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Next Mazda MX-5 Miata headed for 2015 Chicago debut

Twenty-six years after it was introduced at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show, the much anticipated fourth generation Mazda MX-5 Miata will meet the press at the 2015 Chicago show. A piece in Autocar refines some of the details on the larger, lighter Miata that a Mazda insider has said will be "our best-looking car ever."
The company has relented on the quest for the metric tonne, the 1000-kilogram (2,200-pound) target too difficult to achieve in light of cost constraints. You can still expect it to lose a generous dollop of weight - Autocar says a curb weight of 1,100 kg (2,420 pounds) will still make it the lightest in its class. And Mazda will be stressing a fun driving experience through light weight and a modest amount of naturally-aspirated horsepower. Engine capacities of 1.5 and 2.0 liters are expected. Sounds familiar (and good), right?
The Miata's interpretation of Kodo design will be veer from that found on the Mazda3 and Mazda6, with "very clean and simple" lines marking out "more muscular proportions" and elongated bodywork on a longer wheelbase. A stretched engine bay will make room for the current Skyactiv engine and perhaps the future Skyactiv 2 powerplants, initial reports suggesting there could be a 30-percent increase in fuel economy from the moment it arrives.

Mazda considering a 'hyper' Mazda3 with the 250-hp 2.5-liter turbo four

Mazda boss Akira Marumoto said last year there'd be no Mazdaspeed version of the new Mazda3 because the hot hatch segment wasn't a priority for the carmaker. Then Mazda engineer Dave Coleman told Road & Track that without "an engine on the shelf that would fit properly," an MPS variant made no sense. The first reader comment on our Coleman post read, "Engine — you have it; cue up the 2.5T." Mazda might have been listening. Program manager Kota Beppu told Autocar he'd like a "hyper" Mazda3, the outlet figuring the 2.5-liter four-cylinder turbo would make the most sense for power. Autocar wrote "the project had not been officially signed off, [but] insiders suggest that is a formality." When Car and Driver queried Mazda and its sources about the report, the magazine realized "the company is seriously considering a high-performance hot hatch." What's more, "Drew Cary, senior manager for brand communications, said, 'We encourage people to ask for it, though. Our planners and executives are watching and listening to fans.'" The turbocharged 2.5-liter SkyActiv-G four-cylinder — which doesn't sell in Europe — makes 250 hp on premium gasoline and 310 pound-feet of torque in the Mazda6, CX-5 and CX-9. A next-generation SkyActiv-G is predicted on the way next year, bringing more boost and power. Even as is, we're talking a chunky lump of power to send to the front wheels, and Beppu mentioned torque steer. The new Mazda3's all-wheel drive would alleviate that bugbear. Unlike the raw, fast-twitch reflexes of the last Mazdaspeed3 from 2013, Beppu says a new model "needs to be responsible and friendly ... more friendly than a Golf GTI." And, "It should be fast." The polished looks and interior address the necessary perceptions. CD's done the math on the current 2.5-liter and predicts a five-second sprint to 60 miles per hour, which is Volkswagen Golf R and Honda Civic Type R territory, so GTI comparisons could be a case of aiming low. Imagine a 300-hp engine with a touch more torque and a six-speed manual ... If Mazda follows through with such a product, it could take two years to get the green light. However, we're told that Mazda's Los Angeles research and development center has already built a proof-of-concept to encourage and anticipate that green light.

Mazda is developing gas and diesel inline-six engines

Once the favored engine configuration for luxury and high-performance cars, the inline-six suffered a bit when the transverse (east-west) engine configuration became popular during the shift to front-wheel drive cars. The packaging benefits are obvious – no driveshaft or transmission intruding on passenger space or rear differential on cargo volume, plus turning the engine 90 degrees meant the front of the car could be shorter. But the inline-six is slowly, slowly crawling out of near-obsolescence, notably in BMW, Jaguar-Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz products. Add Mazda to that mix: An investor report first spotted by Jalopnik and confirmed by Mazda reveals that the company is developing a Skyactiv-X and Skyactiv-D inline-six that will be installed longitudinally (north-south) in a new "Large Architecture" platform. Before reading any further, let's catch up on the Skyactiv-X and -D technologies. The former basically burns gasoline like diesel, providing some benefits and advantages of both types of combustion - here's an explainer on how that all works. We drove a prototype 2.0-liter Skyactiv-X 4-cylinder engine in a Mazda3 mule, too. And the Skyactiv-D series of engines is a comparatively typical turbodiesel. Mazda has a 2.2-liter turbodiesel inline-4 that has had a long and convoluted development and certification process, but is finally showing up in the 2019 CX-5. Since Mazda has implemented these technologies in existing four-cylinder engines, we would assume that the new Skyactiv engines will be "modular" – that is to say, they'll essentially be the existing engines with two extra cylinders, rather than an entirely new design. Jaguar-Land Rover is doing a similar thing with its Ingenium engine family. Assuming the Mazda engines will be modular would mean they'll be roughly 3.0-liter units, which is a common displacement for modern inline-sixes. And as we mentioned eariler, they'll be arranged longitudinally, unlike any other Mazda save the MX-5 Miata (and the long-departed rotaries), in a new vehicle architecture. As part of a medium-term plan over the next six years, Mazda will develop some unspecified vehicles on what it calls the "Large Architecture". These vehicles will have 48V mild hybrid and PHEV capabilities, and be able to use a version of Mazda's i-Activ AWD system. Why do this at all?