Mazda's New Lightweight Gas-Powered Miata Could Weigh Less Than The Current One

Speaking to Australian media, Mazda’s General Manager of Global Sales and Marketing, Manabu Osuga, pledged that the new Mazda Miata would be even lighter than the current North American model. Osuga said that the new Miata will stick to sports car's core principles, prioritizing driver engagement and light weight over all else. The new Miata is on its way, though likely still a few years out, while the current Miata has been on sale since 2015. Despite that, the decade-old sports car feels incredibly current and modern, and the reputation it's built leaves the upcoming model with no choice but to outdo what has become an icon.

Osuga toldGoAuto that the new Miata would stick to "under" a ton for the new Miata's curb weight: “I can tell you that we are sticking with (the design for) a car that will be under one ton of weight … employing our ‘gram strategy’ as we did with the current series." Mazda's Gram Strategy is weight-saving in the extreme, with every part engineered to be as light as reasonably possible without high cost. He also acknowledged how tough the goals the company has set will be to hit: "...global environmental regulations are getting tougher, as are safety protocols, which don’t [necessarily correlate] to a car that is designed for pure fun."

Simultaneously, he also ruled out electrification, saying that hybrid technology is "very heavy" and that the implementation of hybrid tech wouldn't "satisfy our fans." It could be possible in the future, said the Mazda GM, but right now, the brand seems to have ruled out that approach. Osuga reiterated what other Mazda personnel have in the past: "While I can’t share with you exactly when the new MX-5 will arrive, I can tell you that we are working on it."

Mazda's new Miata will likely still employ a manual transmission, and its light weight and characteristically stellar fuel economy should mean it survives tightening emissions regulations in most markets. "We really care about the power-to-weight ratio of this car, and about the balance that fundamental concept offers. We will never let go of that," said Osuga.