The next-gen MX-5 Miata thread

[Tornado]

I liked the 124 styling/interior trim more than the Miata, but the 124 drivetrain package would have been a dealbreaker even before the Miata got the engine upgrade.

 

[homeforsummer]

I liked the 124 styling/interior trim more than the Miata, but the 124 drivetrain package would have been a dealbreaker even before the Miata got the engine upgrade.

Much prefer the MX-5's styling to the 124. Can't shake the feeling the Fiat looks like what it is - a bodykit on top of a car that someone else designed properly in the first place.

I've not driven a regular 124 yet, and I've not yet driven the more powerful Mazda, but have spent a fair bit of time in the Abarth and a lot of time in the pre-power boost MX-5.

They each win and lose in different areas for me. The Mazda's better right at the bottom and right at the top of the rev counter (with the caveat that, at least pre-bhp increase, the Mazda wasn't that great at the top either), and the 124's better in the middle. The Abarth in particular just makes such a hilarious noise that it's almost worth it for that.

I also think the Abarth steers and handles that little bit better than the Mazda, though again that's pending driving the revised MX-5. The Abarth seems to roll less and doesn't wobble as much on bumpy roads, like there's some extra bracing hidden somewhere.

Biggest problem with the Abarth is the price. You can get a 2-litre MX-5 for about £5k less than the Abarth here, or something silly like that, which makes the 124 a non-starter. And according to my colleagues, the regular Fiat version is even softer than the Mazda, as well as being slower to start off with.

Intrigued to spend more time with the 1.5-litre MX-5 sold here though, in as basic a spec as possible - no LSD, no Bilsteins, smaller wheels. Even with all those bits the Mazda is more fun at 6 or 7/10ths than it is flat out, so I wonder if the very cheapest one available is actually the sweet spot.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Having driven both an Abarth 124 and an Abarth 500, I can't get over how different the same engine feels in both cars, especially considering they aren't far off in terms of weight. To my ears it also sounds about a million times better in the 500. I really, really like the 1.4T in the 500, but I find it kind of dull and almost anemic in the 124. Expectations vs Reality? Maybe.

Saw this video earlier and was pretty impressed:



Guy really knows how to throw a car around the 'ring. Nothing like blowing by a Mclaren in a car that probably costs less than one of it's exhaust manifolds...

 

[hasslemoff]

@Eunos_Cosmo

The Abarth 124 uses the multi air 1.4 engine.
Abarth 500's use the 1.4 T.
Different engines in them that's why they feel different and sound different 👍.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Not sure if it's different in other markets, but our Abarth 500 uses the same multi-air 1.4T as the Abarth 124. I think the only difference is the exhaust really.

 

[homeforsummer]

Certainly the last 124 and 595 I've driven have both been optioned with the "Record Monza" exhaust system and that's made them sound fairly similar. It's most noticeable at idle.

 

[hasslemoff]

Not sure if it's different in other markets, but our Abarth 500 uses the same multi-air 1.4T as the Abarth 124. I think the only difference is the exhaust really.

Well you learn something new every day, the Abarth 500 in the USA uses the multi air engine didn't know that 👍.

The Abarth 500 uses the 1.4 tjet engine in Europe which to me is a more fun engine than the 1.4 multi air, I owned a 595 comp with the tjet engine and a giulietta with the multi air and the difference is noticble especially when jumping from one to the other. You're missing out over the pond on the 500 tjet engine
.

 

[homeforsummer]

Well you learn something new every day, the Abarth 500 in the USA uses the multi air engine didn't know that 👍.

The Abarth 500 uses the 1.4 tjet engine in Europe which to me is a more fun engine than the 1.4 multi air, I owned a 595 comp with the tjet engine and a giulietta with the multi air and the difference is noticble especially when jumping from one to the other. You're missing out over the pond on the 500 tjet engine
.

The T-Jet is basically a turbocharged version of the old FIRE, isn't it? That was always a great engine in non-turbo form (as in my old Panda 100HP) so not surprising it's fun with a turbo. I didn't actually know the 124 didn't use the same unit, but it would explain any small character differences.

 

[hasslemoff]

The T-Jet is basically a turbocharged version of the old FIRE, isn't it? That was always a great engine in non-turbo form (as in my old Panda 100HP) so not surprising it's fun with a turbo. I didn't actually know the 124 didn't use the same unit, but it would explain any small character differences.

Yep its based off the fire and its a shame they never put it in the Abarth 124, probably to do with emmisions.
The 124 uses the multi air engines which alfa have been using in the G's for years, there fun but not as fun as the Tjets.

 

[homeforsummer]

This is your reminder that today, February 10th, is the 30th anniversary of the Roadster/MX-5/Miata, as it was unveiled at the Chicago auto show 30 years ago today. Posted a few pics on Twitter to celebrate.

​

And here are a few more from over the years... mixture of ones I've driven, ones I've seen at shows, from Mazda's amazing collection in the US etc.

 

[Dan]

Ooh. I love that white ND with the windshield removed.

 

[CodeRedR51]

You know I'm surprised that Mazda doesn't keep an NB Coupe in their collection.

 

[homeforsummer]

You know I'm surprised that Mazda doesn't keep an NB Coupe in their collection.

Just a matter of importing it I guess. It's probably relatively low priority given I'd assume that even a lot of MX-5 people aren't aware it exists.

 

[CodeRedR51]

So nice though...

 

[mustafur]

Like this: http://www.j-spec.com.au/featured/2004-Mazda-Roadster_Coupe-Type_A-17775.html

 

[CodeRedR51]

Like this:

Yeah. I'd love a LHD version. I think only a small handful were made LHD.

