Wednesday 10th December 2008

Revised MX-5

Mazda adds extra throb

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A new smiley face is the most obvious feature of Mazda's latest MX-5 revamp but a host of detail improvements are claimed to make the car more fun to drive than ever.

Just revealed in Japan, the revised MX-5 will go on sale in the UK early next year. As well as featuring Mazda's five-point grille styling, there’s a stronger ‘character line’ running along the bottom of the body that kicks up into the rear bumper. The headlamps have been slightly reshaped while the rear lamps have been updated and a large black ‘diffuser’ added.

Inside there are decorative trim changes while the dials have been redesigned to make them easier to read.

Mazda's 2.0 litre DOHC engine features a newly forged crank for extra strength, with fully floating piston pins and revised valve springs. Maximum output (not quoted) is now delivered at 7000rpm, up from 6,700rpm, and the engine rev limiter has been stretched by 500rpm – so you can now wind the MX-5 up to 7500rpm, with a wider power band at higher engine speeds.

A novel innovation is the 'Induction Sound Enhancer'. According to Mazda's press release this ‘amplifies the throbbing noise generated as air is sucked into the engine and reverberates it around the cabin for an even better driving experience' - crikey! UK prices will be announced soon, but the new line up is available in Japan from a little over £16k.

 

[dinkel]

S2000 anyone?

A 250 brake lump in this new MX-5 and go!

[drewcole81]

Think i'll stick with the Mk2 thanks.

[coltonbob]

Oh dear!! A novel innovation is the 'Induction Sound Enhancer'. This sounds dangerously like something you can buy from the oiks at Halfords! There's plenty of flourescent 1.2 corsa's around that have these fitted

[RichyBoy]

Have a sound generator machine in my z4, its just a pipe that you remove bits of foam from for a louder sound in the cabin.

[FELIX_5]

Think I'll stick with my MK1.

[posterboy]

Cerbera anyone?

[dasherdiablo1]

RichyBoy said:

Have a sound generator machine in my z4, its just a pipe that you remove bits of foam from for a louder sound in the cabin.

Is that the slightly computer gamey noise that appears to come from behind the driver??? We've got something that sounds like that that I've noticed at low revs when slowing down. Ours is a Z4Coupe...do you know where this is located so we can have aplay with it?

[bitchling]

these cars drive well tbh and the build quality is exelent plenty of poke aswell

[kambites]

Looks a bit less blob-like than the current model, but still nowhere near as nice as the mk1 and mk2.

[Kieran XJR]

It would be nice if they actually did a turbo'ed or a 6 pot version.

[MrTappets]

Just one step down from an s2000 now. They're going to have to launch a whole new car if they are going to keep the 'spirit of the original' at this rate.

[tomTVR]

Anyone know where this picture was taken? Looks nice!

[SpunkyM]

Scarborough?

[Oat$y]

tomTVR said:

Anyone know where this picture was taken? Looks nice!

South Africa

[tomTVR]

Bugger, wont be jumping on the ferry to visit then!

[Cafe Racer]

posterboy said:

Cerbera anyone?

Anyone else confused by this?

Are you suggesting that it looks like a cerbera?

[juansolo]

[Crusoe]

dasherdiablo1 said:

RichyBoy said:

Have a sound generator machine in my z4, its just a pipe that you remove bits of foam from for a louder sound in the cabin.

Is that the slightly computer gamey noise that appears to come from behind the driver??? We've got something that sounds like that that I've noticed at low revs when slowing down. Ours is a Z4Coupe...do you know where this is located so we can have aplay with it?

more info on this too please

[OwenK]

Clearly the best improvement of all is the change to the rear light clusters. Could this herald the (not a moment too soon) death of non-Lexus factory installed Lexus lights?



(I bloody hope so 'cos they look absolutely terrible on everything except the old IS200 they came from. Just in case you didn't get the full impression of how much I loathe that trend. )

[Bobdenero]

Backward step with that ugly grill