I was able to see this in person at the SEMA show, sorry for the terrible phone pic. [IMG]https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1416337593[/IMG]

:giggle: And Dunning Kruger has started half of them.

Rumors of my power thread posting have been greatly exaggerated. Only like 3 or so.

Also I got banned, so uh, #yoloswag?

Oooohhhh!!! I like that short. Nails it! It made me smile.

I really enjoyed that. Shows mazda really does care about the roadster enthusiasts.

That video is really nice.

That should be edited into a tv commercial length. It would be perfect for drawing people in.

It was good to look at the spec racer at SEMA. Although the Mazda rep knew the size of the SkyActiv engine, he couldn't confirm the horsepower.

All markings were also scrubbed from the tires of the car--no manufacturer name or size indication.

Last, neither Bill Cardell or myself could figure out what the button and switch were for at the base of the windscreen.

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Fire supression? Or NOS :party:

External emergency cutoff switch.

Its the killswitch. If the officials determine you are cheating, it burns the car to the ground.

Yep. Looks like a kill switch and an activation pushbutton for fire suppression. Not sure about putting it near the engine compartment like that though. Likely place to be having the fire.

A bunch of first impressions have been posted online today. All of them are from the Spain event where journalists drove the 1.5L Skyactiv. They're also all reporting 155hp/148ft-lbs as confirmed from Mazda for the 2.0L motor.

I did some sleuthing and found a post from October where someone claimed to have been in a focus group, and he mentioned the 155/148 number. It's not rock solid, but 155/148 is fairly specific, so maybe the focus group trip report isn't 100% BS. I'll find it real quick.

e: 4 whole pages and months ago: https://www.miataturbo.net/general-m...7/#post1173101

I don't understand why the Skyactive 2L is 155 but the previous technology 2L is 167. Doesn't Skyactive have big-time compression, direct injection, etc., etc. Doesn't add up. I'd expect a 12HP gain, not a 12HP loss. ??? A bunch more torque down low maybe?

Definitely a fatter torque curve, but all in all that's super disappointing.

All they'd have to do is increase timing (or up compression) and require premium fuel, or even just increase the rev limit.

My speculation, based on nothing, is that the current 2.0L runs out of breath around 5-6k. It's confirmed that the intake, exhaust, and head are different for the ND; however, no mention of the rev limit being upped, just the final numbers. They're probably more area under the curve just because the curve is going to be expanded out another 1k-1.5k.

That said, it's still m.net rumor mill until Mazda proper lays down the law. It's still somewhat disappointing, but I was looking to get out of my Mazda2 regardless.

It's interesting that the 1.5L motor got a 20hp bump over the existing 1.5L ones (112 to 132), but the 2.0L is getting quoted as being the same as the one in the Mazda3/6/etc.

If the US version comes in at 2300lbs (they say it's expected to be more than the 2200 of the 1.5L version, but don't say by how much) then the power/weight will be worse than the NC.

--Ian

The US one doesn't have the fancy explosive bolts for pedestrian safety and whatnot. I think that it'll be a marginal weight gain (tens of pounds, not a full 100).

Mazda's media site has the 155/148 number in a table now. The mnet tears... they must flow...

Don't care, still buying one. That's 55 more HP than my current daily Miata. Probably much better gas mileage too.

Yup. Me too.

I'd expect mid-30 MPG combined, minimum, with conservative driving. People get that with the current Mazda 3's which are lighter but also have less drivetrain drag because FWD.

And less drag because coupe. They have the 2.slow skyactive already though so its not like comparing an mx5 with a new tech engine vs a 3 with an old tech engine.

Is it sadder than I'm more excited about seeing how the new version of the 2 is wih the skyactiv than I am the mx5?

I've started to compare the 1.5 to the 94 NA.
Not that far apart in power/weight.

Wonder what the dry weight on the Global CUP car will be...

155 gross hp.
The na8 was 133 gross in '96 and made roughly 110whp.

A lot of people (not necessarily on this site) are defending this weak-sauce engine spec with the usual "if you can't go fast with 50 hp, then 500 isn't going to help you" aphorism. I'm sure the ND, whatever the power level, will make a fantastic arrive-and-drive track day car. Undoubtedly, it will likewise acquit itself well on any random back road - until you have the need to pass someone who doesn't particularly feel like being passed.

I swear, my decision to add abnormal aspiration was cemented during an otherwise lovely drive through the Redwood Forest in Northern California. I was driving my brother's '97 (already more powerful than my '93 L.E.) and we were stuck behind some dipshit on a Harley. He had more than enough power to leave us on the abbreviated straight-aways, but would literally idle through any and all corners. Now, with unholy amounts of power on tap, people like that become somewhat amusing moving chicanes and my blood pressure has normalized.

Moral of the story: Well, you all know what the moral of the story is.

Or you could have pulled over. But hey, it's Mazda's fault that you got stuck behind that Harley.

You're right - your solution is far superior to mine. Carry on.

The average Miata buyer isn't looking for a high HP car or else they'd be buying a Mustang.

I think the 2.0 will be a decent engine for the ND.

Moral of the story: Don't by a poop putter Harley.

These numbers are surprising to me. Mazda said the motor would be tuned specifically for the miata but this is showing a direct drop in from the 3 on 87 octane. Wouldn't they at least release it with the 91 octane tune from Europe that puts out a little more power or tune it for 93 octane and breach 170hp? I am confused.

yes, yes, yes.
add to that dipshits on track who don't understand the concept of waving faster people past. nothing like staring at them while passing to see the disbelief on their faces. god bless boost.

