Latest news with #MX5
Forbes
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Evidence That Mazda's Next MX-5 Miata Will Switch To Electric
This is the ICONIC SP concept on display during the Japan Mobility Show in 2023. It is highly ... More expected that this concept will influence the next MX-5. (Photo by Jun Sato/WireImage) The rumors flying around concerning which way the next-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata's powertrain will go appear to have reached a climax. And according to Britain's Auto Express magazine, the answer seems to be — fully electric, or at least an EV powertrain will be optional as will an all-new ICE unit. The current model 'ND' version of the MX-5 has been on the market for more than ten years now and has practically become the antithesis of increasingly heavy electric sports cars like the MG Cyberster, Lotus Evija and Maserati GranTurismo Folgore. Hovering at around 2200 lbs since its inception way back in 1989, the tiny Mazda has stayed true to its original philosophy — lightweight sports. Auto Express reports that it has uncovered patents, filed in the U.S. of the MX-5 Miata with electric power. These patents reveal batteries located in the transmissions tunnel in a coupe that can only be interpreted as the next-gen MX-5. The construction in the patent images goes against the typical pure EV 'skateboard' architecture which could make it difficult to reproduce the low-to-the-ground driving position we see in all previous roadsters. Battery placement in the transmission tunnel is not new, with the most recent Lamborghini Revuelto's employing a 3.8kWh pack in its tunnel. While Mazda's new setup is pure electric, the Lamborghini uses its battery to complement a plug-in hybrid system. The current Mazda MX-5 RF Sport. (Photo by National Motor Museum/Heritage Images via Getty Images) The MX-5's conventional size, form, and weight distribution have been maintained by using this somewhat creative approach to battery integration. In addition to the transmission tunnel, Mazda has incorporated batteries behind both seats, similar to the layout in the upcoming Porsche Cayman EV. Although it isn't stated in the patents, the necessity of a "transmission tunnel" in the first place clearly implies that the technology is built on a shared architecture between an internal combustion engined car with a conventional gearbox and a pure-EV. Mazda realizes that going full electric with its flagship sports car is too extreme and financially risky, so it's hedging its bets and will offer an EV and an ICE version. According to Mazda's application, "the yaw moment of inertia can be further reduced because the battery is installed in the tunnel portion, allowing the vehicle's center of gravity to be near the middle of the vehicle.' Mazda's well-known "Jinba-ittai" (horse and rider as one) philosophy has made the MX-5 seem more agile since its inception. The "yaw of inertia" that Mazda is referring to here is basically the vehicle's directional change, so decreasing this helps make a car handle better. While the British magazine mentions that Mazda has not leaked any information on the potential battery size yet, we can be reasonably sure that it will get a unit larger than the 35.5kWh battery in the MX-30 SUV, which was prematurely canceled after its poor 100-mile range forced its exit from the U.S. lineup. Given that the MX-5 has always been rear-wheel-drive, and given that the patent image shows a single electric motor behind the seats, we can expect the new 'NE' model to carry on the rear-drive tradition. What will the new MX-5 look like? The company revealed the drop-dead good-looking, rotary-powered Iconic SP concept at the 2023 Tokyo Motor Show (now called the less impactful 'Japan Mobility Show'!) which the magazine suggests will influence the next MX-5's styling. However, the patent application, which is merely named "electric automobile," does not confirm that the MX-5 would be electric-only. Earlier this year, Mazda unveiled its "multi-solution strategy" to provide customers with multiple powertrain sources, including battery electric vehicles, hybrids, and internal combustion engines. As a result, we expect Mazda's new internal-combustion Skyactiv-Z engine to power the "NE" model, which will replace the current "ND" generation MX-5 later this decade. According to the company, the new powertrain will meet Euro 7 emissions regulations and serve as the foundation of Mazda's lineup "for small products in the electrification era.' So expect the next MX-5 to offer two very different MX-5 Miata models by 2027, one delivering electric-only power and the other fitted with a conventional gasoline engine.
