50 mpg, around 150 hp rumored, and weighs 2200 lbs? That sounds sweet.

it will will be very slow on takeoff with 50MPG... no fun

I agree with Avatar, 2200 pounds with 150HP will be faster than the original Miatas. It won't be a rocket, but Miatas were never meant to be rockets. Even with a final drive that will lower the revs enough to return 50mpg on the highway, I am sure they will put in a well geared 6 speed tranny that will give it quick performance off the line in the first 4 gears and then have the top gear or two be overdrive gears that drop the revs to return the extraordinary gas mileage while cruising. Kudos to Mazda if they build it as stated in the story. This would be a return to the original sports car roots: Light and Nimble.

Go, Speed Racer... Go, Speed Racer... Go, Speed Racer, Gooo....

That popped into my head as soon as I saw the picture.

I wonder if a paddle shift equipped CVT might be able to achieve a good balance of performance and economy?

Is that a cold air intake I see in the lower grill?

I'd think a CVT setup would be to heavy..., or at least not "fun"...

However I'd LOVE to see a manually adjusted CVT... just have a T type shifter that would slid forward and back. Back brings you into lower gearing and up into higher. Have an auto adjusting stop (that stops at peak hp). Just slam the shifter back and you'd be at peak power, and just it should just hold it there while you accelerate...

That is what I meant by the paddle shift CVT, be able to ramble between "gears" to add a bit of the fun back.

But of course, I would think a properly programmed CVT should keep you in the torque and HP peaks at the proper times as speed varies.

I have never thought about weight savings/penalties with a CVT. Off to Wiki I go to investigate....

Yeah but paddle shifting just makes it "feel" like a manual. The whole point of a CVT is a complete variable range of gearing between low and high. Why not maximize power output and let the transmission just slide up to the ratio as your speed increases...

Perhaps the current CVT designs don't do well at shifting when full power is applied?

I think dual clutch trannys will come to be the future instead of the cvt. Increased efficiency, driver control, computer control, I would not be surprised to see a dual clutch tranny in the new Mazda. The SKY G engine is reported to have increased thermal efficiency. Mazda is very smart to develop that area of engine design. If the power doesn't have to go out the exhaust pipe in the form of heat, you can use it for power.

VinceL, Brian: Doesn't Nissan do the "preset gear" (for lack of a better term) already with the Altima, for example? You can "select a gear" by "shifting" at certain preset ratios. I can understand the fuel economy of the CVT setup combined with the gear-shifting emulation for more spirited driving, assuming the "gears" are set up correctly. BTW - I've never driven a CVT, so I wonder how that feels.

I've always loved the looks of the chopped-glass concepts (there was an NA concept back in the day, if you can recall the magazines of the 90s), but I'd say we'd see this only at the track if we're lucky...

I hope the next generation MX-5 goes back to basics. The car has gradually become larger and bloated with heavy items. I appreciate the effort that went into the retractable hardtop, no argument there, but aside from that, keep it as simple and light as possible.

Kawi: I am not sure about the Altima, but the new Subaru Legacy CVT has a manual mode where you can step up and down through 6 "gears" and also has paddle shifters.

That is what I was talking about originally.

Brian: If I understand you correctly, you weren't talking about a stepped virtual gear setup, but having total control over the CVT's ratios over a non-stepped, smooth, range, almost light a rheostat. Having infinite control over the ratio would be interesting.

I think I might agree with jaydee. After all is said and done, the DCT setup maybe the most likely technology while we wait for the next big thing.

No windshield? Ouch! my eyes!

CVT = Gas mileage/small cars
Dual Clutch = Spirited driving/large cars

Both have advantages and disadvantages. A friend of mine has a Lancer GS with a CVT. The manual mode works either by paddles or gear select. As soon as you hit one of the paddles or the gear select, it sets the trans for 6 fixed speed ratios.

I think DSG will win out, simply because it is cheaper to make and can handle a much broader application base. CVT isn't strong enough to work in large weight, strong torque applications. CVT is also more complicated and causes more drive train loss as well. There are some things out there showing that DSG is actually better for gas mileage then CVT as well. For me, I will stick with manuals, simply for control's sake. I can start in 4th gear from a stop, skip gears, and engine brake. And while it might not be as smooth, efficient, or as fast as DSG or CVT, better control for me equals better driving experience. No lift manuals , like in the Cobalt SS Turbo, would be nice however.

The 'no-lift' shifting transmission sounds very interesting. I have never heard of them. That must be a strange sensation to keep the gas pedal floored during shifts.

I only wonder how reliable that can be? Seems like it would be a pretty violent exercise of the transmission and drive train.

Apparently it works by retarding the spark for something like .3 of a second. It basically helps keep load on the engine, there by keeping it in the boost. It doesn't hurt the trans or engine at all, and can only be done at WOT near the redline. If you don't shift at the redline or hold it there, the engine 'exits' No-Lift-Shift mode.

Basically, it is power shifting without the wear on the clutch and trans. GM apparently patented it, and I hope they start adding it to other models. The added benefit to turbo models is greater then NA or super charged however.