The next Miata looks awesome

Mazda knows very well what works about the Miata. The next one will be lighter and have a small turbo engine and come in at an affordable price point. The current NC has roughly the same MSRP in today's dollars as the original did in 1990. Do not expect 300 hp.

Anything other than that? Rampant speculation from people who are making guesses and photoshop mockups in order to sell magazines. I'm still waiting for the 2.3 DISI turbo car that was "a sure thing" back in 2006.

There was some disagreement between Mazda USA and Mazda Japan about the NC suspension. Unfortunately, the wrong guys won for a while, although things got better in 2006. Look at the RX-7 for what we might see - that car changed pretty dramatically from the second generation (which the NC is, really) to the third.

According to a source I trust - which means "not from the internet", we're going to have the NC until the end of the 2014 model year. So there certainly aren't any full bodied NDs running around on the streets, anything you see today is a photoshop job from someone who's heard a rumor and/or is thinking wishfully.

I'm calling that photo, photochopped..... the rear tire looks like it's kinda floating, unless that's teh modern suspension they're talking about. wheels look like dubs...... but his shoulder is right about where mine sits on a NC when compared to the window sil, (one of the reasons I don't like em, my arm is as high if not higher than my shoulder to prop it on the sil) steering wheel is freaking HUGE compared to his head. I can dig the front end, 1300cc's though?

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: http://uk.autoblog.com/2012/03/07/next-mazda-mx-5-may-not-be-rear-wheel-drive/?a_dgi=aolshare_facebook Hahahahah oh... oh no....

A front wheel drive miata is an MX3. Those are not the same car. Why is that even a question

i like how it looks. i like that they're bragging on weight. i like that it comes with a turbo.

Keith wrote: I'm still waiting for the 2.3 DISI turbo car that was "a sure thing" back in 2006.

I would disobey SWMBO and go buy one tomorrow and suffer the consequences.

If it was up to me, I'd have a whole garage full of NAs and NBs in various states of modification and race trim. But the NC is a whole different animal - more expensive, more complex, and less interesting. I'd never pick one over an S2000.

I'd love to be pleasantly surprised, but based on my feelings for the NC, I'm not holding my breath over the next generation car.

mtn wrote: Why are the wheels so big?

It's the style these days. Don't you get out much?

ultraclyde wrote: (Censored: Hideous photograph not at all resembling a beautiful Mazda)

Did you have to do that? I really didn't need to see my lunch again.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: http://uk.autoblog.com/2012/03/07/next-mazda-mx-5-may-not-be-rear-wheel-drive/?a_dgi=aolshare_facebook Hahahahah oh... oh no....

Hmmm . . . yeah, and I'm wondering if the "size" question they are "considering" is whether they will bloat it out and shoehorn a useless back seat in there, trying to have the Miata and RX8 replacement all in one car. This reminds me of the part of a horror movie where the young blonde is about to open the closet door at the end of a long, dark hallway.

singleslammer wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: http://uk.autoblog.com/2012/03/07/next-mazda-mx-5-may-not-be-rear-wheel-drive/?a_dgi=aolshare_facebook Hahahahah oh... oh no....

A front wheel drive miata is an MX3. Those are not the same car. Why is that even a question

It's a question because Mazda lost over a $1Billion last year. It would irresponsible not to question maintaining a unique platform for a low priced car with a worldwide annual sales volume of less than 40K. If the rumoured return of the RX7 does happen and it shares a good part of the platform with the Miata, then it becomes more feasible. If they can switch to FWD, sharing a platform with the 2, and still get 95% of the sales volume of the RWD MX5, they'd be stupid not too. Sure, they'd be alienating a small percentage of their customer base like Lotus did with the Elan, but they'd make a lot more money on it. And IIRC, the FWD Elan handled ridiculously well.

Do I think it will switch to FWD? No, but if your company is losing money hand over fist, you'd be stupid not to examine every product and see if there's a better way to make it.

As for the photoshop, I like it more than the current car. I do see some Z3 in it, too.

Bob

Yea, I see older Z3 M Coupe in that rear fender arch and fat tire sticking out. And in the top of door/waistline, and the accent line at the bottom of the doors.

Still, looks better than the current one, and still sucks next to the NA and NB.

I hope this isn't the final design. Maybe there is still time for them to hire a designer.....Love Mazdas yet I just hate the designes of the past several years.

It's not even close to the final design. The final design won't be final yet Want to quiz one of Mazda's main designers? Come to the Laguna Seca event at the end of the month.

The NC isn't really more expensive than the NA or NB. It's just at a different point in its life cycle. If you looked at the prices of 1990 Miatas in 1996, they'd look a lot like the prices of 2006 Miatas today. Actually, they'd probably be higher in equivalent dollars.

The NC does share a platform with the RX8, by the way. And I expect that would continue if the RX7 comes back.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: No sir i do not like it.

It looks like a "special" Z4

The latest issue of R&T has a small piece about the next Miata (the 2013 model). The article includes a drawing that makes this car look huge in comparison.

There is still no hard and fast answer on engine that will be used, but with Mazda pushing the whole SkyActiv idea across the line, look for a 1.8 variation of the current engine or a 1.6 liter with SkyActiv. Performance will meet or exceed the current model due to weight reductions. Undoubtedly, prices will rise, tho how much is hard to say.

Keith wrote: ...Mazda knows very well what works about the Miata...

If they are even entrertaining rumours of a FWD Miata, then I would have to disagree strongly with this statement.

As hideous as the current Miata styling is, I was entertaining it as a next car because of the rwd design and brillant handling. I can only hope that the new Toyobaru lives up to its hype in this department.

I wonder what the physical size of the 1.3 engine is. If it's as physically small as the new Dodge one then they could scale down the size of the MC Miata significantly.

belteshazzar wrote: i like how it looks. i like that they're bragging on weight. i like that it comes with a turbo.

I'm voting your ticket on this.

NOHOME wrote:

Keith wrote: ...Mazda knows very well what works about the Miata...

If they are even entrertaining rumours of a FWD Miata, then I would have to disagree strongly with this statement. As hideous as the current Miata styling is, I was entertaining it as a next car because of the rwd design and brillant handling. I can only hope that the new Toyobaru lives up to its hype in this department.

I don't think Mazda is "entertaining rumours" of the FWD. That's the enthusiast press with nothing to report, so they report anything they find on the internet. Heck, if we'd had this level of scrutiny about the original one at about this stage in the development process, we'd be hearing about the FWD Miata that Norm "father of the Miata" Garrett drew up.

In case it's not clear, I pay absolutely no attention to rumors and photoshops and "what everybody knows". I do get certain bits of quality information from sources I trust, and that tells me it's going to be a 2015 model with light weight and a small turbo engine. Everything else is fevered imagination until proven otherwise at the product introduction.

The front end is just a bit over-done, but it's MUCH better than the stupid smiley face they put on everything for a little while there.

Keith wrote: According to a source I trust - which means "not from the internet", we're going to have the NC until the end of the 2014

According to my friend and old colleague who works high up @ WPP Group Mazda's marketing agency Your holding your breath a bit longer. Scheduled launch is mid 2015 in North America as a 2016. late 2014 for the JP launch

That sounds like the end of the 2014 model year to me!

I don't know why, but it reminds me of one of these:

People have been guessing what the next Miata will be and look like almost since the NC was introduced. I have seen many versions so far and the bottom line is, it has not been finalized and nobody knows.