NDTV
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- NDTV
Mahindra Thar Roxx Waiting Period Reduced- Check Updated Timeline
Introduced on August 15, 2024, Mahindra's Thar Roxx, a five-door SUV, has noticed a decline in its waiting period. Customers who previously faced a waiting period of up to 18 months now only have to wait a maximum of six months, as of May 2025. It is to be noted that the waiting period differs for different variants depending on trim, and powertrain options. The Thar Roxx comes in six trim levels: MX1, MX3, MX5, AX3 L, AX5 L, and AX7 L. It offers both petrol and diesel engines, along with options for manual or automatic transmissions. Customers can choose between rear-wheel drive (RWD) and four-wheel drive (4WD) versions. The prices of these variants range from Rs 12.99 lakh to Rs 23.39 lakh (ex-showroom). Also Read: Tata Altroz Facelift Mileage Revealed; Check Details Mahindra Thar Roxx Waiting Period List: For petrol 2WD models, the manual MX1 has a wait of up to 6 months, while the MX5 is at 4 months. The automatic MX3 and MX5 variants have a waiting period of up to 4 months. The petrol AX7 L automatic has the longest wait time at up to 6 months. In the diesel 2WD category, the MX1, MX3, MX5, AX5 L, and AX7 L have waiting times of 4 to 6 months, with the AX7 L also taking up to 6 months. For diesel 4WD models, the available variants are the MX5 (manual), AX5 L (automatic), and AX7 L (both manual and automatic), all with a waiting period of up to 6 months. Overall, the AX7 L and MX1 have the longest delivery times for both fuel types and drivetrain options. Mahindra's increased production capacity has helped reduce these waiting times, making the Thar Roxx more accessible to customers. However, despite the general decrease in waiting times, some models, such as the entry-level MX1 and high-end AX7 L, still experience waits of up to six months. In contrast, models like the MX3, AX3 L, and AX5 L typically have shorter waiting periods of around four months.
Auto Car
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Mazda MX-5 review: the bestselling
The ND MX-5 is positively geriatric in the context of model cycles. Nevertheless, the no-nonsense interior still feels fresh. It was a huge leap compared with the NC generation, but if you're unaccustomed to MX-5s, it's likely that the cabin's incredibly compact dimensions will need to sink in before you can meaningfully survey the details. The MX-5 has always been resolutely bijou, and the ND is no different. Broader adults will find themselves in frequent contact with the centre console, door trim and the sides of the skinny footwell, while taller drivers will want for a few centimetres more leg room. Despite a 20mm lower hip point compared with the NC, you sit a little higher than would seem optimal and head room with the top up is relatively limited. Moreover, there is a bulge in the floorpan that denies you the option of folding your clutch leg away on motorways (a malaise of right-hand-drive cars only). Reach adjustment for the steering wheel was added in 2018. If you plan to do long distances in your MX-5, seek out a version with the Recaro seats, because they are significantly more comfortable than the standard items, and offer more lateral support too. These factors can combine to make it tricky to get comfortable – tricky enough, in fact, for some people to be put off the prospect entirely, although others will proclaim this the most comfortable MX-5 yet. More fool the critics, though, because in an age that tends towards profligacy, the MX-5's cockpit-sized simplicity – once reconciled with – makes for a charming environment. The dashboard architecture is similar to that of the Mazda 2, which is a good thing because the same natty design features and chunky, tactile switchgear work equally well here in the roadster. You'll have to look hard to find soft-touch materials, but that somehow feels appropriate for a no-nonsense sports car. Nowhere is the MX-5's simplicity better encapsulated than in the manually operated roof. Made 3kg lighter than in the NC and requiring 30lb ft less effort to close, the hood can be operated easily with one hand, even when moving. There's one spring-loaded clip to unfasten on the header rail, then a click somewhere in the housing behind you to confirm that it's safely stowed. It takes four or five seconds and, like pretty much everything else about the MX-5, puts everything larger, heavier and motor-driven to shame. The roof's tiny size means that the car continues to offer a modest-sized but usable boot. It's too small for golf clubs but is just big enough for two weekend-away bags. Which seems to us exactly as it should be. Multimedia system Over its many years on sale, the MX-5 has gone through a number of infotainment iterations, but the good news is that all of them are quite pleasant to use because they were clearly modelled on the classic BMW iDrive. Cars up to 2023 used an older interface, but one which still had logical menus and could be navigated using both the touchscreen and the rotary controller in the centre console. Entry-level models used to miss out on the centre screen, but from 2023, all MX-5s have the 7.0in touchscreen. In 2018, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were added, the former with wireless functionality. They do come with a Mazda-typical quirk. The touchscreen stops working on the move and you have to use the rotary controller. The latter works great for the native interface, but using it to navigate CarPlay is rather awkward, as that was clearly designed for a touchscreen In 2024, the screen was upgraded to a 8.8in screen with much more modern-looking