The 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata is here, and it’s beautiful.
We don’t know much else about the car, as it’s still in development, and Mazda hasn’t nailed down the final specs or performance figures for the car.
What we do know is that it’s a striking design, it’s about 220 pounds lighter than the current car (which weighs in around 2,400-2,600 lbs in its various trims), and that it is still a soft-top roadster, at least in this debut form.
When asked about the possibility of a hardtop roadster at the U.S. unveiling, Mazda declined comment about “any future top variants,” perhaps hinting that rumors of a true coupe version have some merit as well—or perhaps just toeing the corporate line regarding the telling of company secrets before they’re ready for public consumption.
The new roadster bears the hallmarks of the KODO design language, but, thankfully, without the large black plastic gill-like surround of the front grille—a point design director Derek Jenkins was keen to emphasize during the unveiling.
Key design elements include the low, sharply sloped hood, the muscular rear haunches, accented by a unique downward character line moving forward from the top of the rear fender, and the tapered rear end. The overall proportions are still classically Miata (cough…MX-5) while also pushing the look into new areas.
