Production of the 2016 Mazda MX-5 begins in Japan. Photos courtesy Mazda Motor Corporation.
On Thursday, March 5, Mazda’s Ujina Plant Number 1 in Hiroshima, Japan, began production of the company’s fourth generation MX-5, best known to North American fans as the Mazda Miata. Initial production will go exclusively to the Japanese market, where sales are expected to begin in June.
It’s not yet clear when deliveries of the 2016 Mazda MX-5 will begin in North America, but cars shipped here will be powered by a 2.0-liter Mazda SKYACTIV-G four-cylinder engine, producing 155 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. The outgoing MX-5 uses a 2.0-liter Mazda MZR four-cylinder that produces 167 horsepower (158 with the automatic transmission) and 140 pound-feet of torque; while this may look like a (small) step backward in performance, the new MX-5 will measure just over four-inches less from bumper to bumper, while weighing in an estimated 150 pounds lighter. That will likely give a performance advantage to the new car, but at the very least it will be comparable to the current model.
Italian automaker Fiat will also build a convertible sports car on the platform, alongside Mazda MX-5 production in Japan. At the Geneva Motor Show, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles head Sergio Marchionne ended speculation by confirming the joint-venture car will be called the 124 Spider, a revival of the iconic convertible that last rolled off an assembly line (badged as the Pininfarina Spider) in 1985.
Through the end of January, Mazda has built more than 950,000 MX-5s, solidifying the car’s standing as the best-selling two-seat sports car of all time, as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records.
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