The Mazda MX-5 Thread

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Mazda Miata Documentaries NC | EP4 Forcing Change - savagegeese

In 2020 we have seen reviews and drives of several generations of MX-5, we continue the Miata Documentary Series on the NC, with help from Mazda Designers and Engineers.

We let them explain the story of how it was created and why it is still relevant today.

The NC Miata was a big change compared to the original cars. Sit back and discover the good and bad of the NA, NB, NC and ND cars and what it is like to drive them.

 

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Mazda Adds A High-Tech Alternator To The MX-5 For A 5% Efficiency Gain

Brake regen is typically associated with electrified cars, converting kinetic energy recovered under braking back into juice for the battery pack. Mazda, however, has been using a system it calls i-ELOOP on a few of its gasoline-powered cars like the 6 to recoup that energy to store in a capacitor and serve in place of the engine-powered alternator for an impressive increase in fuel economy and power. A few months ago this system was added to Japanese-market MX-5s, and this week it was added to European-bound exports.

Traditionally, cars have used an alternator to charge a battery, which is in turn used to power your car’s electrical components from headlights and windshield wipers to the HVAC system and infotainment. It’s worked like this more or less since the 1960s.

Because the alternator on the front of your car’s engine takes at least some percentage of your engine’s power to operate at all times, it makes your acceleration times slightly slower and your fuel efficiency slightly worse. Mazda aims to take this out of the equation all together by only running the alternator during times when your foot is off of the accelerator.

Mazda Adds A High-Tech Alternator To The MX-5 For A 5 Percent Efficiency Gain - Jalopnik

Brake regen is typically associated with electrified cars, converting kinetic energy recovered under braking back into juice for the battery pack. Mazda, however, has been using a system it calls i-ELOOP on a few of its gasoline-powered cars like the 6 to recoup that energy to store in a...

jalopnik.com

 

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Mazda Miata Documentaries ND | EP5 Final Chapter? - savagegeese

We conclude the Miata Documentaries with the ND for 2020. After several reviews and drives of multiple generations of MX-5, we discuss the technical side with Mazda Designers and Engineers.

The ND marks one of the few affordable RWD cars on the market that is a dedicated product.

While there are many cars and trucks on we try and explain why the Miata has brought so many car enthusiasts together.

 

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Mazda Miata M Coupe | Only One on The Planet - savagegeese

We review the only M Coupe Miata ever made. This prototype left us wondering what could have been.

This car based on the NA generation was a one-off show car project led by Tom Matano who hoped to convince Mazda to grow the Miata brand to add a fixed roof.

We drive this rare car and talk about what is good and bad.

 

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Mazda Miata M Coupe | Only One on The Planet - savagegeese

We review the only M Coupe Miata ever made. This prototype left us wondering what could have been.

This car based on the NA generation was a one-off show car project led by Tom Matano who hoped to convince Mazda to grow the Miata brand to add a fixed roof.

We drive this rare car and talk about what is good and bad.

Mazda did produce 179 NB coupés though(JDM exclusive).

 

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The Factory-Restored Miata Is a Window Into Mazda's Soul - Road & Track
Piloting a like-new Miata around Hiroshima teaches you a lot about the car. And the place it was born from.

Rain hisses down, pattering off leaves, bouncing off the pavement, drumming on the roof of a little red convertible. The last scraps of typhoon are spiraling off into the Pacific Ocean, and there is sun in the forecast.

Today, though, is wet and ordinary, made special only by a car that is doing its best to disappear.

This is one of two factory restored Eunos Roadsters, better known on this side of the ocean as the Mazda Miata.

This basic car and a better equipped British Racing Green model were the front-runners of Mazda's in-house renovation program, currently only available to Japanese owners.

It is essentially a flawless reproduction of what the original was in 1989.

The Factory-Restored Miata Is a Window Into Mazda's Soul

Piloting a like-new Miata around Hiroshima teaches you a lot about the car. And the place it was born from.

www.roadandtrack.com

 

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BBR GTi Mazda MX-5 Super 220 2020 UK review

Should I buy one?