I think you're looking at it backwards. I think many more people would consider the Miata if it offered Mustang level if acceleration. Maybe not standard, but they DO have that neat little Mazdaspeed brand....

This is retarded and a complete waste. If that guy who got the HP right those months ago also got the price right then fuuuuuccckk Mazda. I wouldn't pay 30 grand for a base model. Did you guys see the 0-60 for the 1.5 is 8.5 seconds? That barely beats a Prius.

I want to know what is different about the 2.0 in the ND from the 3. I don't know if the 7500 redline mentioned in the reviews is also for the 2.0, but with the power rating not changing, it must be a straight drop-in, with the only changes being to fit it longitudinally.

The torque curve I've seen for the 3's SkyActive tune is falling off a cliff by 6K. I just don't see how that tune is appropriate for a Miata. It also means that a whole bunch of power should be available with some attention paid to high-RPM breathing. The low-end grunt from the SkyActive should be eye-opening compared to previous Miata engines.

BTW, I love how everyone still calls it a Miata almost 10 years after Mazda tried to kill that name. They should embrace it.

The 2.0L in the Miata is confirmed to have a different intake, exhaust, and head.

Which is what makes the hp/torque figures so confusing.

If you live in the US, the 1.5 is irrelevant, it's not coming here.

I suspect the "specially tuned for the Miata" stuff applies to the 1.5, because it's ~ 20 hp up on the 1.5 used in other Mazdas, whereas the 2.0 specs are the same as the one in the Mazda3. Perhaps they spent the currently available budget on the 1.5 and will be cranking out an improved 2.0 in a subsequent year?

As for price, it hasn't really changed. It's called inflation.

--Ian

Road & Track First Drive

From the article, it sounds like the car should be spectacular. I've been reading Jack Baruth for years, and he's normally a no BS kind of writer. As a racing instructor, as well as having raced in the Skip Barber Miata series, I'd like to believe that if he says the car drives well, it does.

More power would be nice, though.

LOL that's exactly my motivation as well, 14 years ago.

Nooooo!! Tuned for 87 is GOOD NEWS because it means it will happily run some boost on 91 !!!!!

Its still going to have stratospherical compression like the rest of the skyativ motors, the difference between an 87 tune and a 93 tune from mazda would almost certainly be in spark timing and fueling, which you'd be changing anyways with the tarbo.

Is the dude at 0:41 in the stripped miata someone we know?

And is that a Fabworx cage?

Yes and yes. Not me, but we'll see if he speaks up.

Also: Jalopnik.com: Of Course Flyin' Miata Will Stick A V8 Into The New Miata

Sounds like Keith knows a little more than he's sharing ;)

2:48

So he wants it to be quicker......shocker!

I truly don't get why people are complaining.

How many have said (maybe not in our group, but in general):

Why are new cars so fat? Wouldn't it be wonderful if they made a new original Miata, but one that meets new safety and fuel economy standards?

Well, they did. The base price for the 1990 Miata was $13,800, or $25k in today's money, and this base car has far, far more equipment than that car could have dreamed of... with nearly the same weight.

It's fantastic, guys.

As for the 2.0.... They significantly tweaked the 1.5 for Miata duty. They're going to do something to the 2.0.

Just watch.

Don't know anything about that, i just saw the flame out the exhaust pipe.

At a minimum, it has to have different manifolds to be mounted longitudinally. And the torque curve needs tweaking to support the 7.5K redline. So . . . .

Mazda's done a great job building up the anticipation for this car.

And +1 on the lightness. Awesome!!

So, Ed, what's the friend discount?

Pretty sure that was just glare off the exhaust tip.

Thread title is horribly inaccurate.

It is a fucking cesspool on m.net. I know that this may come as a shock to some, but people here have been extremely cordial and haven't shit on each other.

Shut your ---- mouth you ------ twat.

I am only complaining about the engine. The ND looks great and is very light. Hats off to Mazda on both fronts. However, I find it insulting that they would swap in a completely unmodified 2.0 from the 3 and call it a day on the engine. It doesn't even appear that they tuned it at all. I have also seen no indication that the 2.0 has a higher redline than the 6.5k redline from the 3.

I hope you are right and that they have/will tweak the 2.0. I wasn't expecting 200hp. I would have been satisfied with rouvhly 170hp. However, if it is only going to have 155hp I hope that they raised the redline to at least 7 grand and dropped the compression so it can accept boost easier.

M.net is full of angry, bitter gays and MT.net has all of the bubbly, flamboyant, show-tunes gays.
It's unfortunate, but some gays just don't love kitties.

This is precisely why the ban-hammer was created.

Haven't they done this in the past?
Maybe they're leaving the "tweaking" up to the individual. Is it an 87 octane motor? Maybe they want to keep it that way as your aunt won't want to put premium in.

They have always tuned the motor specifically for the miata resulting in a slight power bump over the economy car version. Mazda also directly stated that all motor variants would be tuned specifically for the ND. So I thought it was safe to assume a similar approach as in the past. If I were going to buy this car new I wouldn't want to have to tune it for 93 octane myself risking grebading the motor and voiding my warranty just to get the power bump it should have had anyway.

Edit: If Mazda offers a factory tune or supercharger kit through mazdaspeed that doesn't void the warranty at an extra cost I would be fine with that.

I'm still holding out hope that something will change.... or that it just drives so damn well that nobody will care.

It just feels like a missed opportunity though. They totally could have done more and have simply chosen not to.

But again... there's still a sliver of hope...

There is no reason for an RX8 or successor if they power the Miata the way they should.