Toyobaru have two new competitors in 2013 and 2014.
Come '13, Fiat will sell the impossible drop dead goreous Alfa Romeo 4C small two-seater coupe. Featuring Alfa's turbocharged, 1.8-liter 4-pot 1750TBi engine, the 4C is bestowd with 230hp and decimates the century sprint in 4.5 seconds. Sub-5 seconds timing are not surprising given 4C's rumored kerb weight of just 900 kg - that's almost 300 kilos leaner than the GT-86!
Alfa's 4C is destined for production and goes on sale in 2013.
Mazda will inject fresh enthusiasm into the MX5-Miata brand by rolling out an all-new car in 2014 or there round about. To be built with state-of-the-art all-encompassing SkyActiv technologies, 'ND' MX5-Miata will ride on a RWD'd SkyActiv platform and loses the current weighty 1.8-and 2.0-liter engines for smaller, fuel-efficient SkyActiv gasoline unit developing about 130hp. A turbocharged 1.5 is also said to be on the cards. Like the 4C, the new 2-seater roadster will take advantage of lightness to offer a competitive power-to-weight ratio. Mazda is aiming for a sub-1,000 kg target on the Miata, with one insider claiming the figures of 800 kg!
An artist's impression of 2014 ND MX5-Miata.