The next-gen MX-5 Miata thread

Toronado
The march of over 20 years of legislated safety and emissions equipment makes me believe that it couldn't be lighter than the NA.
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Though given that the current one, whilst heavier than the original, still isn't a heavy car by modern standards then there's no reason why one with a smaller engine and a brief specifically to be as light as possible couldn't dip back under a metric tonne.

Am I right in thinking that the NC isn't significantly heavier than the NB? And the NB was basically an NA with a few more comfort features.

Again, the last Mazda2 lost what, 100+ kilos? And that's a car with a roof, and two extra doors, and a heck of a lot more interior trim. A two-seat sports car with an equally small engine should manage, even with all the trappings of modernity. It's just that few companies make the effort...
 
Rotary Junkie
So... The current one then.
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:lol:

homeforsummer
Am I right in thinking that the NC isn't significantly heavier than the NB? And the NB was basically an NA with a few more comfort features.

Again, the last Mazda2 lost what, 100+ kilos? And that's a car with a roof, and two extra doors, and a heck of a lot more interior trim. A two-seat sports car with an equally small engine should manage, even with all the trappings of modernity. It's just that few companies make the effort...
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If I recall right, they lightened the engine to keep that weight and dropped the spare tire... and it's still a bit heavier. But that's pretty impressive considering that the NC is a bigger car with a quintrillion times the chassis rigidity of the old car, which shows in lap times.

If they make the footprint of the next MX-5 smaller than the current car... or even the original, the target weight is entirely possible... but one wonders how small you can make a new MX-5 and have it taken seriously...
 
niky
If they make the footprint of the next MX-5 smaller than the current car... or even the original, the target weight is entirely possible... but one wonders how small you can make a new MX-5 and have it taken seriously...[/COLOR][/B]
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The NA was still 10in longer and 9in wider than the original Elan that inspired it. A new one does have scope to go smaller, yet i doubt they will.
 
does anyone remember the Superlight Concept?

995kg (2,193 lbs)
125hp/123tq
8.9sec 0-62mph
45mpg.

Yeah, good luck getting the ND under 1,000kg. This car has no top, no windows, no a/c, no p/s, no radio. And still weighs more than my NA. And has a weaker, but more economical engine.

car_photo_328564_25.jpg
 
fitftw
does anyone remember the Superlight Concept?

995kg (2,193 lbs)
125hp/123tq
8.9sec 0-62mph
45mpg.

Yeah, good luck getting the ND under 1,000kg. This car has no top, no windows, no a/c, no p/s, no radio. And still weighs more than my NA. And has a weaker, but more economical engine.

car_photo_328564_25.jpg
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But that car uses an ancient 1.8 engine with 125bhp, and the car itself is the oversized large version of the MX-5.

The new car will be a lot smaller. And it will actually have a decent engine with far better bhp/cc.
 
Quite.

Not only that, but EPAS weighs next to nothing, nor do modern stereos, and nor really does aircon have to (what's the one in the Toyota iQ weigh, 10kg? If that?).

fitftw - You're thinking of the car as an adaption of the current chassis. It's not. It's a completely new car, a blank sheet design. Stripping weight from the current model is not the same as completely redesigning a new one to specifically weigh less than its predecessors, and giving it a smaller, lightweight engine and presumably, other components too. I think the new Sky gearboxes are supposed to be simpler and lighter than previous designs.

800kg is probably pushing it a little but with modern technology - lightweight steel, variable thickness steel, other lightweight metals such as magnesium, intelligent use of low weight plastics etc - 900kg is certainly within reach. I don't see why that concept is so hard to grasp.
 
The "Virtuous circle" of lightweight has been mentioned by Mazda. By reducing weight they can use smaller brakes, which weigh less, so they use weaker smaller suspension, which weighs less, which means they could use even smaller brakes, which weigh less, and so on with lots of different parts in the car.
 
homeforsummer
Quite.
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The NA Miata had an iron block engine and all the suspension components were steel. Not a lick of aluminum down there. You could probably save a couple hundred pounds simply by replacing with aluminum all the components that use the material in today's car.

Chassis design has moved along quite far since the late 80s. Like you mentioned, we use different types of steel and they've gotten better at putting it where it needs to go. If you chopped off enough material from an NC as to make it the size of the NA, you'd be chopping off a good chunk of weight.

The best thing about the ND is that it will be just as nice and livable on the inside as a modern car should be, which is something that can't be said about the NA's late-80s design and materials. The car was flimsy. The new one will be solid, quality, and still light at the same time.
 
The base model with a manual transmission weights 2480 pounds here in the US. The two uprated models weigh 2511 pounds. With an automatic, all their weights are 2542 pounds. A 2007 PRHT with manual transmission weighed 2573 pounds.
 
Just checked official UK site
Coupe versions are about 85kgs heavier.
2.0 157bhp
base 1080kgs
Sport 1090kgs
Powershift 1100kgs

These are not dry weights. I think American/EU curb weight includes 75kgs driver? which ours does not.
Mazda quotes 1155kgs for the car when 75kgs weight of driver is added. But that is not usual curb weight figure.

That's the problem with comparing cars from different countries and measuring systems. We are "EU" but we have our British way of doing it. Just like America insists on using lbs instead of kgs.
 