Take a look at the performance car market today and it’s easy to think that around £50,000 is the entry point for something genuinely well sorted with rear-wheel drive.

To be perfectly clear, the Super 220 demolishes that idea, and to drive it even briefly is to want it in your garage on a more permanent basis.

Admittedly, you need to commit to owning a modified MX-5 to get a truly enlightening experience: the engine kit is good at what it does but the addition of BBR’s anti-roll bars, springs and the lightweight wheels are what makes it difficult to imagine the ND-generation car getting much better than this.

On the right tyres, you’re presented with a Goldilocks blend of grip and power, and enough precision to decide for yourself which of those two phenomenons will be the dominant force. Honestly, this is a car that encapsulates why we love driving – and it's affordable.

BBR GTI MX-5 Super 220 specification

Where Northamptonshire Price £2682 (kit) On sale Now Engine 4 cyls in-line, 1998cc, petrol Power 221bhp at 7800rpm Torque 166lb ft at 4350rpm Gearbox Six-speed manual Kerb weight 1188kg Top speed 155mph (est) 0-62mph 6.0sec (est) Fuel economy circa. 40mpg CO2 n/a Rivals Mazda MX-5 30th Anniversary, Toyota GT86, Toyota Yaris GRMN

Ten years old and finally a five-star car: the Mazda MX-5 is a better sports car than ever | Autocar

Is the affordable sports car icon still at the top of its game in 2026?

www.autocar.co.uk

 

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2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata features Apple CarPlay

There is one new automobile that will feature Apple’s CarPlay right off the factory line.

And this one has the Mazda badge up front. The automobile manufacturer today announced the upcoming launch of the MX-5 Miata, which will feature factory-installed Apple CarPlay and Google’s own Android Auto. The in-car systems will be available through Mazda’s Mazda Connect infotainment system.

As far as hardware goes, the MX-5 Miata features a 7-inch touchscreen that’s raised up from the dashboard. There are a pair of USB ports, which you’ll need to use at least one to connect your iPhone to use CarPlay. It does not support wireless CarPlay.

2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata features Apple CarPlay

Mazda has announced that the brand new 2020 MX-5 Miata will come with Apple CarPlay factory installed.

www.idownloadblog.com

 

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WATCH | Why this reader prefers his old 'happy' Mazda MX-5 over the latest hard-top version

Wheels24 reader Clyde Cyster is a man on a mission whenever he gets behind the wheel of his Mazda MX-5. Not because he’s in a hurry to get somewhere, but because he can’t get enough of driving what is, perhaps, the best driver’s car in the world - the MX-5.

Clyde bought his car almost two years back after his Subaru WRX was involved in a crash. And yes, the MX-5 is the complete opposite of what his 'Scooby' was, but buying something different turned out to be one of the best (automotive) decisions he’s ever made.

WATCH | Why this reader prefers his old 'happy' Mazda MX-5 over the latest hard-top version | Life

Although the new Mazda MX-5 RF is a sporty and fun car to drive, Wheels24 reader Clyde Cyster says he'd still pick his old Miata over it. Any day.

m.wheels24.co.za

 

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Should you buy a Mazda MX-5? (Test drive & review Mk 2) - High Peak Auto

 

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VIDEO GAME vs REAL LIFE: Playing Gran Turismo In The Real World | Carfection

 

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Mazda Is Bringing Back Eunos But Only For A Limited-Edition French Miata

Mazda is taking us right back to the early 1990s with a new special edition of the MX-5. For sale only on the French market, the MX-5 Eunos Edition features a similar black on red combination as the one-year-only Miata Limited Edition way back in 1993.

The name of the special edition of course comes from the Japanese market Eunos sub-brand, which Mazda shuttered in the late ‘90s. The original NA-body Miata was sold as the Eunos Roadster in Japan, and the brand also sold the Eunos Cosmo personal luxury coupe as well as some differently appointed versions of Mazda cars, such as the Presso (based on the MX-3). As a French touch, Eunos also sold Citroën cars in Japan.

