Offical Pics of the New Miata

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! They "RX-8"ed it, especially the wheel-wells.

Slightly larger car, larger trunk (for what?) and improved interior. However, I must say they did seem to retain enough Miata styling hook, at least to the M2, that it's not totally alien.

I've already decided that my next/additional roadster will likely be a 427 Cobra replica project (with a modern repro aluminum 427 repro), so my M2 needs to last until I can afford that. Of course, this assumes I can figure out how to register such a beast for the street.

;-)

Too bad.

Ya, I'd like to do that too. But a house with a garage is first on the list. Factory Five MkIII roadster some day (maybe it will be MkIV before I can get one)

Hmm been studying the pics, to me it seems a cross between a MKI and a MKII, the original lines are there but, I recon they have really ruined the front with those lights, there is just to much light surface area for my tastes, it looks like they have stuck a valve on the body and over inflated the car!! I think it's a grower, Be nice to see what power plants they use, I heard a whisper from 2.0 to a V6, if they do a V6 ill order one tomorrow I don't care what it looks like.

Cheers Mark.

If you start with a wax model of the RX-8, scrape a few of the dumber excrescences such as that wankel-rotor insignia at the bottom of the rear panel clean off, and then work over the remainder with a heat gun, you might end up with a pretty sightly GT. How the same company that styled the elegant first-generation Miata and the gorgeous third-generation RX-7 could come up with something like the RX-8 is beyond me; it looks like something out of the 1980s Subaru styling department.

Anyway, has anyone got any idea how much this thing is going to weigh?

Yours WDK

................................................................ Posted via TITANnews - Uncensored Newsgroups Access >>>> at

Note that the car is shown with dual-exhaust tips. Don't know if that suggests a V-6 or just dual-tips on an I-4.

I'm not sure a V-6 in a heavier car would have the magic that the I-4 has. Either a Mazdaspeed (now heavily discounted, and a flat-out bargain) or a supercharger-equipped Miata might be better than a V-6 Miata.

Just a thought.

Dana

I don't think I'll be trading in my M2 for one of those, thanks.

From the interior picture it appears that the radio is one of those proprietary "custom fit to our interior" units. Just when the industry finally began to get its act together with standardized DIN units, they start with this nonsense. What can be done to stop this trend?

"Dana H. Myers" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

See:

1860The story is linked from the site w/ the pics. Says "new 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder ... reaching upward of 160 hp. The torque climbs to about 140 lb-ft."

another exerpt: "the Miata has grown in just about every measurable dimension"

I'm afraid it may have declined in the much more important but unmeasurable dimensions.

You know, I'm sure it is a great car, probably the smoothest, most powerful, most comfortable thing Mazda has ever called a "Miata" ... and that's the problem. Are we accustomed to using all those words in the same sentence as a Miata?

;-)

Dana

Suppost to be only 22 lbs. heavier than the current car.

Thanks for the link, Scott.

I don't know about y'all, but I am not impressed at all. Maybe if I was to see one in person I might feel different, but right now, I just don't know. Maybe it'll grow on me? I know I certainly wouldn't trade my NB for that thing based on those pics.

Sadly, I think this may just spell the end of the Miata as we have known it, if that's the best they can do.

Regards, H.

"HardwareLust" wrote in news:zb6Td.10897$EL5.2306@trnddc05:

Well, the good news is, it is very rare that pictures do justice. Not saying that everyone will love it when the see it in person. But more often than not, when I see a car in real life for the first time, I'm usually thinking, "man, that looks way better/worse/different than the pics I saw online or in a magazine."

Right now, there's people who think that both the NA and NB are great looking cars, others who think the NA looks WAY better than the NB and visa-versa. I'm sure it'll be no different when the NC is added to the list. There are definately some significant changes, but I don't see anything that threatens to ruin the Miata line.

-Scott

I don't know. I agree with what you said about seeing it in person, that's true. I'll have to wait and see. But, if it's not any better in person, and the Average Joe can get a Pontiac Solstice for less than $20k, then this one just may be a tough sell, unless Mazda cuts their prices dramatically, and I just don't see that happening.

IMHO, of course. I could be all wrong, and they sell a million of these, which would still make me happy. I certainly wish no ill toward Mazda, and I'm sure we'll welcome new NC owners as eagerly as NA and NB owners have been all along.

H.

I read the same thing ("about 10 kilos"), but it didn't say as compared to which NB, base or Mazdaspeed. Not that there is that much diff between them (say 2440 vs 2530 lbs).

Writing of the Mazdaspeed, it is a little surprising that the new NC will be ~158 hp whereas the MS is 178 hp and can be found for ~$20K new (massive discounts). Still, the NC has some things in its favor: stiffer chassis, upgraded suspension based on the RX8's, and (for better or worse) new looks.

I'm on the fence. It looks like a Miata, I'm sure it drives like one. But I'm not sure if it is much of a step, up or mostly just sideways.

Expect a force induction model in the future.

I can't get the darn link to work, seems maybe their server went down or something. Any one else having trouble?

As far as the looks go, when you love a car, you generally don't respond favorably to changes to that car, at least at first. Patience...... As for the RX8 I've got to say that it will go down in styling history side by side with the 1st and 3rd gen RX7's and the Miata. Might not be for 'everybody' but it is an excellent design by design standards. It's innovative, creative, coherent and bold. IMHO they did go just a bit overboard w/ the not-so-hidden wankel symbols and the extrovertness of the interior but hey, it ain't no boring Pontiac.

Chris

92BB&T

It's still growing on me, and as all cars it looks better from certain angles. It's a relief that Mazda has stuck to its initial goals as much as it can, I even heard a rumour the NC would have a retractable hard top ala SLK!!!! For me the best looking MX-5 is the NA, but then it won't surprise you to know that mine is a NA so I am bound to be slightly biased, and some of the things I like best about the NA are some of the things the Initial designers did not want (pop up headlights anyone?) The thing we all have to come to terms with are when the NA was designed, the designers started out with basically a blank sheet, nowadays what with passenger impact, and crash test laws being so strict the designers hands are pretty much restricted from the start. I am sure that's the major contributing factor to the front end being so bulbous, I like it and its definitely going to look better in the flesh. Will I buy 1? Nope but that's because I can't afford 1, Guess I'll have to wait 10 years till the second hand ones come down in price. I still think that if you have 10k a 5k MX-5 with 5k of after market extras is the best car around.

Btw any of you UK subscribers read Autocar? The MX-5 get the best handling car award.

Cheers Mark.

I would image the built quality in the Miata will be higher. The only think I think they should have done different is the wheel arches. I know they are trying to tie the sports cars together (RX-8) but if those lines where more sutble and blended into the body more it would look much cleaner to me. Also the clear taillights suck too. Hopefully that's just an option (check off "rice-boy" on your build sheet). But like all cars you need to get in and drive them. Plus I'm sure all the rags will be comparing the Miata/Solstice/Sky in many articles.