SOME SAY that in the next 1,000 years homo sapiens will split in two camps: homo pauperis, poor ordinary folk with bad teeth (a little like today’s English); and wealthy homo novus, whose live-in surgeons will preserve a mannequinesque physique. If it sounds like Daily Mail hokum touting bikini-clad examples, the suggestion is that there is hideous diversity among plebs, and beautiful conformity among ‘slebs.
The car world went through something similar in the Eighties. All sports cars looked like Ferraris, and the crappy things your Dad used to drive varied from angular relics to aero-kitsch. Today, the scene is somewhat different. While said father would have a hard time distinguishing in practical terms a Mazda6 from an E-Class parked on his drive-way, replace his Jaguar F-Type with a Toyota FT86 and the chances are he’ll notice. There is fantastic variety in sports cars, not least because the term is so vague. Front, mid, or rear engine, two seats or four, open or closed as long as it has two doors (sorry, CLS). The Merc SL, Audi TT, Porsche 918 all qualify. So do black-and-white Morgans and red, blood red, Ferraris.
The latest red sports car of that famous brand is the new Mazda MX-5 Miata, a car that has the same ‘baby Ferrari’ analogy trotted out whenever there’s a whiff of face-lift or replacement. But hold your clichés: this is one slick machine. Katsushika Hokusai provides the most fitting metaphor for the bodyside, those shoulders a restless sea of crests, spooling over tiny wheels the size of a distant Mount Fuji. It is as though every crucial element for fun has been vacuum-packed, leaving wonderful curves and hollows sucked around the good bits. I love the gaunt channel in the rear of the door, dividing haunch from flowing fender. Those rear lamps are super-elemental, and the front has deft LEDs in the tear-ducts. It promises fun.
Usually the ball is dropped when you open a door, but Mazda keeps running towards the touchline. Simple, low architecture extends the lightweight theme, fashioned so it won’t go out of it. That the design has improved so substantially, despite the substantial loss of 100kg is masterful indeed. Ferrari LaFerrari? Its just like a big Miata.
> The latest red sports car of that famous brand is the new Mazda MX-5 Miata, a car that has the same ‘baby Ferrari’ analogy trotted out whenever there’s a whiff of face-lift or replacement.
In the side profile of this new version, I immediately thought BMW Z3, not Ferrari. Looks much like an M3 from the rear as well, except for the taillights.
While not my kind of car (I don’t even fit in the drivers seat), I’m glad to see that Mazda hasn’t strayed from the formula that made the Miata such an enduring a success.
I thought BMW Z3, too. Maybe more Alfa than Ferrari? More macho than earlier ones. At least its going to be dead reliable, tho-and I’m glad to see the original Miata formula, too. They resisted the all prevalent bloat and back seats, but made her big enough not to feel like you’d get stepped on, and no stupid hyper-horse powered motors and a proper manual. The hardtop probably looks great.
Do you guys mean the BMW Z4? I can definitely see how you’d get E85 Z4 from this — that’s the car that introduced Chris Bangle’s “flame surfacing” thing (although the E85 was actually designed by BMW’s Juliane Blasi) — but I don’t see any resemblance to the old Z3.
Z4 is what I’m seeing. And it looks good.
BTW, I meant to say it looks like a Z3 from the rear as well, not M3.
While I applaud the fact that Mazda has stuck with a winning formula, so far I’m having a hard time warming up to the styling of the new MX-5. The tiny headlamps give it kind of a “squinty” look and, while in keeping with the current Mazda styling idiom, the curves seem almost too voluptuous compared with previous versions. I also see a lot of first-gen BMW Z3/M Roadster influence, which wasn’t a bad-looking car, but was 15 years ago.
Not unattractive, and I’m sure it’s an exhilarating drive, but the styling just hasn’t yet grown on me.
