The ND’s cockpit is completely driver-centered. My favourite design aspects are the fender peaks that are part of the MX-5’s front landscape when peaking through the windshield - very Porsche-like. Head- and taillights are LED and are aesthetically functional as they provide visibility and information. The design is clean without any hard lines. The end result is a stunning new roadster that features the shortest and lowest overhangs of any sports car currently available. The design team’s principal parameter was 'heart and mind' and I don’t recall another manufacturer sticking so closely and perfectly to an emotional guideline.

The true beauty behind these car’s aesthetics is that they will age well and be contemporary for a long time. With every new product, Mazda pushes the boundaries of mass-consumption automotive design. KODO - “Soul of Motion” design language - has turned into a thing. A great side effect here is that the new ND is 20% more fuel-efficient than the NC. In fact, it tips the scale at 1lb more than a 1.8L NA Miata! Compared to the current NC, the 2016 MX-5 weighs in at roughly 80kgs less (thanks to lots of aluminium). For the ND, Mazda’s taken it back to where it belongs. “Lightweight and compact” was the working mantra behind the Miata project from the onset. The SKYACTIV 2.0L 4-cylinder engine produces 155 horsepower and 148 lb-ft of torque: I know, right? Less power than the NC! What is Mazda doing? Answer: The right thing. Look at a cutaway of the NA and the ND you’ll be hard pressed to notice any considerable differences.Ĭhief among the similarities is the mid-front engine and RWD layout. When the MX-5 was first conceived in the early ‘80s, Mazda engineers created a chassis and drivetrain design that still stands today in the name of driving dynamics and unadulterated fun without punishing the occupants. The ND is exactly as it should be and demonstrates that Mazda put its heart and soul into giving the MX-5 a proper rebirth.Įverything that needed tweaking was tweaked, everything that needed to be left alone was. If some of that purity was slightly diluted in the previous car, the 4th generation MX-5 is a complete and total return to its roots, the closest Miata to the original NA that was launched in 1989. The Mazda MX-5 is driving in its purest form. That love still burns strong today, and will for the rest of my days. I fell deeply in love in early spring of 1999 with a gorgeous NB Miata. It was the first press car in my career to keep me up at night, the one that made me get out of bed in the middle of the night to go for a drive. Hollywood, CA - Mazda’s fantastic MX-5 and I go way back - 16 years to be exact.

Mazda mx5 nc gear ratios