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The Mazda MX-5 Miata is truly a four-season sports car

For all intents and purposes, the Mazda MX-5 Miata is a product of California. I know it says Hiroshima on the shipping container, but the car belongs to the Golden State as it was dreamt up in Irvine and honed its driving skills on the roads near Santa Barbara. And logic would dictate the Miata would be useless in any situation other than direct sunlight. That's what drivers from other states would think, anyway. It's the time of year when those of us from the west coast fly out to places where it's snowy and icy and everyone laughs at us because the cold and white stuff essentially shuts us down. Make fun of Californians driving in the rain or freaking out when the outside temperature dips below 55 degrees. What can we say, we're just out of our element. Perhaps, then, it's surprising the Miata handles snow a lot better than I do. I found this out when Mazda sent me to Crested Butte, CO, for a little fun on a frozen track. Yes, there was a lot of sideways action, but it had more to do with the two California residents inside than with the car. The company really invited journalists to Colorado to get an idea of how its all-wheel-drive crossovers perform when things get snowy and icy. But the real show was watching how we navigated the autocross course they set up for the rear-drive Miatas that Mazda brought along. The Miata had a good heater, but it was my laughter caused by immense admiration that kept me from freezing my fingers off. Armed with a set of Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires, the Miata performs just about how you'd expect it to – if you're light on the gas and quick with the steering and have a good amount of patience in you. It all works well if you're a pro driver, less so if you're not a frequent track visitor, regardless of the weather. But fortunately we were using the fourth-generation Miata, which has to be the most forgiving sports car ever. On pavement, it behaves like a compact hatchback. Put it in sixth and it's relaxed and compliant, with a ride that doesn't beat you up and an engine that knows when you just want to get where you need to go. Provoke it, however, and it rewards you with predictable responses from the controls. It does the same thing on ice, if you have a firm grasp on how a car responds to the frozen stuff. Starts are tricky, even in second gear, if you underestimate the power from the 2.0-liter four.

Mazda could electrify the next Miata, is trying to figure out how

The next Mazda Miata is at the embryonic stage of development. The men and women in charge of the project are debating whether to electrify the roadster, or if it's better to keep it true to its roots. The Miata is not a high-volume model in any market, so it doesn't need a plug to help Mazda comply with looming emissions regulations. The company explained it's not a matter of compliance; it's about how the definition of a sports car and the expectations of motorists could change in the 2020s. "The preferences of people who enjoy driving sports cars might be changing, so we need to think about what direction society is going in. We want to look at the best powertrain to keep the vehicle lightweight, but because of the diversifying requirements and preferences, we need to explore various options," Ikuo Maeda, Mazda's global design director, in an interview with Autocar. Adding any degree of electrification to the Miata beyond a relatively basic mild-hybrid system is easier said than done. An unusually low weight and a compact footprint defined the original model introduced in 1989, and these attributes continue to characterize the fourth-generation car (pictured) sold in 2019. Electrification requires batteries, batteries add weight and require space, and Mazda doesn't want to end up with a 3,000-pound Miata, or one that's the size of a Mercedes-Benz S-Class Convertible. Keeping its chassis balanced is a delicate task, too. Overcoming this challenge is not impossible, however, and batteries are expected to become lighter and smaller during the 2020s. The next-generation Miata isn't expected out until the middle of the 2020s, so Mazda has time to figure out whether it should go hybrid, arrive as an electric car, or carry on with a rev-happy, naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine. Maeda stressed a final decision on the matter hasn't been made yet. "I don't have the answer right now, but we need to make a vehicle that people can own without worrying that they are not being eco-friendly," he concluded.

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Launch Edition now available for pre-order

Want to be one of the first to buy the fantastic new 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata? Now's your chance. The pre-order books open at 12:00 PM Eastern for the very special Launch Edition, which is limited to just 1,000 units. All of the MX-5 Miata Launch Edition cars come painted in Soul Red with a Sport Tan leather interior, an exclusive combination for this special run. Buyers only need to choose between the six-speed manual transmission (the obvious choice), or a six-speed automatic. Pricing is set at $30,495 if you want the stick-shift, and $31,570 if you prefer the auto. So, want one? Of course you do. Head over to Mazda's pre-order site and place a $500 deposit toward the purchase of your car. Better act fast, though. When Mazda offered its 25th Anniversary MX-5 Miata via pre-order, all 100 of those cars sold out in just ten minutes.