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Mazda announced the start of production of the new 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata in Japan. Mazda's Ujina plant in Hiroshima began production of the new Japanese roadster, with Japanese deliveries slated for June. After Japanese deliveries begin, Mazda will begin rolling out the deliveries for the rest of the markets around the world, including the U.S. The first three generations of the Miata have sold an impressive 950,000 copies worldwide since the car launched in 1989.
The 2016 Mazda Miata, the ND generation of the car, brings back the original ideal of lightness and purity the first-generation NA Miata championed in the early 1990s. The ND Miata shaves an impressive 220 lb off the curb weight of the outgoing third-generation Miata, and manages to stay within 200 lbs of the first generation of Miata. The outgoing NC Miata, which ended production after the 2015 model year, wrapped up its life with a 25th Anniversary Edition Miata, based on the power retractable folding hardtop Miata variant. Ordering the special package included Soul Red metallic paint, Bilstein shocks, contrasted black wheels with black interior, special interior badging, and a limited edition Tourneau watch with watch winder case. If you are hoping to get your hands on one, you're too late, as Mazda sold out all 100 units in a scant ten minutes.
In the U.S., the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata will have 155 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque pumped out of a 2.0-liter inline-four engine. The rest of the world receives a smaller 1.5-liter engine pushing out 129 hp and 111 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent through the rear wheels through a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. The ND Miata is initially only available with a folding cloth top, with no word yet on a return of the power hardtop offered for the outgoing model.
Pricing for the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata has yet to be announced, but the 2015 model ran from $24,790 for a Sport model with a folding soft-top to $33,410 for the fully-loaded Grand Touring with a power hardtop. The roadster should go on sale in the U.S. this summer. Until then, take a look at the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata in the gallery below.
