1. You sit lower than before, and the interior feels roomier.
Our first impression from being behind the wheel is that the stance of the car and your position in the cockpit are excellent. You sit lower in this car than in previous MX-5 Miatas, and the "impossibly low" hood gives the car a more aggressive sports-car feeling. Although the interior is still compact, it seems wider and roomier and should accommodate two reasonably sized adults in relative comfort.
2. Shifter goodness: intact.
While we spent only a minute or two sitting in the right-hand seat—the prototype is a Japanese-spec car—with the engine off, we did get to try out the MX-5 Miata’s best feature, its snickety-snick shifter. We’re happy to say that it felt direct and smooth, with short throws like those of the original NA Miata. We hope that the next time we row through the gears the engine will be fired up and we’ll be heading out on the road.
3. This is where random details go, don’t ya know?
We mined additional nuggets of info from pawing the car and asking the same questions over and over again in an effort to wear down Mazda’s resolve. First, a low engine-mounting position and active-hood technology will enable the car to meet European pedestrian crash standards without resorting to upright, blunt-nose styling. Next, other than a typical under body panel beneath the engine, there are no aerodynamic aids on the undercarriage. Also, the NC’s dual exhaust is gone, replaced by an ostensibly lighter single tailpipe with dual outlets.
4. The ND will ride exclusively on 16- and 17-inch wheels with four lugnuts.
Tires fitted to the prototype car that was onstage at the reveal were 195/50R-16 Yokohama Advan Sports, while a second design model was shod with 205/45R-17 Bridgestone Potenza RE050A rubber. The design team knew there would be no larger wheel-and-tire package offered when they began styling the car, so even initial sketches were based around these more sensibly sized wheels rather than the huge 20-plus-inchers most designers like to start with.
5. Hardtop? We think so.
Mazda isn’t talking about a hardtop. However, there is plenty of space beneath the manual soft top when it’s folded, leading us to believe that the popular—and likely profitable—power retractable hardtop will again be offered in the ND. How such a roof will look when closed against the standard black windshield frame is unknown—perhaps all hardtops will be black to match? There are also two small trim panels behind the convertible-top aperture that look similar to those found on the NA and NB models; this is where the anchors for those cars’ removable hardtops were located, so perhaps an accessory helmet will also be introduced.
6. More interior details? Why, yes, have some.
This Japanese-spec car was equipped with lane-departure warning, which we imagine will be offered here on higher trim levels, as well as engine stop-start technology, which is less likely to come to America. The steering wheel tilts but doesn’t telescope. The car also had a DVD drive mounted between and behind the seats, beneath a storage bin that serves as a de facto glove box, as there isn’t one in the dash. In addition to two USB ports on the center stack, there are also SD and MicroSD slots.
7. Here’s when you can get one.
Our latest information says that the 2016 Mazda MX-5 will be available for preorder in February 2015, concurrent with Mazda showing a U.S.-spec car at the Chicago Auto Show. If that timing holds, deliveries are likely to begin about a year from now.
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