2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata production model info
The one with the brown seats has a bit much brown, ie the center tunnel but the rest is cool.
02-22-2005, 12:16 PM
#4
Apathy Kills
Very nicely done. I'll take mine in dark blue with a black interior. 
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02-22-2005, 01:06 PM
#5
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i love it....brings back the essence of the 1st gen model without being retro. not too fond of the taillights or colored parts of the dash though.
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02-22-2005, 06:52 PM
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Ok, article time.
Sixteen years and 700,000 units ago, Mazda launched its back-to-basics Miata onto a roadster-hungry public. And while the aging two-seater, last redesigned in 1998, still finds favor among legions of driving purists the world over, Mazda felt that it was about time to give the fun little sports car a much-needed makeover.
This third-generation car, which debuts in early March at the Geneva motor show, will draw power from a new 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder, up from a 1.8-liter engine in the Miata today. The bigger engine will turn out about 20 more horses as well, reaching upward of 160 hp. The torque climbs to about 140 lb-ft.
Shifting duty will fall to one of two six-speed units, either a manual or automatic with a shift-it-yourself-via-paddles option.
Physically the Miata has grown in just about every measurable dimension, with a 2.6-inch longer wheelbase, as well as a 3.0-inch wider front track and 2.1-inch wider rear track. Overall length and height have increased nominally, each by just 0.8 inch, but the Miata is now measurably wider, by 1.6 inches.
That extra width comes courtesy of a departure in styling for the little roadster, which for the first time abandons its characteristic Coke-bottle shape for a more RX-8-like design, complete with flatter flanks and bulbous front fenders. The additional space afforded by this move not only benefits passengers with more hip and shoulder room, but also allows for the addition of side-impact airbags.
Look for a more complete review of the new Miata closer to the car’s on-sale date, which Mazda says will be sometime later this year.
http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=101860
Sixteen years and 700,000 units ago, Mazda launched its back-to-basics Miata onto a roadster-hungry public. And while the aging two-seater, last redesigned in 1998, still finds favor among legions of driving purists the world over, Mazda felt that it was about time to give the fun little sports car a much-needed makeover.
This third-generation car, which debuts in early March at the Geneva motor show, will draw power from a new 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder, up from a 1.8-liter engine in the Miata today. The bigger engine will turn out about 20 more horses as well, reaching upward of 160 hp. The torque climbs to about 140 lb-ft.
Shifting duty will fall to one of two six-speed units, either a manual or automatic with a shift-it-yourself-via-paddles option.
Physically the Miata has grown in just about every measurable dimension, with a 2.6-inch longer wheelbase, as well as a 3.0-inch wider front track and 2.1-inch wider rear track. Overall length and height have increased nominally, each by just 0.8 inch, but the Miata is now measurably wider, by 1.6 inches.
That extra width comes courtesy of a departure in styling for the little roadster, which for the first time abandons its characteristic Coke-bottle shape for a more RX-8-like design, complete with flatter flanks and bulbous front fenders. The additional space afforded by this move not only benefits passengers with more hip and shoulder room, but also allows for the addition of side-impact airbags.
Look for a more complete review of the new Miata closer to the car’s on-sale date, which Mazda says will be sometime later this year.
http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=101860
02-22-2005, 08:39 PM
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Another article:
Hard as it might seem to believe, it's been 15 years since Mazda first lifted the covers on the spunky little Mazda. The little roadster that made its world debut at the Chicago Auto Show that blustery February morning prompted one reviewer to describe it as "the best British sports car the Japanese ever built," and for obvious reasons.
Until then, no one had ever really been able to capture the simple design and fun-to-drive nature of classic British roadsters, like the Triumph Spitfire or MGB. Mazda went the Brits one better, rolling out a nimble two-seater that didn't need to spend half its life in the repair shop.
Over the years, Mazda has made a number of subtle improvements to the car also known as MX-5, yet but for the controversial decision to drop pop-up headlights with the second-generation roadster, today's Miata is, visually, pretty much the same car that it has always been.
Not for much longer. The Japanese automaker signaled something was in the works when it introduced the Ibuki concept vehicle at the 2003 Tokyo Motor Show. Mazda's U.S. planning chief, Robert Davis, was quick to assert that the edgy prototype, measuring a full foot smaller than what was then on the road, "is not the next-generation Miata." Well, not exactly, but anyone who looks at these pictures of the third-generation roadster will see the unmistakable influence of the '03 show car.
The new roadster bears a clear family resemblance to the first two generations of the Miata. Yet there's also the unmistakable influence of the Ibuki, especially in the curvaceous nose, with its large, oval air scoop, the sweeping tail, and the muscular wheel arches. And while not as slab-sided as the show car, the '06 Miata abandons the original car's coke-bottle shape. That has a functional benefit, improving interior space - and providing room for optional side-impact airbags. The new car gets wider, larger 17-inch wheels, too.
As you'd expect, Mazda maintains the manually-operated roof, which in the '06 features a single, central latch handle. There's also a new, removable hardtop, with a large, sweeping rear window.
The 2006 Mazda Miata making its formal debut next week at the Salon International de l'Auto in Geneva holds true to the original formula. It's light, simple and puts a premium on that fun-to-drive element that roadster purists crave, perhaps most of all. The Japanese call it jinba ittai, a translation of the idiom, "the rider and horse as one."
