http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/08/mazda-targeting-1-760-pound-target-for-next-miata-400-pounds-l/
Berkeley yeah!!
Alright. I'll buy one at that weight.
Holy crap!!!
I want to believe...
hopefully other car makers will follow suit
That is exciting news. Interesting to see how they do it and still get good marks on the insurance industry's crash tests and if the interior noise becomes too loud for actual hairdressers who might buy a miata because it is cute.
This latest development makes me tingly in places I wouldn't tell people at parties about... Good Lord.
Lighter than the aluminum and plastic Elise, for less money? I'll believe it when it rolls across the scales...
In reply to peter:
QFT. I have no doubt Mazda will make the ND Miata lighter, but that light?! I seriously question Inside Line's source.
I'll opt out of a 1.4t and go with the MS3 engine please!...
Yeah, and the next Mustang will weigh under 3,000...call me a skeptic.
The ONLY way to do that is make it WAAAAAY smaller. Even then I am not sure it is possible. Has Mazda ever released a sub 2k car? I think the GLC was over 2k. How about the early early cars?
Light weight airbags.
This will be full of win only if it makes at least 200 whp, weight to power ratio is great, but you still need HP to overcome drag.
I'll be the one to rain on the parade: ain't gonna happen. No way, no how.
And I'll be happy to eat crow on this one.
A lighter miata is a step in the right direction no matter how it comes.
A substantially lighter miata is icing on the cake.
Maybe they'll fill the airbags with helium. Aldo add me to the lost of people who would love to see a miata that weight, bur doesn't think it will happen. That's only a hundred pounds more than my sawzall car.
If that comes true I will stop crying over the fact that I will now never own a Lotus Elise.
The only thing I see wrong with the new Miata is that Mazda has yet to find and kill the person responsible for the hideous front fender "Brows". What the heck is up with that? Guy must have been birthed on and worshiped the Aztec design table!
And yeah... put me down for it aint gonna happen at that weight.
iceracer wrote: Light weight airbags.
well air really doesn't way all that much....
Oh, that would be badass. Even with (especially with?) the 1.4t. You should be able to easily sneak 170 hp out of the little guy, although with Mazda's conservative tunes, I'd look for 150.
Regardless, I applaud it, especially if it will still fit an LS. 
In reply to paul:
MS3 engine won't fit, IIRC. Too tall/wide and no longitudinal transmissions have been fitted to it.
A Sky-G or Sky-D engine would kick some ass, even in the current NC Miata. If they're slated to get 40mpg in the 3000lb-ish Mazda3 and be close to the old 2.3L N/A in performance, then imagine the performance and economy in a 2400lb or lighter car!
I will have to chime in here and say..............as much as I would like this to become a reality (and I really do!!) I have a hard time believing that they can do it. And of course as more exotic weight saving materials are used the price always goes up. Still as a previous poster already stated......any lighter will still be a good thing, a lot lighter will be e great thing. I will keep my fingers crossed.
"The report claims that the engineers at Mazda aren't entirely sure they can hit the weight target, but the vehicle will be much closer to the waif-like 2,178-lb 1989 Miata than the heftier 2011 model."
Everything else in that article was fluff - the last line holds the truth.
Mazda will aim for 1760lbs, end up around 2000. It's good to set the bar high.
1760 won't happen, but man will I be glad to be wrong on this one.
pigeon wrote: "The report claims that the engineers at Mazda aren't entirely sure they can hit the weight target, but the vehicle will be much closer to the waif-like 2,178-lb 1989 Miata than the heftier 2011 model." Everything else in that article was fluff - the last line holds the truth.
Cept there was no 1989 Miata!
Joey
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