand up to speeds of newer cars.

60

@Chris H I have a Renesis swapped NA on carbs, it fits the character of the Miata waaaayyy better than a V8. There is just too much fun is screaming past people at 8000rpm :)

61

RacingPast it was the #1 issue I had with my Lancer Sportsback and so glad the EVO X has it on the side... that, or move to a location that doesn't require a front plate.

62

FinianSmall I agree about the headlights. That's my single biggest gripe as well

63

dope

64

I see alot of Alfa 4C in the design for sure.

65

It looks beautiful. I'm so excited! I can't wait to find out the specs!

66

This + RocketBunny kit = Epic

67

The rear looks a lot like the MX-3 Precedia's...

68

EvolveWRC You never know - and if it does happen, you can be sure Speedhunters will be on the scene to feature it!

69

The front ooks like a catfish to me lol. Otherwise i like the ripped off F Type rear lights and the overall proportions look pretty damn sweet from the side. However, i'm still keeping my NA :P

71

RacingPast same as the Mazda3, looks ok without plates, terrible with them on.

72

In an industry where everything puts on weight like a middle aged white guy I am thrilled not by the snappy exterior or the promise of power but plucky Mazda keeping this car a real lightweight. Proper weight reduction is difficult and 100 kilos is really significant. To paraphrase the poet Kelly "My wife's tellin me no, but my body, my body is tellen me yes."

73

why does it look so much like a panoz esperante?

74

I love it!

75

Stunning Car

76

LowNation
quick question, are you retarded?
....

77

LowNation
quick question, are you retarded?
....

78

@EvolutionVII Spaghetti

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