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Confirmed: Mazda Miata gets more power, higher redline, telescoping wheel

Our friend over at Road & Track, Bozi Tatarevic, has a keen nose for stuff just like today's Miata news, and he spotted an article by the Japanese car magazine Car Watch that details Mazda's upcoming updates. Car Watch actually got to drive the car, too. There's a lot to go through, but the highlight has to be confirmation of what we told you earlier this year about a significant power bump: The Miata will indeed get an increase of 26 horsepower, from 155 to 181. But the power's not the whole story. Mazda has increased the redline from 6,800 RPM to 7,500. It's not clear at this point where torque and power peaks are in the rev range, or how these changes affect low-speed drivability, but more revs are almost always a good thing and aren't likely to detract from the roadster's fundamental goodness. Car Watch reports that lighter pistons and connecting rods are fitted to help reduce rotational mass in the 2.0-liter inline-four. Some valvetrain changes were needed to support the higher redline, mainly stiffer valvesprings to prevent valve float. Mazda also changed the shape of the valves and optimized the intake ports to breathe better at higher RPM. The inner diameter of the exhaust ports were increased to flow better through a new muffler better tuned to the engine's new operating range. This confirms and gives a little more detail to what we reported earlier based on a leaked document from Mazda Canada. Car Watch also confirms that the revised Miata will get a low-inertia dual-mass flywheel, which should help absorb some vibration, noise and harshness from the higher-revving engine without losing too much of the directness that a single-mass flywheel provides. Mazda usually gets stuff like this right, so while we won't know until we get a chance to drive it whether the DMF feels "right," we're not too worried about it. There's also a telescopic steering wheel, a first in any Miata, which has a range of about 1.1 inches. That doesn't sound like much, but it should help folks with longer legs reach the wheel without having to crank the seat forward. Interestingly, Car Watch reports that the telescoping wheel was opposed by some in the company seeking to save every fraction of an ounce of weight, and to get it through, the company apparently had to change some of the material in the upper steering column from steel to aluminum to satisfy the weight-conscious. Little details like these are fantastic.

Mazda will introduce a groundbreaking new diesel engine in 2020

Mazda is preparing to introduce its first series-produced electric car, but it's not sending the diesel engine to the automotive graveyard. The company remains committed to turbodiesel technology, and it will take its efficiency to the next level when it introduces a new range of engines in 2020. "We are sticking to diesel engines. In 2020, we have a new approach to diesel engines. We will show you how clean and very efficient diesel engines can be," pledged Christian Schultze, the head of research and development for Mazda's European division, in an interview with British magazine Autocar. He declined to provide specific details about the breakthrough that made a cleaner, more efficient diesel engine possible. Asked about how the engine compared to SkyActiv-X, the carmaker's newest and most innovative gasoline-powered engine, he pointed out "there are not so many differences between [gasoline] and diesel." His announcement falls in line with Mazda's belief that it's crucially important to consider real-world emissions over the life cycle of a car, not just local emissions. The company has realistically stated the internal combustion engine -- whether it burns gasoline or diesel -- will "continue to be the base power for 85 percent of all cars up until 2035." It might join forces with a 48-volt electrical system, or it might be part of a plug-in hybrid drivetrain, but it will still be around in 15 years. To that end, it's important to keep improving the technology, and not to prematurely pen its obituary.  "We hope governments wake up and see that electrification is one way but there are others, too," Schultze concluded, adding that SkyActiv-X is a step in the right direction. Mazda will release more details about its next turbodiesel engine in the coming months, but it's too early to tell whether it will available in the United States, where demand for oil-burning cars has hit rock bottom. As of 2019, the only diesel-powered Mazda sold in America is an upmarket variant of the CX-5 (pictured). Auto News Mazda Diesel Vehicles

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata battles Toyota GT86 on track

It's got two doors and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine up front, driving the rear wheels. It's made in Japan, and as far as bang-for-your-buck goes, it's a downright bargain. So which are we talking about, the Mazda MX-5 Miata, or the Toyobaru coupe known alternately as the Subaru BRZ, Scion FR-S, or Toyota GT-86? The answer is "yes," and it just goes to show, roofs notwithstanding, how close these two vehicles really are to one another. Which one is your favorite may come down to a matter of personal taste, but for its latest video, Auto Express set out to find out which laps faster around the track. On paper at least, the Toyota's 200 horsepower will trump the Mazda's 155 any day of the week, and twice on Sunday. Then again, the Miata does weigh a good 400 pounds less, even with the 2.0-liter engine and despite its convertible bodystyle – but is that enough to make up the difference? You're going to have to just watch the video for yourself to find out. All we'll tell you is that the match is pretty darn close – what you might call a photo finish, if they were actually racing each other at the same time as opposed to each racing the clock separately. So watch the video above and voice your support for your favorite little Japanese sports car in the Comments section. Related Video: