New Miata

[Grendal]

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/08/04/mazda-sets-lightweight-target-of-2-200-pounds-for-next-gen-mx-5/

Why bring up an ICE car on this forum? 2 reasons.

1. It's going to weigh just about the same as the Aptera does now. 2 seater at 2200 lbs. Sounds like the Aptera is a little overweight if a Miata weighs about the same.

2. It's going to get 50 MPG. Not bad for a sporty little fun car.

[JustWilliam]

Nice Grendal! Personally, I LOVE the Miata and see this as great news. I agree with your reasons for sharing the news here, and would like to add one of my own.

3. It's proof that SMART companies recognize when their vehicles have strayed from their original purpose, and return to their roots.

Peace,
William

[SlowSRT4]

Fiat 500 weighs 2000 lbs and is a 4-seater. Also very sporty. :doublethumbs:

[BrianK]

FWIW, the base model Lotus Elise sold in Europe has the Toyota 1.6 liter (as opposed to the 1.8 we get here) & gets 56mpg "extra urban". I'm guessing that's imperial gallons, but even so, that would be 46mpg US.... and that's been available for a couple years at least.

My point is not to say the MX5 is old news, but it is to say that weight is the issue. Bravo, Mazda. Makes me wonder why cars like the new Honda CR-Z exist at all.

[BryanSR]

It WOULD make a NICE electric comversion!!!!! Just like the 1st generation car...

[aptera1213]

wholy crap....not a conversion, but imagine Mazda made an EV miata....

keep the trunk, fill the front with all the bits except the battery...put the battery down low like the LEAF (have the battery basically fill the whole under-compartment from front to back)....it might raise the body a couple of inches to fit the batteries, but dang, talk about a low CG and a car that would just hug the freakin turns...

That would be a fun little runabout EV

Mazda needs to make EV versions of the Mazda 2 and the Miata NOW.

Gavin

[KarenRei]

I haven't heard anything about pure EVs, but I know Mazda has been looking into PHEVs using their wankels. As much as people like to dismiss wankels, when it comes to PHEVs, your main constraint for the genset is power density, and that's where Wankels excel. Efficiency isn't the number one constraint because the generator isn't used most of the time. If you can make a genset small and cheap enough, why not include it in an electric vehicle? But hauling around a traditional automotive ICE is a big penalty, and hence the EV/PHEV schism.

[SlowSRT4]

Mazda needs to make EV versions of the Mazda 2 and the Miata NOW.

The Focus is being electrified. This is on the Ford global C compact car platform, which may be adopted by a new Mazda 3.

The Fiesta will not receive an electric powertrain. It is built on the Ford global B subcompact car platform, same as the Mazda 2. This platform isn't designed to accommodate an electric powertrain like the C platform.

Given Ford's global platform and cost-reduction strategy of part-sharing between the EV/non-EVs, I would guess there is almost no chance of producing and retrofitting an electric powertrain to the Mazda 2.

I haven't heard anything about pure EVs, but I know Mazda has been looking into PHEVs using their wankels. As much as people like to dismiss wankels, when it comes to PHEVs, your main constraint for the genset is power density, and that's where Wankels excel. Efficiency isn't the number one constraint because the generator isn't used most of the time. If you can make a genset small and cheap enough, why not include it in an electric vehicle? But hauling around a traditional automotive ICE is a big penalty, and hence the EV/PHEV schism.
I believe Fiat will be developing a PHEV using their 0.9 liter 2-cylinder TwinAir engine, as opposed to a wankel.