With the new 2016 MX-5 due to arrive into our hands around the 21st of July, this brings up the question we’d like to ask our supporters: What new Miata parts would you like to see made?
It is a little early to ask this question, since we don’t have the 2016 MX-5 in our garage yet, but it does give our engineers a head start to think about what you value and want—beyond what we already have planned.
The short answer: Big things.
The long answer: The short list of products, below.
Intake/Airbox Kit Exhaust System
Lowering/Sport Springs
Upgraded Sway Bars
Short Shifter
Also, we’ve received a few ideas in the past, including a seat lowering kit. In other words, we’d move the seat even lower in the chassis for tall people/helmet clearance on the top. Also, a tuner.
Really, we’re open to anything, so exercise your mind and we’ll see what we can do!
Cheers,
Derrick
What New MX-5 Parts Do You Want to See? November 4th, 2015CorkSport
At CorkSport, we can’t wait for the new 2016 MX-5.
We pre-ordered ours as soon as the sale went live, and we’ve been planning new Miata parts and upgrades since we first heard about the launch. The actual R&D has to wait until we have the MX-5 in our garage, but that hasn’t hampered our excitement—especially when we read the reviews of the lucky first drivers, who all love the car’s new updates.
This little roadster has been turning heads since it first hit the roads. During a recent balance test, Dave Coleman, the Miata Product Manager, said, “The Miata really is the most pure, elemental, simple, straightforward sports car you can get.” Whether you own one or not, it’s hard to disagree that the MX-5 is a beautiful piece of engineering. Just about every Miata model looks pretty and effortless—but at CorkSport we always want to know: How does it fare on the road? (Or better yet, at the track?)
We love speed, power, and handling at CorkSport, and most our products are designed to give your Mazda the most boost and control possible. From all of its initial reviews, it sounds like the new MX-5 engineers had similar aspirations, and from the videos we’ve seen, it looks like they succeeded.
Mazda UK just released a test drive video, showing how the new 2016 MX-5 compares to the original 1990 MkI. Given how much has changed in engine technology over the past 25 years, they gave the original a nice 4-second head start, just to make things fair. The result reveals the beauty of both designs—and promises viewers that the new Miata will be just as fun (and great) to drive as the first one.
If that doesn’t make you want to hit the track in a Miata, nothing will. We can’t wait to do tests of our own, so stay tuned.
Cheers,
CorkSport
How Fast Is the 2016 MX-5? June 18th, 2015CorkSport
With more and more information circulating about the new Rotary and MX-5 Miata, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about these two beauties.
Rotary 2017
Mazda has been pretty tight-lipped about the next Rotary. In fact, just a few months ago, we heard a few sources claim that the Rotary wasn’t in development at all, or at least was no longer being focused on. Well, hope has been renewed! This news is thrilling, and it honestly lines up perfectly with what we published back in August: What Mazda Said That Will Have You Saying, “Take My Money!”
So what’s the excitement? Well, according to an article posted here, Mazda Kiyoshi Fijiwara (Managing Executive Officer) recently was referenced stating that they should be coming out with a new Rotary in 2017 at the Tokyo Motor show. Mazda is pretty big into anniversaries, and this just reaffirms our hunch they’ll use the 50-year anniversary of their first commercially available Rotary to release a new one. They did it with the 25th anniversary of the Miata MX-5, so why not the Rotary?
This is exciting news, and the best part is, they say it should have close to 300hp!
In case you can’t read Japanese, see the (slightly modified) Google Translation below:
Kiyoshi Fujiwara, the Mazda Managing Executive Officer, at the event in Spain was saying that the company is thought to publish a new car equipped with a rotary engine at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2017.
2017: It’s a memorable year. The world’s first commercially-available car equipped with a rotary engine “Cosmo Sports” appeared 50 years earlier. The name of the new car is unknown. As specs become realities, it is clear the “RX-7” engine should come near the order of 300hp.
2016 MX-5 Miata Only Gets 155hp
In other news, the engine is officially confirmed at 155hp and 148 ft/lbs of torque for the next generation MX-5. Though this might seem underwhelming, we still have high hopes. The three reasons for these hope are as follows:
Reason 1:
2015 Miata: 2,619 lbs, divided by 167 hp = 15.68 lbs per Horsepower
2016 Miata: 2,200 (estimated) lbs, divided by 155hp = 14.19 lbs per Horsepower
It’s only an estimate, but the next Gen MX-5 would have to weigh over 2,400 lbs in order to have a worse power-to-weight ratio than the current model.
Reason 2:
Mazda knows more than ever that everyone wants a faster and higher horsepower car. This knowledge, and the fact that they don’t currently produce, and have not announced, plans to introduce a single Mazdaspeed variant of any of their cars, gives us hope. You might think that makes no sense, but consider it: Doesn’t all their silence about the next Mazdaspeed seem strange? How can a company that has the most vehicles racing in the World on any given weekend NOT have a Mazdaspeed? Secrets.
