The future is looking bright for the next-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata. According to Inside Line, the head honchos at the Japanese automaker have instructed the company's engineers to strip a whopping 720 pounds from the vehicles already comparably light 2,480-pound curb weight. If successful, that would put the new comer into the feathery 1,760-pound range, which is 400 pounds less than the first-generation roadster. How do they plan to do it? Engineers are turning to high-strength steel for the vehicle's chassis and contemplating a smaller-displacement engine.

A turbocharged, direct-injection 1.4-liter four pot could work its way under the hood, though IL reports that the vehicle may also be considerably narrower than the current car. Other clever weight-saving moves include the deletion of the dashboard glove box and the replacement of the traditional paper owner's manual with an electronic copy on a USB stick.

Here's hoping you've got your laptop on you the next time you need to check your service intervals.

The report claims that the engineers at Mazda aren't entirely sure they can hit the weight target, but the vehicle will be much closer to the waif-like 2,178-lb 1989 Miata than the heftier 2011 model.

Other clever weight-saving moves include the deletion of the dashboard glove box and the replacement of the traditional paper owner's manual with an electronic copy on a USB stick.

Here's hoping you've got your laptop on you the next time you need to check your service intervals

Mazda and Alfa Romeo parent company Fiat have announced the signing of a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development and manufacturing of a new convertible sports car for the Alfa Romeo brand based on Mazda’s next-gen MX-5.

Not to be mistaken with the smaller and more exotic Alfa Romeo 4C, which will be built by fellow Fiat subsidiary Maserati in Modena, Italy, the new convertible sports car for Alfa will be built by Mazda alongside the MX-5 at the Japanese automaker’s plant in Hiroshima, Japan.

Production of the new Alfa Romeo is scheduled to start in 2015.

Under the plan, the Mazda and Alfa Romeo models will share a basic rear-wheel drive platform being developed for the next-gen MX-5, which is due out next year as a 2014 model. The two cars will be differentiated by their styling and engines, which will be unique to each model.

The details of the partnership are still being worked on, though a final and binding agreement is expected to be signed in the second half of this year. Importantly, both automakers are open to further opportunities for co-operation.

Speaking at today’s announcement, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said, ““This agreement clearly demonstrates our commitment to Alfa Romeo and the determination to grow it into a truly global brand. By partnering with Mazda, we will be co-operating with the recognized leader in compact rear-drive vehicle architectures in order to deliver an exciting and stylish roadster in the Alfa Romeo tradition.”

Mazda boss Takashi Yamanouchi added, “Establishing technology and product development alliances is one of Mazda’s corporate objectives and this announcement with Fiat is an important first step in that direction.”

It looks as if the current generation Mazda MX-5 Miata will stay on for a while longer. (Note: We are not complaining.) Images clipped from a Japanese brochure show a newly facelifted version of the NC platform, designated the NC3.

The roadster wears an all-new front fascia, complete with a five-point grille opening and a pair of redesigned fog lamp housings to to either side. The fascia looks more than a bit like the one found on the Mazda Spyder Concept we all know and love, and softens the current car's always-happy-to-see-you grin.

Word has it the 2013 MX-5 Miata will come with a new pedestrian-safe hood designed to pop up in the event of a collision. Step indoors, and the interior boasts new blacked-out gauges, as well as a new dash cover. It's unclear whether there are any mechanical changes on hand, though we do know the NC3 will bow with a new range of paint color and wheel options.


http://www.autoblog.com/2012/07/02/f...-miata-leaked/

• Two Special Edition Mazda ‘MX-5 Kuro’ models on sale now, from £18,495 (OTR)
• Sports-focused styling with Black roof, Black door mirrors and dark gunmetal wheels
• Heated Stone & Black leather seats with silver deco panel with Red accents
• Soft-top and Roadster Coupe models available in three unique colours
• Representative 0% APR finance available over three years with 50% deposit

Focusing on sports styling and acknowledging Mazda’s growing involvement in motorsport – from its MX-5 GT4 contesting the 2012 British GT Championship, to the recently announced SKYACTIV diesel racing engine programme for Le Mans and the new MX-5 GT Concept road-legal trackday car being revealed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed – a new Special Edition of the MX-5 sportscar, the ‘Kuro’, goes on sale on 1 July.

The name Kuro, meaning Black in Japanese, is echoed in the sporty, dark accents of this latest pair of Special Edition models. A Brilliant Black roof, Brilliant Black door mirrors and dark gunmetal 17-inch alloy wheels, contrast dramatically with the three exterior colours – Velocity Red Mica, Crystal White Pearlescent and Brilliant Black.

Based on the MX-5 SE and Sport Tech models, the Kuro will be available as a 1.8i Soft-top and a 2.0i Roadster Coupe with additional specification highlights over the donor car that also include: a diffuser-style rear sports bumper, larger diameter sports exhaust, unique race car inspired exterior graphics, Black detailing around the front grille and front fog lights, plus unique ‘Kuro Edition’ badging.

