4th gen ND Mazda MX-5 Miata

[TylerLieberman]

Originally Posted by FX86

yeah man you have issues

It was a friend's and it had some cool stuff on it. Advan wheels, AD08Rs, TEIN coilovers, GWR exhaust and OFT tune. Aligned and corner balance.

Felt just as fast, maybe faster than my old FRS when I had the OFT and Tomei EL headers on it. Super short gearing makes the acceleration really good for sub 200bhp. Not to mention the fact its over 300lbs less in weight compared to the FRS.

I really liked it. Depending on what's going on this time next year, I may seriously look into getting one. I was instantly a fan after driving this one.

[vh_supra26]

This year's SEMA Show features not one, but two sporty Mazda MX-5 concepts meant to demonstrate the automaker's commitment to lightweight, frills-free driving experiences.

First up is the MX-5 RF Kuro, a new concept based on the 2017 MX-5 RF, though with an overall more street-focused package. The RF Kuro also shares its adjustable suspension and Brembo dual-piston front brake calipers with the MX-5 Global Cup race car.

"We wanted to give MX-5 RF Kuro a stealth look to complement its sleek profile, providing subtlety and purpose," said design manager Ken Saward. "As we move our brand in a direction we call ‘Mazda Premium,’ we want to embrace our longstanding motorsports heritage and reach forward with breathtaking designs like the MX-5 RF."

The RF Kuro concept also comes with an OpenFlash Performance center exit exhaust, 17" Global MX-5 Cup wheels, BFGoodrich Rival G force tires and a satin black metallic finish.

As for the MX-5 Speedster Evolution concept, some might remember its debut at last year's SEMA Show as well as its appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed over the summer. Now however, Mazda engineers have managed to shave even more weight off - approximately 100 lbs (45 kg), bringing the total to a scant 1,980 lbs (898 kg).

The design team also extracted what remained underneath its dashboard and replaced its gauges with a large digital display. Furthermore, they swapped its Brembo front brakes with the lighter rotors and calipers from the MX-5 Sport & Grand Touring models and replaced its stock battery with a Braille GreenLite G20 Lithium battery that weighs just 4.5 lbs (2 kg).

Aesthetically, the MX-5 Evolution features an adjustable suspension, BFGoodrich g-Force Rival R1 grooved racing slicks and a White Ether finish.

"With MX-5 Speedster Evolution, our goal was to further deliver the essence of what MX-5 has represented for the past 27 years—lightweight engineering and pure driving joy," explained Saward. "In the future, we might see if there is anywhere else we could take out weight."

http://www.carscoops.com/2016/11/maz...o-lighter.html

[JD001]

RF Kuro

[Re_Invention]

http://www.bobpenkhusmazdaatpowers.c...9cf69ddcd4.htm

I suspect we're gonna need to see more than a $2,000 discount to see sales movement though. That's nearly the same discount on the $8,000 cheaper convertible.

[JD001]

Originally Posted by Re_Invention

http://www.bobpenkhusmazdaatpowers.c...9cf69ddcd4.htm

I suspect we're gonna need to see more than a $2,000 discount to see sales movement though. That's nearly the same discount on the $8,000 cheaper convertible.

I may pop by a dealer when they actually get RFs into the showroom.. just hope it looks good in the flesh.

[Cole]

I was quite excited for the hardtop to be a thing. Now, seeing the price, I can't help but feel disappointed. In Canada, it's a 40,000 dollar car. For that price, you can get a hell of a lot of car elsewhere.

[RichardsFRS]

Now with a hard top, its a well rounded car
But if its gona be 200hp or less, not worth 35k.

[Allch Chcar]

$30k for a piston powered Mazda. What a time to be alive. The RF looks nice but they are selling to their hardcore crowd here. I browse Miata.net and it seems like removable hardtops only sell to the minority of Miata owners. The majority being lovers of the "top down, top down, summer car!"

I definitely considered one just because Mazda used to be such a big supporter of racing events and the Miata is a cheap platform to get into racing but the Miata is too impractical for a daily.

[JD001]

Originally Posted by Allch Chcar

$30k for a piston powered Mazda. What a time to be alive. The RF looks nice but they are selling to their hardcore crowd here. I browse Miata.net and it seems like removable hardtops only sell to the minority of Miata owners. The majority being lovers of the "top down, top down, summer car!"

I definitely considered one just because Mazda used to be such a big supporter of racing events and the Miata is a cheap platform to get into racing but the Miata is too impractical for a daily.

Apparently in the UK 80% of MX5 sales were hardtop.. we are one of largest markets for drop tops as we have crappiest weather!!

[vh_supra26]

As a general rule, I try not to fawn over too many of the cars I have the privilege of driving, though that’s often easier said than done.

FAST FACTS

• Engine: 2.0L 4-cylinder
• Output: 155 hp, 148 lb-ft
• Transmission: 6-speed manual; 6-speed auto
• US Fuel Economy (MPG): 26 city, 33 hwy (manual)
• CAN Fuel Economy (L/100 km): 8.9 city, 7.1 hwy (manual)
• US Price: Starts at $31,555
• CAN Price: Starts at $38,800

After all, I’m just like any other car guy or gal out there, and I get equally as excited about the latest trail-tackling trucks and tire-shredding sports cars as a result. But there are far less flashy rides that find ways to fire me up, including the 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF.

