#mx5

Despite being the kind of brand that always tries to do things a little differently, Mazda is supposed to follow nearly every other manufacturer down the rabbit hole of fleetwide electrification by 2030. While this is supposed to include the MX-5 roadster, the company doesn’t even like to see the model utilize forced induction on the grounds that it would tamper with what management would argue is the perfect recipe for its lightweight and naturally aspirated sports car.

There are a lot of questions about the Mitata’s long-term future as it pertains to electrification. However, Mazda does seem interested in leveraging the possibility of the current ND model being the last of its kind into additional sales.

Mazda’s iconic roadster has undergone some changes in Japan for the 2024 model year that should likewise underpin the variant slated for our market. While some of this pertains to updated safety tech few MX-5 owners are likely to care about, there are also a host of mechanical upgrades that should actually make it a better performance machine.

With reports of Toyota developing a turbocharged version of the GR86, many are wondering when Mazda is going to release a boosted variant of the MX-5. Toyota’s coupe already delivers a smidgen more oomph and so does the Subaru BRZ. So it seems plausible that the Miata might see a bump in power to remain competitive. 

However, Mazda doesn’t seem to think there’s any need and has suggested that chasing power would risk spoiling the model’s sublime balance. 

With the current-generation Mazda MX-5 nearing the end of its lifecycle, there are a lot of questions about what exactly its successor will be like. The ND Miata has effectively built on the foundation of its predecessors without changing the recipe. But increasingly strict regulatory environments and changes in consumer tastes have left questions about whether or not the MX-5 will become electrified. There have also been rumors that Mazda may simply abandon the vehicle, as there don’t appear to be any firm development plans for it just yet.

Mazda’s European CEO, Martijn ten Brink, has attempted to assuage any concerns by stating that the MX-5 will probably be around “forever.” Though he did admit that the manufacturer hadn’t committed itself to the technical makeup of the next-gen Miata.

The Mazda Miata has been with us for well over three decades, becoming the best-selling two-seat sports car in history along the way. Miatas were popular as quasi-sensible commuter cars in North America well into our current century, which means that I should have been seeing at least a couple in every junkyard I’ve visited for at least the last 15 years. In fact, I still see many more discarded MGBs and Fiat 124 Sport Spiders than I do Miatas, so this reasonably intact ’93 in Crystal White paint caught my attention immediately (naturally, there was an ’81 Fiat Spider 2000 a few rows away).

If there is one constant in the automotive world, it is that every redesigned vehicle gets bigger, more powerful, heavier and more complex. Bucking that trend is Mazda’s latest MX-5, one of the smallest and lightest cars sold in the United States.

Since the launch of the Miata in 1989, Mazda’s tiny roadster has been a beacon of light to those who prefer a “pure” driving experience. The MX-5’s core mission of being an affordable, lightweight, two-seat convertible has hardly changed. More impressive: The 2016 MX-5 is about the same size as the original Miata, and the new roadster is only 182 pounds heavier despite producing 50-percent more power and being 30-percent more fuel efficient. The price tag has also been kept in check. The 2016 model still costs about the same as a mid-sized sedan.

Making the MX-5 even more special is that it stands alone in America. Sure, Alfa is now selling their sexy and expensive 4C here, BMW still has a Z4 roadster, and Scion and Subaru are selling their two-door coupé — but none of these are like the MX-5 and that’s a good thing for Mazda.

Mazda will show two different concepts of its lightweight convertible next month at the annual SEMA show in Las Vegas.