New Mazda MX5

[Nikked]

The only let down with the interior is that silly Ben 10 spec dash interface thingy.

[Chopped]

I like it. The back kinda reminds me of an F type Jag which is a big plus.

[malazn mafia]

Looks like BMW Z4 mixed with Honda S2000.

[Binny]

I don't mind the look of it and I'm a fan of Mazda's direction as far as reducing weight for performance and economy.
But the 1.5L is a bit of a joke -
"In the MX-5, the 1.5-litre direct injection SkyActiv-G engine generates 96kW of power at 7000rpm and 150Nm of torque at 4800rpm"
Reminds me of the 1990 Corolla SX I had many years ago with the 4AGE 1.6L 100kw twin cam. It was heaps of fun to rev out to 7500rpm but around town it was doughy under 3k and was blunted by the aircon big time.

I'm sure the 1.5 will be nice and rewarding when you are revving its guts out on a windy road but with a torque peak that high it will be a bit ordinary around town.
A small DI turbo with its peak torque at 1500rpm like a golf's 90TSI would feel so much gruntier and meaty to drive even though it has less kW on paper.

You would think most people will go for the 2L version. Depends on the price difference I suppose. I expect Mazda will want at least 6-8k extra as it will likely be a higher spec model with more equipment as well.

[Franco Cozzo]

96KW in this day and age

[Xauterus]

I like the rear end. The whole car looks very similar to the current style in cars around. Nothing too different. Great price.

[Bossxr8]

Let down by too small wheels that don't suit the modern body style. I know they have done it for lower weight and all that but it looks pox. Surely they could at least have some optional lightweight forged 18's to fill out the arches?

[FPV GTHO]

I think the small wheels suit it. If every second person didn't think they were 50 cent, it wouldn't be an issue.

[SumoDog68]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

96KW in this day and age

It only weighs 1000 kg - there will also be 2l engine on offer with 125 kW 200Nm. This will be a great ,fun car to drive . Mazda has a bit of experience with MX5 - it is a car that has sold well since 1989 and is best selling two door convertible in history.

[calais]

Uh. Not for me, not at all.

I don't understand why Mazda are equipping their halo sports car with such limp engines.

The 86 has 147kw and can actually get out of its own way, I can only imagine how weak 96kw and 150nm will feel on a hot day in traffic.

Surely it can't be such a hard task to gain 140 kw out of a state of the art high compression 2 litre?

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by calais

Uh. Not for me, not at all.

I don't understand why Mazda are equipping their halo sports car with such limp engines.

The 86 has 147kw and can actually get out of its own way, I can only imagine how weak 96kw and 150nm will feel on a hot day in traffic.

Surely it can't be such a hard task to gain 140 kw out of a state of the art high compression 2 litre?

Honda was doing 177KW back in 1999 out of 2L with the S2000.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_F20C_engine

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by Chopped

I like it. The back kinda reminds me of an F type Jag which is a big plus.

Almost dead on

[SumoDog68]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Honda was doing 177KW back in 1999 out of 2L with the S2000.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_F20C_engine

That is very one dimensional from someone who works on cars😀
S2000 is a motorcycle with 4 wheels - there is nothing under 3000 , a bit between 3000 and 5000 and it goes nuts over 5000 revs - not the easiest car to drive as you need to keep it in its powerband.
How many S2000 did Honda sell by the way ? Paper specs don't tell the whole story , you need to drive the car.
MX5 with 2l engine will have power to weight of 125kW per tonne with cornering balance unmatched at that price point. FG XR6 has 112 kW per tonne....
96kW MX5 would be very hard to keep up with on something like a great ocean road.

[SumoDog68]

Originally Posted by calais

Uh. Not for me, not at all.

I don't understand why Mazda are equipping their halo sports car with such limp engines.

The 86 has 147kw and can actually get out of its own way, I can only imagine how weak 96kw and 150nm will feel on a hot day in traffic.

Surely it can't be such a hard task to gain 140 kw out of a state of the art high compression 2 litre?

96kW is from a 1.5 litre engine 😀 ,that's 64kW per litre - Falcon 195 kW from 4 litre is 48.75 kW per litre , even 4 l turbo is only 67.5 kW per litre. Yes Falcon does have more displacement which in turn means more weight - MX5 is all about light weight , balanced , two seater sports car driving experience . Something like Lotus for the masses.

[FPV GTHO]

I don't imagine people will be buying these to do piwerskids everywhere like they might with a Toyota 86, although inevitably the used market will, so the modest engines will suit it fine. I drove an NA MX5 which had similar power in its larger engines, and it was incredible fun being so close to the road.

[calais]

Originally Posted by SumoDog68

96kW is from a 1.5 litre engine 😀 ,that's 64kW per litre - Falcon 195 kW from 4 litre is 48.75 kW per litre , even 4 l turbo is only 67.5 kW per litre. Yes Falcon does have more displacement which in turn means more weight - MX5 is all about light weight , balanced , two seater sports car driving experience . Something like Lotus for the masses.