Mazda Is Bringing Back Eunos But Only For A Limited-Edition French Miata - Jalopnik

Mazda is taking us right back to the early 1990s with a new special edition of the MX-5. For sale only on the French market, the MX-5 Eunos Edition features a similar black on red combination as the one-year-only Miata Limited Edition way back in 1993.

jalopnik.com

 

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CarGurus UK review of the Mk1 (NA) MX-5

 

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Toyota Supra & Mazda MX-5: Collaboration or compromise? - CarGurus UK

 

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Mazda MX-5 2.0 Sport Tech 2020 UK review

Should I buy one?

As a hugely capable sports car with more than a touch of civility, this latest iteration of Mazda’s sporting flagship is as much of an all-rounder as it always has been. However, the introduction of new equipment levels has also seen the removal of the non-sport suspended 2.0-litre car, potentially taking the edge off for those looking for more relaxed top-down motoring.

And when it comes to fun, it goes without saying that the MX-5 has any hot hatch beat – power deficit notwithstanding. On a warm day, with the roof down and liberal use of one’s right foot, it’s very much still in a class of its own.

Mazda MX-5 2.0 Skyactiv-G Sport Tech

Where Kent Price £29,185 On sale Now Engine 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder Power 181bhp at 7000rpm Torque 151lb ft at 4000rpm Gearbox Six-speed manual Kerb weight 1127kg Top speed 136mph 0-62mph 6.5sec Fuel economy 41mpg CO2 155g/km Rivals Toyota GT86, Audi TT

Ten years old and finally a five-star car: the Mazda MX-5 is a better sports car than ever | Autocar

Is the affordable sports car icon still at the top of its game in 2026?

www.autocar.co.uk

 

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Mazda celebrates centenary with new special editions for 2020

Japanese marque reveals limited-run 100th Anniversary trim option, available on all key models

Mazda is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2020 with a new special-edition version of the key models in its line-up, inspired by the firm’s first production car.

The 100th Anniversary cars are painted in a pearlescent shade of white, which is contrasted by burgundy leather seats and carpets inside. The colour scheme is similar to that used for top-end variants of the R360 microcar, the commercial success of which helped to establish Mazda as a competitive mainstream manufacturer following its launch in 1960.

Additional bespoke touches for the special edition include 100th Anniversary badging on the floor mats, key fob, wheel centres, side skirts and head restaints.

Soft-top versions of the MX-5 swap their standard black fabric roof for a dark red one that matches the interior.

Models that can be specified with the new limited-run trim package include the 2, 3, CX-3, CX-5, CX-8, 6 and both the RF and soft-top versions of the MX-5.

Mazda announces pricing for 100th Anniversary special editions | Autocar

Japanese marque's retro-inspired commemorative trim option is available on all key models

www.autocar.co.uk

 

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I bought my budget dream car* - Engineering Explained

*ND MX-5

 

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Mazda MX-5 R-Sport is £27,700 limited-run roadster

Japanese firm’s iconic two-seater gains a grey exterior and gunmetal wheels for a special edition

Mazda has revealed a new, limited-run special edition of its MX-5 convertible, priced from £27,700.

Just 150 examples of the Mazda MX-5 R-Sport will be made, equipped with the two-seater’s entry-level 1.5-litre powerplant.

It’s distinguished from the standard two-seater by its Polymetal Grey paint (newly optional on the regular MX-5 but standard on the R-Sport), grey fabric roof, 16in gunmetal wheels and contrasting black wing mirrors.

Inside, the new edition has burgundy nappa leather seats with silver stitching to give a “bespoke feel”.

Mazda MX-5 R-Sport is £27,700 limited-run roadster | Autocar

Japanese firm’s iconic two-seater gains a grey exterior and gunmetal wheels for a special edition

www.autocar.co.uk