The recent photos I have seen are a huge improvement to the concept photos I was seeing a year or two ago. I was really worried that the Miata was losing its way. The car, as presented now, is definitely closer to the original’s spirit and, yes, also has a definite Z3 flavor to it (which is a very good thing in my opinion). I don’t love every aspect of the 2016’s styling but, overall, it’s easy on my eyes. I think I’ll keep my ’97 Miata for now–still one of my all-time favorite automotive designs–but perhaps someday one of these could be in my garage.
Just looking at it makes me want to drop the top, drop the hammer, and see how the girl can dance.
Looks like Z3 to me, too, sort of a mash-up between the Z3 and Honda S2000.
Frankly, of the four generations of Miatas, I think the second is still the most cohesive and attractive, even if it is too ‘feminine’, which I always thought was an odd slam. One of the best designed cars, ever, was the original E-type, and it had just as many curves as the 2G Miata. I never heard anyone describe the Jaguar as ‘feminine’.
Meh, I still prefer the original. Or maybe one step further back, a Lotus Elan.
However I applaud Mazda for keeping the formula successful, any manufacturer building cars to my taste is in big trouble since I’ve never bought a new car 🙂
I’m waiting for the Mazda/Fiat joint production of the new Fiat 124 Spider. I have a 74 and a 79 Spider now and like the previews of what might come to be. I also have a 2002 Miata SE that is my daily driver delivering over 30 MPG and even more smiles per gallon. And she has over 260k miles! Very dependable.
I had a couple of Fiat 124/2000 convertibles over about 5 year’s time. Wonderful, delightful, fun cars….when the weather co-operated….and the dayum thing would start and stay running.
I also had a lovely, powerful, reliable ’71 Riviera at the same time. My parents asked me several times when I was going to sell the Rivera, as driveway space was tight.
I replied that I would sell the Buick when ONE of the Fiats stayed reliable for 30 days at a time.
The Riv outlasted ALL the Fiats.
Which year Miata has the most interior room/leg room?
I’d like to purchase one; but at 6-1 and 230 pounds I need all the interior space I can get.
They all have about the same amount of interior room, not nearly enough for me. I’m just over 6’1″ tall and I don’t fit. Even if I am able to get behind the wheel there is no way for me to use the clutch without banging my leg into the dashboard. That’s too bad because the Miata would make a great weekend fun car. I used to be able to drive my friend’s MG Midget without any trouble; apparently 40 years ago I was more flexible.
I’m 5’7″, I’d fit in her just fine. Heck, I was comfy in my Subaru XT and my Karmann Ghia.
I’m over 6’2″, 200 lbs. and I fit in my gen-1 Miata (probably the smallest amount of passenger room?) just fine. I do have to look over the windshield at some stoplights, though. It’s not the roomiest car in the world, but I never feel uncomfortable. My personal philosophy is that we can acclimate to (almost) any car once we own it for a few weeks. When I take it out every April, it seems smallish for a few days, but totally normal after that.
I drove a 1st-gen Mini Cooper as my daily driver for over 6 years and never had any issues at all in that car either.
Then again, I’m only 34, so maybe I won’t feel the same way in a few decades!
I (220lbs over 6’4) sat in a NC (current gen) first and abandoned the idea for years, but after a short spin in the NA (first gen) i bought one immediately and use it happily on my daily 30 mile commute for half a year now. I removed the inner door handle (it got in a hassle with my knee) and sun visor though.
Common chat over here is, that the MX5s got more cramped over the generations due to thicker door panels and dashboard pieces.
I think it looks great. Regarding BMWs, I’d say the Z4 wishes its arbitrary gouges and slashes worked as well as the sculpting of this car.
Still holding out for a 2+2 shooting brake version, maybe with a third door. But as with DougD, I’m not actually a new car buyer, so feel free to ignore me. 🙂
I thought the 2nd gen looked better than the 1st gen, but the 3rd gen was homely. pics of the 4th gen look good…but I don’t live in a compact eastern city with a lot of tight streets any more and a Miata in the West feels like taking a rowboat across the Atlantic…: )
I’m 5’10” and Wifey and I fit in our old 2007 MX5 quite nicely, but ours was a sport model and not having a 6th gear killed me on the highway on my long commute. 3500 rpm at 65 mph is not fun over 5 minutes!
