Mazda CTO: Next-Gen Miata Will Weigh Less, Despite Bigger Engine

A Mazda rep’s commitment to keeping the Miata true to what makes it great is music to our ears

We live in a world where even performance icons like BMW M and Audi RS models aren’t immune to ballooning curb weights and missing manual transmissions. And as regulations continue to tighten and automakers start looking for places to cut costs, it’s likely only to get worse. Lucky, then, that we have a pretty committed team over at Mazda to keep the legendary Miata doing what it does best for the foreseeable future: being the ultimate affordable sports car.

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The Miata’s low curb weight “defines” the model, says Umeshita

The Mazda Miata has always excelled in three key areas: balance, price, and weight. But if you ask Mazda Chief Technical Officer (CTO) Ryuichi Umeshita what defines the model, you’ll get an even more condensed version of that answer. “What defines the MX-5…I would say the most important thing is that it is lightweight,” he said in an interview with Road and Track. “That is the key — whatever the future MX-5 is, it must be very light.” He goes on to specify that the upcoming fifth-generation Miata may even weigh less than the current model: “We are considering making it less than one tonne in weight,” he states in the interview.

For reference, the current ND-generation Miata weighs just 2,366 pounds (around 1,073 kg), according to Car and Driver. Cutting 150 pounds or more from the car would be a massive feat, considering the car is already pretty bare bones. Umeshita didn’t give any insight in the interview as to how exactly the Japanese manufacturer would drop the weight. Our guess? Aluminum and carbon fiber where possible.

Umeshita gave other indications that the next Miata will be even better than the current one

Weight is important — critical, even — to the Miata’s mission. That’s partially because the car’s little four-cylinder engine simply doesn’t make that much power. The current generation makes do with 181 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque, hardly a surplus. And Umeshita doesn’t see that changing significantly, despite the introduction of a new 2.5-liter engine that will replace the current 2.0-liter mill. Apparently, the 2.0-liter mill wasn’t going to work for Mazda’s emissions and performance goals; hence, the changeover. There’s another component that some drivers deem completely indispensable to the Miata experience: a manual transmission.

Manual gearshift in an 2024 ND Miata.

Mazda

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“Manual transmission has the direct feeling,” Umeshita starts, claiming it’s part of what gives the Miata the sense of jinba ittai — an expression borrowed from Japanese mounted archery, meaning the “unity of horse and rider” (or in Mazda’s case, driver and machine). While claiming the manual is “key to the package,” Umeshita also said that while engineers are looking to what an EV Miata would mean, he acknowledges that the internal-combustion model is always lighter. We’ll take that as a sign that there’s no electric Miata in sight.

Final thoughts

Good news isn’t always easy to find as an automotive enthusiast, but today is a day for celebration. Mazda’s apparent commitment to keeping the Miata not only engaging but light gives us hope for the sports cars of tomorrow. By the way, in the Road and Track interview, it was revealed that Umeshita daily drives a Miata and regularly drives in endurance races — our kind of company.