Mazda has been parading around their Super20 Miata since 2012—a roughly 250 horsepower supercharged Miata that’s received incredible press and reviews. Of course, it isn’t available for public sale. So why does Mazda continue to tease us? Why produce these totally reachable cars that people want without actually producing them for sale? It could just be for publicity, but our bet is also that Mazda has secretly been working on the next Mazdaspeed, and it will be an Mx-5. If we’re right…. we would guess everyone will receive a good confirmation of the next Mazdaspeed MX-5 soon.
Reason 3:
The MX-5 is the pinnacle of Mazdas to modify. More people are modifying their Miata/MX-5 than probably all other Mazdas combined. What does this mean? Turbos, Intakes, Exhausts, Suspension, Bodykits, Lighting: There are so many mods!! Mazda knows people love to modify their cars. If they don’t do it themselves, they know their customers will, which is why we have a feeling that with a few small tweaks, we’ll have this next MX-5 purring and putting out an extra 20-40 horsepower in no time.
Check out The Jalopnik article on the Miata and it’s 155HP: HERE.
Mazda said WHAT about the Rotary in 2017? Also, the 2016 MX-5 December 18th, 2017CorkSport
Let’s keep this simple. You want the juice, the news, the lowdown, the gossip on everything Mazda….
Well good news! We have some great rumors for you here, and a little dose of truth. Let’s take a dive.
Mazda CX-3
First up, the Mazda CX-3. This lightweight, compact crossover should be going toe to toe with the Nissan Juke and other compact SUVs. Rumor has it that it should be powered by the 2.0L SkyActiv, likely the same one in the Mazda3. To be clear, this little gem won’t have to be waited on for very long. The CX-3 is set to release next spring, and better yet, debuting at the LA Auto Show in less than a month. Yep, we should have our hands on this guy sooner than later!
2016 Mazdaspeed
Then again, you probably didn’t come here for news on a compact crossover that has killer gas mileage, room, and the practicality of a sedan/suv/compact car blended into one. You’re probably here for this: the 2016 Mazdaspeed. Though there still aren’t any confirmed dates or models, we keep getting “insider rumors”. According to Motortrend and their “insider”:
“What gets added to the lineup in addition to those cars is the interesting bit… the company plans to focus heavily on development of niche products, or in other words, special editions.”
Special editions? Sounds like Mazdaspeeds to me! Any other “special editions” you can think of? Nope. I’m sold. Motortrend also states that a 2016 Mazda 6 Coupe will be released (see their rendering below).
Hatchbacks
As exciting as a coupe is, we tend to be bigger fans of Hatchbacks, specifically hatchback Mazdaspeed 3’s. So what does Motortrend think we have in store?
“Another important niche model is also planned for 2016: the much-anticipated Mazdaspeed3. This hot hatch will employ a 2.5-liter Skyactiv G turbocharged gasoline engine pumping out more than 300 hp and incorporating a new lightweight all-wheel drive system. To add even more spice to the company’s lineup, we can also expect to see Mazdaspeed versions of the Mazda2 and Mazda6.”
Wait, what? Mazdaspeed 3, Mazdaspeed 2, and Mazdaspeed 6? I’m all ears.
But will it happen? Looking at Mazda’s past, they certainly have touched most of their smaller cars with the hand of Mazdaspeed. Protege, MX-5, the 3 and the 6 all have been turboed and “Mazdaspeedified” before, so doing the 3 and 6 again is a no brainer…
But the 2? I think it’s highly possible. Most likely, the Mazda MX-5 will get a Mazdaspeed version before any of the other cars, and then they’ll dump the same engine in the new Mazda 2. Why not?
Whatever Mazda decides to do, we’re pumped. Looking at the models they have cranked out in the past 2 years have been impressive and we are very excited for more models and specifically their “niche…special editions”.
Written by Spencer Carson. Spencer is a car enthusiast and Mazda fan at heart. Whether enjoying the power of a modified Mazdaspeed 3, or driving top down in his 1992 MX5, he always enjoys getting behind the wheel. As much as Spencer loves driving, he loves helping out other Mazda owners even more. Whether helping at a local install day or heading to a car meet across the country, he loves chatting about Mazda and giving advice on how to get more Zoom-Zoom out of any car.
Let’s Do This, Mazda: Mazda 6 Coupe, CX-3, & Mazdaspeed 2016 December 18th, 2017CorkSport
It is a little early to ask this question, since we don’t have the 2016 MX-5 in our garage yet, but it does give our engineers a head start to think about what you value and want—beyond what we already have planned.
