Carbon Fiber Diet Prescribed for Next-Gen Miata

Mazda Motor Corp. plans to continue to decrease the weight of its MX-5 Miata when the fifth-generation model is introduced early next decade.

The basic size of the next-generation roadster will remain the same dimensions of the current model, which bowed last year, Miata program manager Nobuhiro Yamamoto, tells Autocar. But he says the car will be lighter, thanks to the use of carbon fiber components and downsized engines.

Yamamoto says the cost of carbon fiber, which traditional has been regulated to high-end performance models and motorsports applications, is becoming more affordable. The weight loss, he adds, also will allow the use of lighter engines and tires.

The current MX-5 is powered by a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine in the U.S., while a 1.5-liter mill is available in other markets. The next-generation lineup could include a 3-cylinder engine in some markets.

Despite the focus on lightweighting, Mazda has no plans for production versions of last year’s ultra-light Speedster and Spyder concept vehicles, according to Autocar. Those vehicles featured a variety of carbon fiber components, but Yamamoto says the topless design of the Speedster and other constraints make both concepts unfeasible to produce.