graphics. Thankfully, that didn't come at a cost of usability – all the menus remain very logical, and the built-in navigation is actually quite good. The standard stereo isn't anything special, but it's just about brawny enough to be heard over the road and wind noise. The Bose system that used to be available on certain trims put up a better fight, but as this is quite a noisy car on the motorway, it's always a bit of a losing battle. Page 2 The cabin space of the new 2 is unlikely to make a dent on your first impression, especially now that rivals have grown wider and thus become more practical. Instead, how the interior looks is of far more interest than its basic proportions. Here is a supermini cabin that avoids the pitfalls of tacky styling or unnecessary clutter, delivering in their place a real sense of imagination and savvy attention to detail. This emanates most obviously from the dashboard, a slab of space-conscious architecture. None of its hallmarks – unbroken horizontal lines, nicely corralled switchgear, periscoped instrument cluster – are novel, but their integration is rarely so well handled. It comes as no surprise to learn that the car's designer, the same man who penned the exterior, originally trained in interior design. The input device for the multimedia system could do with being a little further forward for optimum usability, but that's about the limit of our ergonomic complaints. You sit marginally too high, although well within the segment's norm, and 20mm of additional elbow room helps to prevent the front of the cabin from feeling full to the brim when two adults are on board. In the back, the 2 isn't the most spacious supermini: taller passengers will certainly feel uncomfortable after a while. It's no Fiat 500, you understand, but it's in a different league from the Seat Ibiza, for instance. The boot is decent, with a capacity of 280 litres, if hindered a little by its miserly aperture width. Multimedia system The infotainment touchscreen looks neat where it's perched on the dashboard and, better still, you won't have to actually touch it once you're driving thanks to a rotary input device and a selection of physical shortcut buttons. It has a touchscreen, but it deactivates on the move. Some testers found this worked well for them, while others found navigating Apple CarPlay with the rotary controller rather cumbersome. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto didn't exist yet when the Mazda 2 was first launched, but both were added after a few years. The former works wirelessly, the latter requires a cable. Mazda's default interface feels a little dated in 2023, but is easy enough to understand. Page 3
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Mazda is celebrating the MX-5's 35th anniversary with a model you likely can't get
Mazda is celebrating the Miata's 35th birthday with a special edition variant of the popular little sports car. Although supplies are extremely limited, the limited edition MX5 perfectly captures the Miata's core spirit. It looks good, is likely to drive exceptionally well, and is priced so that the average person could buy one. Here are a few more details on what makes Mazda's latest limited creation worth it, along with a reason why you may not be able to get your hands on one even if you can easily afford terms of performance, the limited-run Mazda sits on striking 17-inch rims with an asymmetric limited-slip differential, shock tower bracing, and sport-tuned Bilstein dampers. When it comes to tech and comfort features, the 35th Anniversary Edition is pretty much on par with the Miata's 'Grand Touring' trim. This means you can expect heated seats, Bose audio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, as well as Amazon's Alexa built into the vehicle. The 35th anniversary Miata's standout feature might just be its stunning paint job. Previously exclusive to the CX-90, the rich "Artisan Red" finish now graces this special edition. Crafted using Mazda's three-layer Takuminuri paint process, it delivers a deep, metallic sheen that gleams beautifully in sunlight. The exterior paint elements are integrated into the interior trim, allowing drivers to appreciate the beautiful color from within. There are other distinctive style features, like embossed 35th Anniversary headrests and a beige soft top, that tie everything together editions of cars can be obscenely priced, but given their relative exclusivity, most people tend to be okay with that. Mazda doesn't seem to have gotten this memo, as the Miata 35th Anniversary Edition has a shockingly attractive MSRP of $36,250. That's just under $2,000 more than the "Grand Touring" trim currently available for Mazda's little sports car and less than $7,000 above the base trim. Unfortunately, it's a bit of a numbers game. Only 300 35th Anniversary Edition Miatas are coming to the United States, which means you'll likely struggle to get your hands on one even if you can comfortably afford it. Mazda says those interested in the limited-run vehicle should chat with their local dealers and take it from 35th Anniversary Miata looks beautiful, its specs are competitive, and the price point is such that buying one is within budget for the vast majority of people. If you're looking for a new Miata or just a fun, cheap third car in general, you'd need a pretty good reason not to go for this one. That reason will likely be its extremely limited run. Despite being Mazda's biggest market by a long way, the U.S. is getting a mere 300 vehicles, which is only a handful more than are set to sell in Canada. So, despite the low price point, you may still need to win Mazda's lottery before you get your hands on one anyway.
