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2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata reveal livestream is here and now

Let's not understate the significance and difficulty of what's been accomplished here. In this ever-connected, constantly surveilled modern auto industry, Mazda has pulled a coup - it's kept a new vehicle under wraps. Yes, we've seen hacked up and camouflaged mules and maybe a form under a sheet, but Mazda is about to reveal its next-generation MX-5 Miata, and the car - let alone its specifications - hasn't been leaked anywhere yet. Not via clandestine camera phone snapshot, not by patent drawing, not by leaked ad copy, not even by diecast model. Believe us, we've looked.
And this isn't just some humdrum crossover or workaday compact, it's the Miata, the world's most popular roadster, apple of the enthusiast community's eye and seeming center of gravity for the Japanese automaker. For those who are genuinely excited about cars - about motoring - this is an impressive feat. If anything, Mazda's radio silence regarding the fourth-generation ND Miata has only served to heighten our anticipation for a model that probably won't reach showrooms for another year.
So, what's true and what's false among all the rumors? Will the already lightweight Miata really shed hundreds of pounds? What exactly will live under hood and drive those rear wheels?

Mazda won't build new Mazdaspeed3 or 6 based on current models

It's sad news but not entirely unexpected: According to a Motoring interview, Mazda doesn't intend to build high-performance versions of the latest Mazda3 and Mazda6. Instead, it will wait for the next generations of those cars to arrive before applying the Mazdaspeed treatment. When the future performance models do eventually arrive, expect them to take a step upmarket compared to the last ones. In the meantime, the Japanese brand will focus its engineering resources on the next-generation Skyactiv engine family, according to Mazda's North American operations president and CEO Masahiro Moro. "Our research and development department is 100 percent focused on delivering Skyactiv generation two and if we don't have this we don't have any other derivatives," Moro told Motoring. Once the new engines arrive around 2017, Mazda's engineers can start to develop performance versions. "MPS or performance model or a sort of iconic model of the future will be a little bit later at this stage," Moro said. Moro is already thinking about the direction for the future performance vehicles. He calls the previous Mazdaspeed3 "childish" and thinks it's time to go a different way. "Mazda brand has become more mature, more upscale, more sophisticated, and we have a new transition of the brand to relate that direction," he said. Rumors last year suggested that Mazda might introduce a new Mazdaspeed3 (speculative rendering above) as a concept at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. It would have reportedly used the CX-9's 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder tuned to 295 horsepower and an all-wheel-drive powertrain. The vehicle never appeared, though. The current Mazda3 and Mazda6 arrived in 2014, so a new generation of each wouldn't arrive until around 2020. That would put Mazdaspeed derivatives at 2021 or later. In short, it will be a while. For customers that have the Driving Matters attitude now, Mazda still offers the award-winning MX-5 Miata as a convertible and soon with an impressive folding hardtop. Plus, Fiat will sell its own versions of the car with 160 hp. We wouldn't mind if Mazda turned up the heat a little by introducing something like the Racing concept from last year's Tokyo Auto Salon, though. Related Video:

Mazda CX-5 facelift leaks online

It's only been a couple of years since Mazda introduced its CX-5 crossover, so it's hardly in need of replacement just yet. But to keep it fresh, the Japanese automaker is apparently preparing to roll out a facelift for the compact crossover.
The facelifted model is expected to debut at the LA Auto Show later this month, but before it does, a handful of images - apparently scanned from a brochure - have leaked out online. From what we can see, it looks like the revised CX-5 features a new grille with horizontal bars, LED headlamps derived from those on the new Mazda2, new fog light surrounds, new taillight graphics and, of course, new wheels.
Unfortunately we can't see what's going on inside, but it'd be safe to bet that, along with the revised exterior detailing, Mazda's probably taken the opportunity to update the interior as well.