Quintessential sports car of our time
A 30-mm telescoping steering wheel adjustment is among a few minor tweaks to the interior.
A few years ago, myself and a group of colleagues were sitting around a dinner table in Beijing of all places. As such dinner conversations go, the topic came up about what cars WE own.
Of the 10 people at this table, six of us owned Mazda Miatas.
OK, this wasn’t a randomly-selected focus group. Collectively, car journos tend to love cars that handle and perform, and because there aren’t many rich people in our racket — publishers take the term “freelance journalist” all too literally; the concept of “expensive-lance journalist” just hasn’t caught on the way I had hoped — our cars have to be affordable and reasonably reliable. That’s the Miata to a tee. Officially it’s now the MX-5, although nobody I know who owns one ever calls it that.
By any name, it has been the quintessential sports car of our time, surpassing the one-million sales mark a couple of years ago.
In some circles, it has a reputation as a “girls’ car.” First, there’s nothing wrong with that; second, it is the most-raced production car in the world — by both men and women. It is a serious sports car. It is now into its fourth generation — code-named “ND” amongst Miata-noscenti — and for 2019 receives a mid-cycle refresh. It comes to Mazda stores later this month/early September, starting at $32,900.
There wasn’t — never has been — a whole lot wrong with any of the Miata generations, as we explore in the accompanying sidebar. Hence, improving it takes some doing. Prime among the 2019 upgrades is more power. As the Duchess of Windsor would have said if she had thought of it, you can never be too thin, too rich, or have too much horsepower.
To this end, there has been a major update to the SKYACTIV-G 2.0 litre engine, following similar changes a while back to the 1.5 litre variant available in some markets, but not ours.
The block remains essentially the same; just about every other component has been tweaked. Lighter pistons and con rods, reworked combustion chambers, refined valve gear and a larger-diameter exhaust system for better breathing, which also produces an even more exhilarating exhaust note, are among the more significant changes. And, it revs higher. The numbers tell most of the story. Output is up a substantial 26 horsepower, from 155 at 6,800 r.p.m. to 181 at 7,000 (although it will rev to 7,500).
While the torque peak is only marginally higher (151 versus 148) the urge maxes out lower in the rev band (4,000 r.p.m. versus 4,600) and the torque curve is flatter.
A new dual-mass clutch on manual transmission models promises better take-up and feel, and a shorter (higher numerical) final drive ratio for automatic-equipped cars offers better off-the-line performance.
Despite these improvements, the new car actually records better Transport Canada fuel consumption numbers. More power on less fuel — that’s a tough parlay.
And, contrary to the usual and to the fact that the final drive ratio is shorter, the automatic gets better highway fuel consumption than the manual. The hity numbers are identical.
This all translates not only into better performance by the numbers, but better performance by the seat of your pants. I mean, who drives around with a stop watch?
There are a few minor tweaks in the interior, the most impor- tant surely being a 30-mm telescoping steering wheel adjustment for the first time in a Miata, augmenting the 42-mm tilt function.
The telescoping wheel doesn’t materially address the fact that this is not a car for football linemen. But it can help some drivers, especially smaller ones, find a better driving position.
Revised cup holders and better door hinges are examples of how closely Mazda looks at details.
The car also gets a rear camera in accordance with U.S. regulations.
The model lineup is simplified. The Roadster starts in GS trim at $32,900. Either sixspeed manual or six-speed automatic transmission — your choice; same price.
GS-P ($36,900) is the core grade, expected to be the biggest seller, with GT ($39,900) at the top of the line.
The RF (Retractable Fastback) model is available only in GS-P and GT grades, and is a four-grand hit in either case.
Various interior options including Recaro seats and Nappa leather are available, as are Brembo front brakes for those who tend to push their Miatas a bit harder than most.
The Roadster also offers a couple of new roof colours.
It’s hard for me to imagine a Miata without a fully convertible top. But apparently some people have security concerns with any soft-topped car, and I guess some people want the fun of driving a Miata without getting their hair all mussed up. It is one of the easiest convertible top-drop processes in the business.
Whatever, the RF actually outsells the Roadster about 60/ 40.
The really interesting thing is that the manual transmission, which you would think would be the purists’ choice, is running a higher percentage take rate in the RF than in the Roadster.
Who ever said car marketing was a science?
Our ride-and-drive route for the refreshed Miata took us from Markham, northeast of Toronto, along some lovely winding roads toward and around Rice Lake. The car proved to be what Miata has always been — huge fun to drive, with impeccable handling. Just a bit more so. I mentioned earlier that the power/torque numbers tell most of the story. What they don’t really communicate is the new car’s brisker feel.
The extra power was most noticeable when merging onto freeways (of which we did as little as possible) or climbing hills. The car required less massaging of the gear shift lever to get on down the road, not that shifting the lovely Miata gearbox has ever been a problem.
Just that now you have more flexibility under your right foot.
Mazda doesn’t publish zero to 100 km/h numbers, and our route didn’t provide an opportunity to do a timed sprint ourselves. But various sources suggest the former ND does this in around seven seconds; the new one should be a couple tenths quicker.
The key to the car’s appeal and its success has always been that you can take a racing line through a corner and nobody around you, notably Mr. or Ms. Police Officer, would even notice. The Miata (OK, OK, MX-5) has never been a huge seller for Mazda. Nonetheless, it remains the company’s totemic car.
It has never been about blinding acceleration. It’s all about the feel, how you really connect with the car and the road, and how it responds to your every whim.
Mazda calls it jinba ittai, a Japanese phrase meaning “oneness between horse and rider.” Unlike most marketing bushwah, this isn’t just a slogan. The car’s spirit infuses the rest of the lineup.
Whether you use the MX-5 as a “gateway” car into the rest of Mazda’s lineup, or even if you never buy one, the automotive world is a better place because of this little car.