 

[mustafur]

Delete.

 

[homeforsummer]

Yeah. I'd love a LHD version. I think only a small handful were made LHD.

I didn't think any were, to my knowledge. I imagine it'd be easy enough to convert them though.

As the ad above shows, the problem is cost. I keep an eye on the auction sites for them and it's not unusual to see prices approaching $20k. Add shipping and taxes and it starts to get a bit silly.

If I had that kind of money lying around though I'd be hugely tempted. Big fan of the way they look, and it's got two major advantages from having a roof that no standard MX-5 does. More body rigidity is the most obvious, but also, no way for water to run inside the structure and rot the sills out from within...

 

[CodeRedR51]

Speaking of...

https://www.autoblog.com/2019/02/13/mazda-mx-5-miata-coupe-rare-for-sale/

 

[homeforsummer]

As I noted in the other thread, that one has unsurprisingly been on sale for a while now. I know it's had a resto, but £30k (over $38k) is about double what they go for when they appear on Japanese car sales sites. Given you'd only have to import one of those anyway and pay the costs, might as well buy a cheaper one and tidy it up rather than spending that much to import it in the first place.

Have to say though, as they were built in 2003/2004, at least I've got another 9-10 years to find one before you Yanks start importing all the damn things and driving the prices up to ridiculous levels

 

[CodeRedR51]

As I noted in the other thread,

Oops. Never go in there except the members rides.

 

[Keef]

Speaking of...

https://www.autoblog.com/2019/02/13/mazda-mx-5-miata-coupe-rare-for-sale/

I think Mazda made a mistake by not building this. They could've built another franchise around it. It would've cut into the convertible sales a bit, sure, but it would've brought in a whole new audience that wasn't interested in convertibles. If they would've debuted a fixed-roof coupe with the NC they'd have gotten so many future 86 buyers. Literally most of the many 86 buyers were people who wanted a car like a Miata but refused to buy a convertible.

 

[homeforsummer]

@R1600Turbo @Keef The guy who wrote that article has found a cheaper one. A third the price of the red car! I mean I can't afford even that one, but it shows they're out there for decent money.

Few pics:

 

[05XR8]

In action

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Yep, a Miata coupe is basically what I want. Though, I'd prefer it to be differentiated (style-wise) from the Miata a little more than the NB version was.

Here's hoping the MX-6 is actually something Mazda is planning and that it is essentially a Miata coupe.

 

[Keef]

Yep, a Miata coupe is basically what I want. Though, I'd prefer it to be differentiated (style-wise) from the Miata a little more than the NB version was.

Here's hoping the MX-6 is actually something Mazda is planning and that it is essentially a Miata coupe.

I always forget the MX-6 existed but yes this is a great idea. Might be worth making it a little longer but still heavily based on the Miata platform. I'm thinking like a direct competitor to the 86 with (optional, like the FC) useless rear seats and a decent trunk.

 

[Swagger897]

I think finding something like that at a reasonable price would take a bit too long for me to wait around for it to come, vs getting the standard NA/NB and forming it into a "fastback" that IMO makes it look completely unique.

Spoiler: large pics

To each their own though...

 

[RocZX]

How come Madza never made more and sold them worldwide?
It would seem they lose money making the parts for the coupe and not offering it in more markets other then Japan

http://www.roadster.blog/2013/08/nb-roadster-coupe.html

 

[homeforsummer]

How come Madza never made more and sold them worldwide?
It would seem they lose money making the parts for the coupe and not offering it in more markets other then Japan

There wasn't a full production line making them (or not an automated one at least) - they just took individual cars off the line and welded a roof on. As such the per-unit costs were probably high, but at the same time, much lower than making a dedicated production line for coupes and then only selling a couple of hundred.

The prices are shown in that brochure above. The 1.6-litre Type S there is 2.35 million Yen. From what I can find, a basic regular 1.6 Roadster at the time was 1.85 million Yen, so the coupe was half a million Yen more, or just over a quarter more for that roof (maybe the coupe got some extra kit even in basic Type S form to close up the difference, but I can't read Japanese!)

But the TL;DR is they apparently had no intention to sell more than a few hundred, and doing it manually and charging a hefty premium was the best way of doing that.

 

[RocZX]

There wasn't a full production line making them (or not an automated one at least) - they just took individual cars off the line and welded a roof on. As such the per-unit costs were probably high, but at the same time, much lower than making a dedicated production line for coupes and then only selling a couple of hundred.

The prices are shown in that brochure above. The 1.6-litre Type S there is 2.35 million Yen. From what I can find, a basic regular 1.6 Roadster at the time was 1.85 million Yen, so the coupe was half a million Yen more, or just over a quarter more for that roof (maybe the coupe got some extra kit even in basic Type S form to close up the difference, but I can't read Japanese!)

But the TL;DR is they apparently had no intention to sell more than a few hundred, and doing it manually and charging a hefty premium was the best way of doing that.

They should have only made a few hundred for each market or even sell the body panels so you can do the conversion yourself. They paid to make the molds to stamp the body panels and the molds to make the rear quarter glass / rear widow , making the molds is not cheap so the more they made it would spread the cost of the molds out.

Half million yen is not alot its about USD$5k( converter rate from USD to yen in 2003 is about the same as today and with inflation it would be under USD$7K) the Roadster RF in Japan is ¥3.million and the Roadster is ¥2.54million, ¥.85 million difference which is more then the NB Roadster Coupe difference I don't see a hefty premium.