Our neighbor across the street who bought it when I bought my 2012 Impala still drives it daily, though he may sell it this year.
If I had to own another MX5, it would be an automatic – that way Wifey would drive it more, and I’m at the age where shifting is fun for a brief time, but not on a daily basis.
Make mine either a Touring or Grand Touring model, thank you. Doesn’t have to be red, either – we both liked the Granite Gray on ours.
I might as well post a photo of it.
Like the Fait 124 Spider version better which should sell better in europe were prevouis grns are rare
ech. another droopy, bull-nosed mess.
Thanks, Europe. Ruining the Mustang wasn’t enough.
“… Ruining the Mustang wasn’t enough….”
Didn’t you lot already do that with the pinto/mustang II
Or who do you blame for that..The Brazilians?????
go look up the new EU pedestrian impact regulations. nearly every global car now has that flat, blunt nose with a hoodline which droops towards the front. Look at a Mazda 6 in profile, and see how similar the shape of the front is to a Ford Fusion, or Mustang, or BMW 3 series, or Maserati Ghibli, or a bunch of others. Now the Miata has it. Styling is ever more driven by legislation and the designers can do little more than try to put a face on it.
“Didn’t you lot already do that with the pinto/mustang II”
I don’t know what year it is in Australia, but the Mustang II disappeared 37 years ago.
“I don’t know what year it is in Australia, but the Mustang II disappeared 37 years ago…2
Point still stands..The Mustang was ruined years ago.
It’s much worse. It’s a well-known fact that Europeans and Asians are to blame for everything that went wrong with the North American auto-industry in the past decades.
Regarding the Euro pedestrian impact regulations and the bull-nosed mess. On behalf of all Europeans I’m very sorry for the fact that your current Broughams must look like this.
Absolutely
we all know why there is no european car design worth a damn…
well… we all know why there is no japanese car design worth a damn…
well… we all know why there is no car in America worth a damn unless it is designed by pasty white WASPs and assembled by pasty white bohunks and sold by suntanned guidos to pasty white bohunks who work for pasty white WASPs.
I like it, I always thought the Miata was a great car ruined by it’s soft fluffy cute body, I actually wouldn’t be embarrassed to drive this one.
I don’t see so much Z3 as many are mentioning, I instantly thought FR-S/BRZ roadster
Personally, I can’t wait!
Would make an ideal daily driver to keep alongside my 1990 MX-5
I would love to have a Miata, 2006-2008 or so. The problem is I don’t fit in them. The seats are so low they are like sitting on the ground, and getting out of them is a real pain (literally) The 2016 looks great, but a little too BMWish for my tastes. One thing about Miatas, you never have to worry about parts or accessory availability, oem or aftermarket. You want it it’s out there. Probably 10 different versions of it. Like I said in another post, I’d rather have a Pontiac Solstice or Saturn Sky, But I don’t know about their long term viability. GM seems to have already abandoned them.
Fiat 124 Spider lives again?
Fiat 124?
I give them credit for keeping the spirit of the original and avoiding over bloat, but I still prefer the NA 1st generation series.
Yep, I see that car with more a BMW emblem, than a Mazda seagull emblem… although, it is still very cool.
Thumbs up, we salute you, Mazda… for keeping the MX-5 alive, and available to the masses, who want an affordable Japanese, fun RWD coupe… even if it is a convertible.
Anyone, notice… how after the 1st two generations of the Miata, that the front vent windows keep getting smaller and smaller?
“poor ordinary folk with bad teeth (a little like today’s English);”
Great way to flame a whole group or demographic of people. Seriously?
How much does it weigh?
Have they started making a fastback GT coupe version yet?
It looks bloated and heavy compared to the original Miata.
I want something comparable to the Lotus Elan +2 or the original Datsun 240Z in looks and with curb weight/size comparable to a 1986 Chevy Sprint.