Next-Gen Mazda MX-5 To Get Lighter and Possible Hybrid or Diesel Powertrain

will be seeing a lot more of these on the roads soon given the current climate.

could you imagine a volt like system in one of these! would be sweet as hell. with a complete carbon fiber body it would probably get 80 miles without a single drop of gas. almost never need gas again. i'd buy two.

Did you not read the article?

There was almost certainly not be a hybrid due to battery weight and that keeping distribution at 50/50.

Do you not know how much a carbon fiber costs? Think Enzo and Porsche Carrera GT.

I don't see why they don't use a direct injected turbo 4 of 1.4 to 1.6L. Light, powerful, cheap and fuel efficient.

nah, a hybrid won't work here. look at the shape and size of the prius and honda's new insight.
a diesel it is but it will only improve fuel economy and pulling out from corners.

what mazda should do is create a non-convertible type of two-seater sportscar so that they can easily put down the weight, and use the space occupied by the soft roof.
all their cars are heavy in each class except mazda 1.

apparently the idiots didnt read my post, which is usual from the likes of Noya and others around here.

ill say again, not a hybrid, but an all electric system you stupid nitwits. electric motor in front and battery in back would be easy enough to maintain weight distribution. given how small the car is it should push the mpg's up high enough where a lot of people could use it as a daily commuter only and never need the gas generator.

its 1/3 the size of an enzo and the body lines are plain and simple to make which would make a carbon fiber body almost practical. who cares really, use plastic for all i give a damn.

and f*ck that overpriced worthless diesel. it costs 25% more and is way more pollutant than gas. diesel does absolutely nothing to get us away from using petrol which is the whole damn point these days. why the hell would we waste money and time converting infrastructure to go from gas to diesel at a time like this. completely moronic.

its simple to see why they dont think its viable. its because they dont have a volt like system. so ford/mazda will claim its not possible until they catch up and develop one then the clouds will open up, the sun will shine through, and youll get a gospel like aaaaaaah when they release the exact same car they said they couldnt do a year earlier.

You know people throw ideas like rain from the heavens.

Carbon fiber? Really? Buy a clue, or a couple thousand. Most cars that use carbon fiber extensively are hand built as carbon fiber is not cheap and not something that can be done in a high volume application (at least in terms of 10k+ a year). Think fiberglass (the original carbon fiber idea). How many cars use that....okay some in body panels, but little to none in the chassis or body structure.

What about aluminium? It's lighter and can be designed to be just as good as steel? And it's cheap! Oh wait I forgot, it's a pain in the ass to work with and very very hard to repair....

Frankly I'd go with the DI turbo 4 idea. 1.3-1.6L pushing 150+hp...

Replace prefabbed parts with aluminium versions (control arms, suspension, doors, ect..). Body panels, lighter fiberglass or plastic. Hard top would certainly help. Those alone should help push the weight down 200+ lbs.

I would tend to agree with Noya and Brian's post. The Miata has always focused on keeping the next generation's weight is as close to the previous generation. I small engine (i.e. 1.4L) direct injection turbo or similiar twin charger system to VW would seem like an appropriate powerplant. Carbon fiber is still to costly to manufacture for a vehicle of this price point. The Miata's sales volume would negate the idea of a full electric system.

Really I think Mazda should push the Miata and RX8 into more configurable segments.

Offer track type of packages, lighter wheels, better suspension, higher power, different rear end ratios, limited slip, ect..

Or cruising package, different wheels, more comfortable seats, softer suspension.

Things like this could help push the sale of the Mazdaspeed line. Look at the Mini. I see lots of the supercharged version (not that you would want to drive it without it). Which begs why not offer a more tailored car experience for what they car was designed to do?

omg a couple thousand boo hoo. Whats a couple thousand when you arent buying gas every week or going for those constant oil changes. buy a clue...

A couple of thousand would be the difference between this category, and the next?

Why would I want a miata when I could get a turbo flat 4 awd subaru or evolution?

Or depending on how much of a spread you are looking at everything we have said here can be applied directly to a Lotus Elise/Exige. So if you want light, fast, nimble, and price is kept to the more reasonable side then there you go.

But some people have a budget, and that's the point of the Miata.

there are no categories for all electric vehicles. people are more than willing to pay the premium right now just to rid themselves from the abyss.

Why would 50-50 weight distribution be difficult with a hybrid drivetrain? You can put the batteries anywhere you want. If anything it makes it easier.

The best direction for the Miata (IMNSHO) would be a mild hybrid design. A large pancake motor/generator on the flywheel for regenerative braking, allowing the engine to turn off at stops and come back to life when the driver steps on the clutch, and extra power for accelerating and merging so a smaller, lighter, more efficient engine could be used.