1999 Mazda Miata Mx-5 10th Anniversary on 2040-cars

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Mazda specs new MX-5 Miata with accessories

It's been 26 years since Mazda showcased the original Miata at the Chicago Auto Show, and now it's returned with a conceptual take on the new model, decked out with all the accessories and optional equipment your roadster-loving heart could desire. Or at least some of 'em, anyway. This show car is painted Ceramic Metallic (Zoom Zoom-speak for "white") and spec'd out with a full aero kit (including front air dam, side sills, rear skirt and lip spoiler) all done up in gloss black, 17-inch BBS wheels and Brembo brakes with red calipers. Mazda is also showcasing a carbon-fiber luggage rack for the new MX-5 that weighs less than two pounds and includes and integrated brake light. "The concept parts and accessories we have showcased at the Chicago Auto Show," said Mazda's North American chief Jim O'Sullivan, "were developed to give customers a look at what is possible for the new cars to make them truly one-of-a-kind, adding to that excitement." See them shown off in our high-res gallery of live photos, above. MAZDA UNVEILS 2016 MX-5 MIATA ACCESSORIES CONCEPT DESIGN AT CHICAGO AUTO SHOW CHICAGO, Feb. 12, 2015 -- The only thing better than the all-new 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata is a personalized 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata. Today at the Chicago Auto Show, where the first-generation MX-5 Miata was introduced to the world in 1989, Mazda revealed an MX-5 accessories design concept of the next-generation roadster that will hit showrooms this summer. At the Chicago Auto Show, Mazda revealed a 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata accessories design concept for the next-generation roadster that will hit showrooms this summer. "There is so much MX-5 history at the Chicago Auto Show, and we wanted to continue building on that," said Jim O'Sullivan, president and CEO, Mazda North American Operations. "The MX-5 is the soul of our company, and its enthusiast following both inside and outside of Mazda drives us to keep innovating new ideas for it and the rest of our lineup." Painted Ceramic Metallic, the 2016 MX-5 accessories concept will be on display from Thursday, February 12 through Sunday, February 22 and includes an Aero Kit, BBS Wheels and Brembo Brakes as well as a Luggage Rack shown separately in Mazda's display. MX-5 concept accessories include: - Aero Kit (Front Air Dam, Side Sill Extensions, Rear Bumper Skirt and Rear Lip Spoiler): The gloss-black Aero Kit is the same package found on the 2016 MX-5 Global Cup Car that debuted at SEMA in November.

Next-gen Mazda MX-5 Miata mule spied 'Ring testing

Fans of simple, lightweight motoring, rejoice - we now have images of the next-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata undergoing testing at der Nürburgring Nordschleife. Now, to be fair, this isn't some lightly camouflaged example that will give us a great peak of what the next Miata, which will also become the next Alfa Romeo Spider, will look like. This is a mule, with the new bits hidden under a current Miata's body. That doesn't mean there aren't a few scraps of valuable information here, though.
According to our flock of camera-toting spies at the Nürburgring, the next Miata is likely to grow a bit, as new models are wont to do. In particular, it will be longer and wider, and the wheelbase is likely going to be stretched, based on the shape of the wheel wells and doors. Both of those factors will add more space in the cabin.
Those are the big indications provided by these photos, but while the MX-5 might be growing, it's a safe bet based on these images that it, and the (likely pricier) Alfa, will retain the classic, long-hood, short-deck styling that so typifies rear-drive roadsters.

Import pickup truck-killing Chicken Tax to be repealed?

After over 50 years, the so-called Chicken Tax may finally be going the way of the dodo. Two pending trade deals with countries in the Pacific Rim and Europe potentially could open the US auto market up to imported trucks, if the measures pass. Although, it still might be a while before you can own that Volkswagen Amarok or Toyota Hilux, if ever. The 25-percent import tariff that the Chicken Tax imposes on foreign trucks essentially makes the things all but impossible to sell one profitably in the US, which lends a distinct advantage to domestic pickups. Both the Trans-Pacific Partnership with 12 counties and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union would finally end the charge. According to Automotive News though, don't expect new pickups to flood the market, at least not immediately. These deals might roll back the tariff gradually over time, and in the case of Japan, it could be as long as 25 years before fully free trade. Furthermore, Thailand, a major truck builder in Asia, isn't currently part of the deal, and any new models here would still need to meet safety and emissions rules, as well. Automotive News gauged the very early intentions of several automakers with foreign-built trucks, and they weren't necessarily champing at the bit to start imports. Toyota thinks the Hilux sits between the Tundra and Tacoma, and Mazda doesn't think the BT-50 fits its image here. Also, VW doesn't necessarily want to bring the Amarok over from Hannover. There is previous precedent for companies at least considering bringing in pickup trucks after the Chicken Tax's demise, though. The Pacific free trade deal could be done as soon as this fall, while the EU one is likely further out, according to Automotive News. Given enough time, the more accessible ports could allow some new trucks to enter the market.