Of all the new cars set to hit the market this year — a list that includes the likes of the Ford F-150 Raptor and the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon — this new targa-like version of Mazda’s quintessential compact roadster is one that I have been anticipating most eagerly.

Building on a Legacy

The Miata has long held a special place in my heart — much longer than I’ve been trying, though still without success, to convince my wife that we need to own one. It’s about the closest there’s been to the perfect sports car in my lifetime, and definitely the closest in my price range. It’s not a car that’s predicated upon pure power but rather balance and agility. It stands to reason, then, that any additional heft — say like the weight of a retractable hardtop — threatens to throw the car’s equilibrium out of whack.

To counter those concerns, Mazda has done very little — at least on paper. The two are nearly identical dimensionally, with only slight variations in both ground clearance and overall height. The former means the car’s lowest point stands just 10 millimeters taller in RF guise, a result of alterations made to its suspension, while the latter has it measuring an additional five mm at its tallest point thanks to the thickness of the hardtop.

Otherwise, it’s only when it comes to weight that these two can be told apart on paper, with the RF moving more mass than its fraternal twin. The current version of the Miata is the lightest since the original, a feat that was accomplished through the use of smaller and lighter internal components and more high-strength steel in its construction. That lighter weight also helps to limit the gains in the RF model. With the manual transmission handling gear changes, it tips the scales at just 2,445 lb (1,109 kg) or roughly the same as its ragtop predecessor.

Compare that to the current convertible version, though, and the RF appears to be at a disadvantage, with manual models weighing a scant 2,332 lb (1,058 kg). Adding more power was an option, though not an ideal one. Instead, the same naturally aspirated 2.0-liter in the soft top version resides under the RF’s hood, making the same 155 horsepower and 148 lb-ft of torque.



A Blast to Drive

Like countless other Miata fanboys and fangirls, I was at least a little concerned about what it was going to do to alter the Miata’s dynamics, which make it about as fun to drive as anything else on the market. It wasn’t the lack of additional engine output that I was worried about, but the combination of the car’s altered form and the extra weight associated with it. Those fears didn’t last long.

It was early on a sunny Friday morning that I headed east from downtown San Diego in search of room to stretch the RF’s legs. The search didn’t take long, with traffic thinning and turns tightening simultaneously much to the delight of myself and the Soul Red Metallic Miata RF I was piloting. With the shifter firmly in my right hand and three pedals to play with, I soon discovered that not a single fleck of the Miata’s fun factor is lost despite the extra heft of the roof.

The suspension, which was tuned to deal with the additional weight, is just as firm as the setup beneath the Miata soft-top, while the car’s chassis offers more than enough torsional rigidity to resist twisting on the most challenging of California’s canyon roads. The steering has also been recalibrated to offer a little more firmness and it shows, with plenty of feel and feedback. Coupled with one of the most deft manual gearboxes on the planet, the RF’s drive is as cerebral as any other Miata.



Almost the Same Inside

It’s also just like any other Miata — well, like any other current model — in the cabin. The only difference of note is the slight decrease in headroom in the RF. The extra thickness of the hardtop cuts headroom to 36.8 inches (935 mm) compared to 37.4 inches (950 mm). That might not seem like much, but in a cabin where every little bit helps it matters greatly. I, for one, had a difficult time in the driver’s seat with the top closed, and those on the taller side should be forewarned.

Lowering the top, which stows safely behind the seats, only takes about a dozen seconds, though it can only be done at speeds below six mph (10 km/h). The rear window also can’t be lowered independently of the roof, which would be a nice — though not necessary — touch.

Regardless of those shortcomings, the Miata RF still offers plenty of affordable fun. Starting at $31,555 ($38,800 in Canada), it’s pricier than the soft-top version but offers the advantage of being either a coupe or convertible — and looks great doing both.

The Verdict: 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Review

After almost three decades on the market, the Mazda MX-5 Miata has firmly established itself as the quintessential compact roadster, and it’s done so by not straying too far from the original recipe. In a world that has gone almost completely digital, the 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF, just like its soft-top sibling, is very much analog. It’s also hard not to pander over it.

LOVE IT
Stunning good looks
No noticeable weight penalty
Still a blast to drive

LEAVE IT
Slow top operation
Lack of headroom with the top up

http://www.autoguide.com/manufacture...iata-rf-review

[darthpnoy1984]

http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorspo...y-a-new-miata/

Something Toyota should take notes on, I wish car companies would be run by car people instead of bean counter pos.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Scrappydoo]

What an absolute piece of the sloppiest "journalism". I'd be embarrassed to link that never mind believe and be wound up by it.

[rice_classic]

There's a GT86 series in Australia but I think Toyobaru would be well off to promote a series in the US. They could easily lobby NASA/SCCA to create the class and put some promotional dollars into it.

86's on the used market are surprisingly cheap now, especially salvage title ones - making the ability to turn them into race cars a pretty reasonable endeavor.

[funwheeldrive]

Originally Posted by darthpnoy1984

Something Toyota should take notes on, I wish car companies would be run by car people instead of bean counter pos.

And yet Mazda did terrible this year in terms of profits. Can't keep making sports cars if your entire company is in the red.