Some of the official specifications for the 2016 Mazda Miata slipped and the new car may be as much as four inches shorter than the previous model. I know, I'm glad I was sitting down, too.
Big tease that it is, Mazda is not letting any of the really juicy specs go. We still have no official weight figure, and we still have no official power figure. We do have the "development targets" of the Japanese-market 2016 Miata, and they have some interesting morsels in them.
| Body type: | Roadster |
| Seating Capacity: | 2 persons |
| Length: | 154.1" (3915mm) |
| Width: | 68.1" (1730mm) |
| Height: | 48.62" (1235mm) |
| Wheelbase: | 91.1" (2315mm) |
| Engine: | SKYACTIV-G direct-injection gasoline engine |
| Transmissions: | SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual |
| Front suspension: | Double wishbone |
| Rear suspension: | Multilink |
| Steering: | Electric Power Assisted Rack & Pinion Steering (EPAS) |
| Brakes (front/rear): | Ventilated discs / Solid discs |
| Tires: | 195/50R16 |
Since car safety and emissions regulations are still not standardized around the world, even in 2014, these numbers will not directly translate to the US or Europe. However, we can tentatively compare these numbers to the 2015 Miata in JDM spec.
The last-gen NC was 4020mm long, 1720mm wide, and 1245mm tall. Wheelbase was 2330mm.
This means that the new ND Miata loses a staggering 105mm of overall length while losing just 15mm in its wheelbase.
Translated to English, that means the new car may be just over four inches shorter than the car it replaces, thanks to cut-down front and rear bumpers. Or front and rear 'overhangs' in designer speak. The wheelbase, and this will translate across markets, is only a bit over half an inch shorter.
The 2016 Miata, at least in this JDM spec, is also less than half an inch wider than its predecessor and less than half an inch shorter. Less tall. Lower. However you want to call it.
Also interesting is the Skyactiv-G engine. We in America get a 2.0 liter Skyactiv-G with 155 horsepower and 150 lb-ft of torque. You can find that engine in a CX-5, for instance. It is entirely possible that the ND Miata will have a different spec for its engine, however.
All this and the already confirmed 100+ kilo drop in weight. That puts the 2016 Miata in the neighborhood of 2200 lbs, or right around 1,000 kg. This, as Mazda claims, is not all down to switching out a bunch of steel for aluminum. Presumably many other, smaller reductions combined to drop the total weight.
I mean, they even went to four-lug wheels.
Oh, and 17 inch wheels will be optional.
We'll keep updating as we get more, but all signs point to a lighter, slightly smaller, slightly squatter Miata. Sounds good to me.