Why American Buyers Really Don’t Want the Lightweight 990S Mazda MX-5 “Miata”
Mazda is offering a new lightweight 2022 Roadster 990S trim in the Japanese market. Saying “lightweight” to a Miata fan is like saying “squirrel” to a dog. Therefore, many publications have highlighted the innate awesomeness of having a Miata a.k.a. Roadster that is lighter - even though they haven't driven it. If it is lighter it must mean that it is more fun to drive and faster, right? Wrong. At least in this case.
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Back in the day when the American-market Mazda transitioned to the NC (third-generation) Miatas, the NA and NB Miata owners were dismayed their cars were no longer the best Miatas, and thus some were set to dismiss the NC. They pointed at it and said things equivalent to a bully saying “fat kid!” The trouble was, that "fat kid" was faster, safer, and better at pretty much everything a new Miata buyer wanted.
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The ND continued Mazda’s improvements to the model, making it even quicker than the NC. The 2022 Miata is still an ND (fourth-Gen). The U.S. Miata has been updated a few times in meaningful ways since the 2016, but the chassis and most of the running gear are the same. There was an engine improvement a few years back. The biggest difference between the U.S.-market Miata and the Japanese-market Roadster is the engine. In the U.S. Miata, we get a 2.0-liter engine with 181 hp. The Japanese market Roadster has a 1.5-liter engine which creates just 130 hp (97 kW). Fifty-one horsepower is a massive difference in a sportscar that is already underpowered by most yardsticks.
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Mazda has reportedly said (not to us) that the ways it shaved about 160 pounds off the Japanese-market Roadster are not possible for the U.S.-market Miata. In a nutshell, Mazda sourced lighter wheels and brakes, took out some sound foam, deleted the good audio system, and fitted a lighter hood. Mazda also doesn’t offer the lighter Roadster with a limited-slip differential. If you own a Miata, and if you have the 181 hp engine, trust this past and future Miata owner, you want the limited-slip Diff.
In a nutshell, the Japanese market 990S Miata (Roadster) will remain a slower car than the U.S. Miata with much less power and without a limited-slip Diff, but will be lighter by about the weight of a medium-sized passenger.
Tell us in the comments below if you would prefer the lower-powered, open-Diff car with its lighter weight, or the faster car we get in the U.S. Your opinion is valued, regardless of which you prefer.
Image of Japanese-market 990S Roadster courtesy of Mazda Media Support
John Goreham is a long-time New England Motor Press Association member and recovering engineer. John's interest in EVs goes back to 1990 when he designed the thermal control system for an EV battery as part of an academic team. After earning his mechanical engineering degree, John completed a marketing program at Northeastern University and worked with automotive component manufacturers, in the semiconductor industry, and in biotech. In addition to Torque News, John's work has appeared in print in dozens of American news outlets and he provides reviews to many vehicle shopping sites. You can follow John on TikTok @ToknCars, on Twitter, and view his credentials at Linkedin
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