The Mazda MX-5 Miata offers one of the purest and most enjoyable modern roadster experiences—just look at how much fun these guys are having. Recently, rumors have been popping up that Mazda will add purity by drastically cutting the car’s weight in its next iteration, some suggesting a 2000-pound target, while others claim engineers are aiming for 1760 (that’s 800 kg). We asked Mazda for confirmation and were told “don’t believe everything you read.” We pass the same advice onto you. Except keep reading this, please.
The current Miata weighs around 2550 pounds, so such reductions would be, at best, difficult to achieve. Mazda’s own attempt at a lightened, current-gen Miata came in the form of the Superlight concept, which weighed a claimed 2200 pounds. And that’s without a windshield. Or a top. It also used copious amounts of carbon fiber and would therefore be prohibitively expensive.
As we understand it, the company hasn’t yet decided what form the next Miata will take. That said, Mazda has recently recommitted itself to improving efficiency with its new, lighter Skyactiv engines, and to add further lightness through the use of more high-strength steel. We can expect any MX-5 successor to be more fuel-efficient, and likely lighter, but expect a drop of 50 to 100 pounds rather than 500 to 800. While not quite as exciting, those figures are more realistic, and we wouldn’t mind if the Miata didn’t change much altogether.
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