Point taken. However I dont't feel as though it will have that athletic feel which I really do prefer in a sports car. I drove a MX-5 SP a few years ago for a few hours and it's 150kw and turbo torque made it a seriously fun car to drive. Not only did it handle, but it moved. Really moved.

Its been mentioned already in this thread how a low blow turbo would turn this into a really athletic feeling car. And I do agree.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by SumoDog68

That is very one dimensional from someone who works on cars😀
S2000 is a motorcycle with 4 wheels - there is nothing under 3000 , a bit between 3000 and 5000 and it goes nuts over 5000 revs - not the easiest car to drive as you need to keep it in its powerband.
How many S2000 did Honda sell by the way ? Paper specs don't tell the whole story , you need to drive the car.
MX5 with 2l engine will have power to weight of 125kW per tonne with cornering balance unmatched at that price point. FG XR6 has 112 kW per tonne....
96kW MX5 would be very hard to keep up with on something like a great ocean road.

I've driven an S2000 and had the displeasure of working on a few Its got nothing under 6000 RPM but from 6000-9000 RPM she hauls ***. (I started my apprenticeship at a Honda dealership).

Also my cousin owns a modified 1996 MX5, with rebuilt engine, regrind cam, headers/full exhaust, coil overs and aftermarket EMS, so I'm well aware of how they handle, its a pretty quick car.

You know what I mean though on paper 96KW is pretty damn average.

[Whitey-AMG]

Originally Posted by Chopped

I like it. The back kinda reminds me of an F type Jag which is a big plus.

+1

Mazda do a great job with their design cues.
This will be a fun little car. Looks good , well specced and with a good power to weight ratio and better COG balance, will be a decent drive to boot.
Winner.

[Windsor220]

Bring back the SP

[Stefan]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Is this car still relevant in this day and age with all its competitors out there like the 86, 370Z etc?

It hasn't had any sort of power increase in years.

Kind of like asking is the golf gti still relevant..

This car has been the benchmark since 89.

The 86 has been around for five minutes

[danzvtil]

I think what a lot of people are forgetting is whether it has 95kw or 40kw, what is the end result? So long as it puts a smile on the drivers face in the only way a low slung light weight well balanced sports car can.
Whether it has x feature or alloys only 16inches instead of 17 or 18 is irrelevant, this is a concern for the marketing team and not the purist driver.

[1TUFFUTE]

Not my cup of tea... But I can see this car being a total hit. Everything looks sorted. Nothing seems to be missing in they're great mx5 recipe. I hope it does well.

[Sioso]

I like the look of it.
When you're a little short on power you're forced to find other ways of extracting excitement.

I had a brand new 6 speed manual Corolla as a hire car in Cairns, nothing to get excited about but I ended up having a great time wringing every last inch out of it.

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by Windsor220

Bring back the SP

Yeap.

Still dont get how they managed a business case fro Australia yet it wouldnt work anywhere else?

A MPS turbo version would silence any critic. Its still a good car for $40k...most optioned up hatches can get there pretty easy.

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by SumoDog68

MX5 is all about light weight , balanced , two seater sports car driving experience . Something like Lotus for the masses.

Agreed, its a car you can rev out in the gears, listen to the engines power band, put into corners etc. and you get a real sports car feel.

In contrast a powerful heavier 4 door salon will accelerate using half its capability and then you spend the rest on the time on the brakes.

there's only so fast you can go on public roads too

[Wretched]

some performance figures from US.

2300lbs
155hp
0-60 in 5.8-5.9 seconds
0-100 in 16.2 seconds
1/4 mile in 14.5-14.6 seconds @ 95 mph
Lateral acceleration of .90g

http://www.caranddriver.com/mazda/mx-5-miata

Not bad performance considering the power. Shows what a lighter car can do.

[fgpsi]

Better looking than that toyota 86 thing

[Sabantien]

Looks like a fun little car, and looks very nice inside. I have to admit I did look at an mx5 when I was car hunting, sadly the dealer was always closed when I was there.

If it's anything like the 86, it'd probably be too cramped for me anyhow.

[furiousgibbon]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

Agreed, its a car you can rev out in the gears, listen to the engines power band, put into corners etc. and you get a real sports car feel.

In contrast a powerful heavier 4 door salon will accelerate using half its capability and then you spend the rest on the time on the brakes.

there's only so fast you can go on public roads too

exactly what I'm finding when comparing my recently acquired Clio 182 with my F6. The MX5 looks like a good all-round package and the pricing is excellent. I like the sound of the suspension/brake/wheel upgrade in that review, it would make for a very capable car that should be bloody good fun to drive.

[OzJavelin]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

Agreed, its a car you can rev out in the gears, listen to the engines power band, put into corners etc. and you get a real sports car feel.

In contrast a powerful heavier 4 door salon will accelerate using half its capability and then you spend the rest on the time on the brakes.

there's only so fast you can go on public roads too

Exactly. The MX5 is the modern incarnation of the MG .. not necessarily fast but fun (and in the Mazda's case, reliable)

I have the same fun riding my Suzuki GT185 two stroke around town .. far more fun to ride that my significantly faster but lumbering GPz750R1.