Inside, MX-5 Kuro has unique Stone and Black heated leather seats, Stone leather door inserts, with contrasting red stitching, a silver interior deco panel with red accents, alloy pedals, premium floor mats with race inspired logo and climate control air-conditioning.

Available until 31 July with 0% APR finance over 36 months (50% deposit) or 5.9% APR, the MX-5 1.8i Kuro Soft-top is priced at £18,495 and the MX-5 2.0i Kuro Roadster Coupe costs £21,995 (OTR).

A genuine special edition, only 200 examples of the Kuro (Soft-top) and 400 of the Kuro (Roadster Coupe) will be available in the UK.

“Special Edition models of the MX-5 are incredibly popular in the UK and now the ‘Kuro’ offers a unique combination of sports focused exterior styling and sophisticated leather interior fittings – in a sportscar that remains unrivalled as an exhilarating drive that can also be used everyday,” comments Peter Allibon, Sales Director, Mazda UK. “With their low running costs, enviable reliability and our current low-rate finance offers, the MX-5 Kuro duo makes a compelling ownership proposition – a thoroughly modern sportscar that people can buy with their head and their heart.”

The new Kuro models have all the dynamic attributes of the world’s best-selling sportscar. Featuring a front-engined, rear-wheel drive chassis to deliver perfect balance, with razor-sharp handling and pure driving exhilaration, the MX-5 has been voted ‘Best Roadster’ by Auto Express magazine for six years in a row.

Mazda MX-5 Kuro customers have a choice of two powertrains – the 126ps 1.8i with a five-speed gearbox (Soft-top) and the 160ps 2.0i with a smooth-shifting six-speed manual transmission (Roadster Coupe). Like other MX-5 models, the Kuro duo combines beautifully balanced handling with lively performance – sprinting to 60mph in 9.9sec (Soft-top) and 7.9sec (Roadster Coupe), and capable of going on to reach top speeds of 121mph and 136mph respectively.

For optimum handling stability, all MX-5 models feature Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and a Traction Control System (TCS). Two-litre models are also equipped with a Limited Slip Differential (LSD) for enhanced handling precision and side airbags for added protection.

Much is expected of the next-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata, primarily significant weight savings and a bit more power. The new roadster will be co-developed with Alfa Romeo as part of a joint-venture agreed upon last May. A report in What Car? suggests that that Mazda's benefits won't be limited to the hard bits, claiming that personalization possibilities for the new car will be "similar" to those of the Mini Cooper and Fiat 500. The stated aim is for additional customization is "to help a customer's relationship with the car," but on a more basic level, they are popular within the segment. And depending on how Mazda structures pricing, they can fatten up the profit margin significantly.

The date of arrival is predicted to be 2015, and What Car? says the coming roadster should be around 220 pounds lighter than the current model, weighing in at 2,200 pounds. True, that isn't the 700-pound drop engineers were aiming for, but it's not small beer on such a tiny car. Power is said to come from a 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder good for 200 horsepower which would represent a 33-horsepower bump over the 2012 to propel a lighter, stiffer car. Sign us up.

The last manual-transmission diesel convertible we drove was the Volkswagen Beetle. It was a fine little cruiser -- “joyful” is a word we bandied about a lot. But a diesel Miata? Apparently, Mazda's currently weighing the options, according to the U.K.'s Autocar.

Given that Mazda's pushing diesel racecars these days, it makes sense from a zoom-zoom standpoint, yet buyers of nimble roadsters tend to prefer higher-winding engines to the down-low torque of a diesel. We'll most definitely see a gas engine in the next MX-5, most likely a 1.6L SkyActiv unit putting out about 130 hp.

Given that today's Miata makes 167hp, one might consider a step backward -- but Mazda's looking at a return to the original NA-series MX5's weight. The target? 800 kg. That's 1,764 pounds for our non-Canadian readers.

Alfa Romeo's version of the new car, likely either to be called Spider or Duetto -- “Duetto” is the term our sources in Italy have been using recently -- will probably receive Alfa's 120-hp, 1.4-liter turbo engine, though they haven't ruled out possible Quadrifoglio versions with the upcoming 4C's 1750 turbo engine (making 236 hp) or an even wilder 296 hp unit.

Mazda's Super20 concept makes 225 hp at the rear wheels, putting crank horsepower somewhere around 260. The zippy little zonker's an unqualified riot -- "joy on joy" was how we described it. We need to lay off the joy juice. Given Alfa's commitment to lightweight construction with the 4C, we don't imagine the Italian will gain much weight over its Japanese cousin.

The collaboration between Alfa and Mazda could also see both cars getting a dual-clutch automatic; it's practically a given that both will feature a six-speed manual.

After dethroning the Spider in the 1990s and fending off a challenge from GM's Solstice/Sky twins in the Aughts, might Alfa return to knock Mazda off its own pedestal? With a variant of its own car, no less?