Rumors continue to swirl about the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata in the aftermath of its global unveiling two weeks ago.
First, there will be no power retractable hard top, or PHRT during the first year of production, according to a report by Automobile. A hard panel is employed for the section of the top that latches to the windscreen frame and there were no power buttons to retract or close the roof.
Mazda says that the soft top is light enough to quickly open and close with one hand, a design trick that was a strong selling point for the original 1990 Miata. On the current MX-5, the PRHT adds about 110 pounds to the curb weight, so the rag-only top for the 2016 model is a strategy to keep mass at a minimum.
As for the engine, Australian site Motoring claims to have engine specs for the base model. The (somewhat dubious) assertion says that the new engine will be a 1.5-liter SkyActiv unit that develops only 128 hp. That would mean a 39hp drop from the current 2.0-liter manual, negating any power-to-weight advantage gained by the 2016′s much ballyhooed 220-pound reduction in mass. The same report says that a 2.0-liter engine would follow a year after launch.
Lastly, there had been some speculation that turbocharging would come into play, fueled by a teaser video‘s soundtrack. However, a photo of the 2016′s engine by Jalopnik shows that there is no forced induction, at least on the prototype.
Mazda is expected to reveal more details about the 2016 MX-5 at the upcoming Paris Motor Show.
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