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Yeah, but how many base models are out there? Not many.

Point is, the same specs in a smaller car with better suspension than the NC would still be popular.
 
Moot
Just checked official UK site
Coupe versions are about 85kgs heavier.
2.0 157bhp
base 1080kgs
Sport 1090kgs
Powershift 1100kgs

These are not dry weights. I think American curb weight includes 75kgs driver? which ours does not.
Mazda quotes 1155kgs for the car when weight of driver is added. But that is not usual curb weight figure.
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TheCracker is correct. Mazda states the various trims of MX-5 as having curb weights of 1150, 1155, 1165, or 1175 kgs. That means the UK's lightest Miata is 2535 pounds.

A curb weight, by definition, includes...

–noun
the weight of an automotive vehicle including fuel, coolant, and lubricants but excluding occupants and cargo.
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For the record, most Britons I know on this site are just as fluent in pounds (the same ones as the US) as kilograms. You simple misread the chart.
 
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Keef
TheCracker is correct. Mazda states the various trims of MX-5 as having curb weights of 1150, 1155, 1165, or 1175 kgs. That means the UK's lightest Miata is 2535 pounds.

A curb weight, by definition, includes...
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You haven't read Mazda website properly they are not quoting real curb weight.

The definition has been corrupted by regulations, governments, manufacturers etc.

Definitions:
Curb Weight = Weight of Car with standard accessories, full fluids, no driver
Unladen EU Weight = Weight of Car with 90% fuel, 68 kg driver, 7 kg cargo
Unladen DIN Weight = Weight of Car with 90% fuel, no driver, no cargo
Even the official car websites use curb to define EU unladen weight.



So to get things straight the lightest 2.0 UK MX5 is 1080kgs curb weight, officially defined by the dictionary, which is 2380lbs
The UK lightest MX5 is the 1.8 which is 5kgs lighter than the 2.0. Which is 2369lbs


👍
It is you who misread the chart.
Also most Britons do not know pounds in weight, or gallons in volume. There are lots of younger people.
 
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It says, 1155kgs including 75kgs driver, you need to take away 75kgs to get the official curb weight, which is 1080kgs.
As I have been saying all along.
Curb weights do not include a driver, of any weight.
 
Moot
It says, 1155kgs including 75kgs driver, you need to take away 75kgs to get the official curb weight, which is 1080kgs.
As I have been saying all along.
Curb weights do not include a driver, of any weight.
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Ah yes. Despite being wrong, I still contend that the practice of including the driver in a car's weight is dumb, because drivers always weigh something different but the car always weighs the same. They also spelled "curb" wrong.

Can anyone be bothered to explain why the UK's base Miata is a whopping 150 pounds lighter than the US version?
 
using aluminum suspension components wouldn't save as much weight as you think. See FM's tubular control arm set: http://flyinmiata.com/index.php?deptid=5680&parentid=0&stocknumber=13-81100

12lbs total weight saved. Aluminum-bodied coilovers (Stance AL+ are the only ones I know of for Miatas and I'm probably selling my Tein Flex for them at some point http://thmotorsports.com/stance/sta...ST-NA6C-AL-PRO-03&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping) probably save another 10lbs total.

Add in the 17" tires and heavy wheels that the ND will most likely be wearing, and the weight of aluminum suspension is negated. Bet they won't ship on 14's with Enkei RPF-1 8lb rims.

I'm going to shut my trap now until I see some damn evidence of the ND even being in production.
 
fitftw
Add in the 17" tires and heavy wheels that the ND will most likely be wearing, and the weight of aluminum suspension is negated. Bet they won't ship on 14's with Enkei RPF-1 8lb rims.
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You'd still be saving weight though, because with the steel suspension components and the 17" wheels it would still be heavier than with the aluminum components.

The car is definitely under development right now, but obviously Mazda is being tight lipped until they're sure they have something that will work. Might we see something at Tokyo this year?
 
Keef
Ah yes. Despite being wrong, I still contend that the practice of including the driver in a car's weight is dumb, because drivers always weigh something different but the car always weighs the same. They also spelled "curb" wrong.

Can anyone be bothered to explain why the UK's base Miata is a whopping 150 pounds lighter than the US version?
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I'm pretty sure you're kidding about the kerb.
As for the weight difference it has to be safety crap. 5mph bumpers and absorbers is all I can think but that's only 30lbs max.

R1600Turbo
You'd still be saving weight though, because with the steel suspension components and the 17" wheels it would still be heavier than with the aluminum components.

The car is definitely under development right now, but obviously Mazda is being tight lipped until they're sure they have something that will work. Might we see something at Tokyo this year?
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Which magazine ran the recent tests of lightweight and heavy rims and their effect on lap times?
Not too OT, just can't find it.
 
The American MX5 is 2480lbs which is 1125kgs, seems to be a slightly different car.
It has 167hp rather than 160hp of the UK car, both at 7000rpm. Also has more torque 190NM at 5000rpm over 188NM of the UK car.
UK car is an 25mm longer, 4020mm to 3995mm
Same brakes and wheels.
UK car does not have Air Conditioning it's an option, also as are the side impact air bags. That would be some weight difference.
 

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