Hidden alongside this morning's announcement of the new fourth-generation Mazda MX-5's arrival in a free-to-download Forza Horizon 2 pack is some even better news: the actual curb weight numbers for the new Miata.
So how much does it weigh? With the manual transmission, it tips the scales at a feathery 2,332 pounds; opt for the auto and you'll tilt just a touch higher at 2,381 pounds. It's possible to get a third-generation car below those weights in fully-equipped, streetable form, but it's neither inexpensive nor easy--and the same treatment would yield even better results on the new fourth-generation car.
This is pretty much dead-on Mazda's previously announced 150-pound weight savings over the third-generation MX-5, and makes the new ND MX-5 one of the lightest new cars available in America?and certainly the lightest sports car. With 155 hp and 148 lb-ft from its 2.0-liter SkyActiv four-cylinder, it should prove plenty peppy, too.
For many an enthusiast, light makes right, especially since you can always add power later?a turbo kit is much easier to add than weight is to delete.
Some may have hoped for an even lighter car?one closer to the original MX-5's sub-2,100-lb curb weight?but in light of today's pedestrian impact laws, crash testing, and high-tech consumer demands, it's a remarkable job of engineering.