Imagine yourself on what might be the most perfect two-lane country road in existence, your best friend sitting beside you and the throaty Miata exhaust growl making you forget all about those CDs you brought along. And then you come to a sharp curve.
But then it's gone. Dropping down and then up a gear is so quick and light, and the steering and brakes so direct and natural that you're out of the turn, back on the straight, almost without realizing it. Clutch, shift, gas, clutch, brake, steer, gas, clutch, shift, clutch, gas. It seemed to be just a series of thoughts.
For a car to feel this good when driven this enthusiastically isn't something that just happens. Like every car we make, the Miata was designed using Kansei Engineering, our deeply held philosophy that a car must go beyond merely performing right; it must also feel right. Using Kansei Engineering we learn things no computer could ever tell us. Things like how stable the car feels going around a curve; if the exhaust sounds just right when accelerating; even how a driver feels resting an elbow on the window sill. This devotion to designing vehicles based on human needs and emotions leads Mazda to innovative solutions.
It was learned, for example, that the Miata would feel right only if it had perfect, 50/50 front/rear weight distribution. To achieve that, we did critical design work with the car suspended on a single steel cable from its exact center, allowing ideas affecting weight distribution to be immediately seen and evaluated. This resulted, among other things, in giving the Miata a light, but strong, aluminum hood, and mounting the special low-weight battery in the trunk.
When our engineers were done, the classic roadster was back, but now with modern technology and reliability, and a special feeling behind the wheel that could only have com from Mazda. Drop the top and get some wind in your face. These are the good old days.
The Global Road Circuit at our Miyoshi Proving Ground in Japan contains accurate reconstructions of 20 different road surfaces from all around the world. It permits our engineers to fine-tune our vehicles for any type of driving you might encounter.
Drop the top every chance you get. Nothing beats the wind in your face.
Past, present, and future combine into an organic, sensuous form.
The optional hardtop turns a roadster into a gorgeous coupe.
The shifter feels so good, you'll try to find excuses to run through the gears. Controlling a 5-speed, close-ratio overdrive transmission, the shifter's compact linkage has slick, precise throws of only 1.8 inches. Car and Driver said it "feels like a toggle switch." A four-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is also available.
A Miata is rock-solid, with little of the body flex that degraded handling and comfort in classic roadsters. Mazda engineers used Dynamic Modal Analysis software and a Cray supercomputer to analyze body stress at 8900 points, and created a chassis/body so rigid, the additional bracing used in most convertibles was not needed. To keep the three major drivetrain components as rigid as the chassis, Mazda examined the technology used in some of the world's most exotic sports cars and created an ingenious lightweight subframe called the Power Plant Frame (PPF). Refining the classic front-engine/rear-drive layout, the PPF locks engine, transmission and differential into one solid piece of machinery. You'll notice a near absence of vibration, shudder, or slack even if you're changing gears, braking, and turning all at the same time.
What there's no absence of is road feel. You'll know exactly what your wheels are doing, and they'll respond instantly to your command through the quick rack-and-pinion steering system. All four wheels are independently suspended on double wishbones, coil springs, and low-pressure gas-filled shocks. Adding the optional limited-slip differential can further improve handling on wet or slippery road surfaces.
Unfortunately, there are times when you have to slow down, or even bring you Miata to a complete stop. Handling that job are power-assisted 4-wheel disc brakes, with the front discs ventilated for increased fade resistance. The optional Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) provides reassuring stability and steering control under hard braking.
While any car is the sum of its parts, those in the Miata seem to add up a whole lot better. You may not remember why a Miata feels the way it does, but after even one drive you'll never forget the feeling.
Race-bred intake and exhaust systems let the DOHC, 16-valve Miata engine deliver instant throttle response across a wide rpm range.
The Power Plant Frame (PPF) locks the engine, transmission, and differential into a single rigid unit. The result is immediate throttle response, and a noticeable lack of drivetrain vibration, shudder, and slack.
The 5-speed's shifter uses a specially designed compact linkage to provide immediate control. It's quick, slick, and precise.
Oneness between driver and road. The reason Miata exists. No compromises have been made.
Settle into the contoured, high-back bucket seat. The pedals are arranged in the exact position for heel-and-toe driving, and the short-throw shifter is just where you hand expects to find it. In front of you is full white-on-black "quick-read" analog instrumentation ringed in classic chrome. Every gauge and control is carefully placed for instant visibility and ease of operation.
The softtop is easy to use, also. It can be raised or lowered in just a moment by one person. When the weather turns chilly or wet, raise it to create a snug, warm, dry cabin.
Everything in a Miata serves the sole purpose of improving the sports car experience. Whether it's the way the car handles the road, or the way the driver handles the car, there should never be a doubt about who's in control. In a Miata, you are.
Arranged to be read with one smooth sweep of your eyes, classic analog gauges keep you in touch with the vital signs of your Miata.
Is it the rush of the wind? Or the warmth of the sun? Maybe it's that mellow, almost comforting, sound the Miata makes, or the way this roadster lets you handle a brand new road like you've been driving it all your life. Reasons for loving the Miata are as many and as varied as the conversations that take place in them. But whatever your particular reason is, there's a very good chance that what started out as just a pleasant Sunday drive has put you many miles from home, and forced you to answer a couple of serious questions: "Do we leave the top down?" and "Is there an even longer way home?"
Availability Manual transmission
Automatic transmission
Type In-line 4-cylinder
Valve gear DOHC 16-valve
Displacement 1597cc (97 cubic in.)
Bore and stroke 3.07 x 3.29 inches
Compression ration 9.4:1 (manual)
9.0:1 (automatic)
Horsepower, SAE net 116 @ 6500 rpm (manual)
105 @ 6500 rpm (automatic)
Torque, SAE net lb.-ft. 100 @ 5500 rpm (manual)
100 @ 4000 rpm (automatic)
Fuel system Multi-port electronic fuel
injection
Ignition system Distributorless electronic
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Type: 5-speed manual with overdrive 4-speed automatic with overdrive and lockup torque converter Ratios Manual Automatic 1st 3.14 2.81 2nd 1.89 1.54 3rd 1.33 1.01 4th 1.00 0.72 5th 0.81 - Final drive 4.30 4.30Return to Top of Document.
Wheelbase 89.2 Length 155.4 Width 65.9 Height 48.2 Track: front/rear 55.5/56.2 Headroom 37.1 Legroom 42.7 Shoulder room 50.4Return to Top of Document.
Manual transmission 25 city, 30 highway Automatic transmission 24 city, 28 highway
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