Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Next Mazda MX-5 Miata to get Mini-like levels of customization

Much is expected of the next-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata, primarily significant weight savings and a bit more power. The new roadster will be co-developed with Alfa Romeo as part of a joint-venture agreed upon last May. A report in What Car? suggests that that Mazda's benefits won't be limited to the hard bits, claiming that personalization possibilities for the new car will be "similar" to those of the Mini Cooper and Fiat 500. The stated aim is for additional customization is "to help a customer's relationship with the car," but on a more basic level, they are popular within the segment. And depending on how Mazda structures pricing, it can fatten up the profit margin significantly.

The date of arrival is predicted to be 2015, and What Car? says the coming roadster should be around 220 pounds lighter than the current model, weighing in at 2,200 pounds. True, that isn't the 700-pound drop engineers were aiming for, but it's not small beer on such a tiny car. Power is said to come from a 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder good for 200 horsepower which would represent a 33-horsepower bump over the 2012 to propel a lighter, stiffer car. Sign us up.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/28/n...customization/

TwiBlueG35

1.3L turbo engine is probably not torquey enough to offset the weight drop. In the U.S. for a true sports car probably 1.8L turbo would be more suitable. I sure hope the car will not come as late as 2015 or even '14.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Hope to see the Takeri, Shinari and Furai concept design make it to the next Miata like it did on the 14 Mazda6