The basic layout maintains the Miata's classic front-midship engine, driving the rear wheels, but as with the Ibuki, the engine moves a bit rearward. In the production car, it's pushed back by 5.3 inches, which results in a weight balance close to 50:50. Overall weight is up 22 pounds, due to a variety of new features, as well as the use of ultra-high-strength steels. That helps the new MX-5 deliver 47 percent higher torsional stiffness than the last car.
The 2006 Miata gets a new 2.0-liter in-line four engine (a second, 1.8-liter powerplant will be offered in fuel-conscious Europe). It features double-overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, electronic port fuel injection and variable intake valve timing. While U.S. specs have yet to be released, the larger engine in European trim delivers 158 hp and 139 lb-ft of torque.
One of the more endearing little touches Mazda added to the original Miata was the careful tuning of its exhaust, chosen after studying the exhaust note of something like 100 classic roadsters. We're glad to hear that Mazda remembered to do the same thing this time.
A new, short-throw six-speed manual transmission will be offered at launch, while a six-speed automatic, with steering-wheel-mounted paddles, will follow.
As with the original, don't expect the new Miata to be the fastest car off the light, or to set a new top speed record on the Autobahn, but all signs suggest the new car will be quicker, nonetheless.
Increased use of aluminum held down unsprung weight. The new car continues with a double wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear suspension system. For improved braking, Mazda increased the size of the front rotors nearly an inch.
There are plenty of other little touches added to the new car, including an adjustable steering wheel, and a set of three storage compartments attached to the rear wall. New waist-level vents make it easier to direct hot or cold air if you decide to keep the top down on a less-than-perfect day.
We'll have to wait another week to see whether the new Miata delivers on its promise. TheCarConnection will be driving the roadster in Europe just before the official Geneva unveiling. Don't be surprised to see the look of the latest generation ruffle a few feathers. Purists are that way. But we'd expect that this latest update will breathe new fire into a brand that, 16 years after its introduction, has plenty of life left in it.
http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=8163
Hard as it might seem to believe, it's been 15 years since Mazda first lifted the covers on the spunky little Mazda. The little roadster that made its world debut at the Chicago Auto Show that blustery February morning prompted one reviewer to describe it as "the best British sports car the Japanese ever built," and for obvious reasons.
Until then, no one had ever really been able to capture the simple design and fun-to-drive nature of classic British roadsters, like the Triumph Spitfire or MGB. Mazda went the Brits one better, rolling out a nimble two-seater that didn't need to spend half its life in the repair shop.
Over the years, Mazda has made a number of subtle improvements to the car also known as MX-5, yet but for the controversial decision to drop pop-up headlights with the second-generation roadster, today's Miata is, visually, pretty much the same car that it has always been.
Not for much longer. The Japanese automaker signaled something was in the works when it introduced the Ibuki concept vehicle at the 2003 Tokyo Motor Show. Mazda's U.S. planning chief, Robert Davis, was quick to assert that the edgy prototype, measuring a full foot smaller than what was then on the road, "is not the next-generation Miata." Well, not exactly, but anyone who looks at these pictures of the third-generation roadster will see the unmistakable influence of the '03 show car.
The new roadster bears a clear family resemblance to the first two generations of the Miata. Yet there's also the unmistakable influence of the Ibuki, especially in the curvaceous nose, with its large, oval air scoop, the sweeping tail, and the muscular wheel arches. And while not as slab-sided as the show car, the '06 Miata abandons the original car's coke-bottle shape. That has a functional benefit, improving interior space - and providing room for optional side-impact airbags. The new car gets wider, larger 17-inch wheels, too.
As you'd expect, Mazda maintains the manually-operated roof, which in the '06 features a single, central latch handle. There's also a new, removable hardtop, with a large, sweeping rear window.
The 2006 Mazda Miata making its formal debut next week at the Salon International de l'Auto in Geneva holds true to the original formula. It's light, simple and puts a premium on that fun-to-drive element that roadster purists crave, perhaps most of all. The Japanese call it jinba ittai, a translation of the idiom, "the rider and horse as one."
The basic layout maintains the Miata's classic front-midship engine, driving the rear wheels, but as with the Ibuki, the engine moves a bit rearward. In the production car, it's pushed back by 5.3 inches, which results in a weight balance close to 50:50. Overall weight is up 22 pounds, due to a variety of new features, as well as the use of ultra-high-strength steels. That helps the new MX-5 deliver 47 percent higher torsional stiffness than the last car.
The 2006 Miata gets a new 2.0-liter in-line four engine (a second, 1.8-liter powerplant will be offered in fuel-conscious Europe). It features double-overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, electronic port fuel injection and variable intake valve timing. While U.S. specs have yet to be released, the larger engine in European trim delivers 158 hp and 139 lb-ft of torque.
One of the more endearing little touches Mazda added to the original Miata was the careful tuning of its exhaust, chosen after studying the exhaust note of something like 100 classic roadsters. We're glad to hear that Mazda remembered to do the same thing this time.
A new, short-throw six-speed manual transmission will be offered at launch, while a six-speed automatic, with steering-wheel-mounted paddles, will follow.
As with the original, don't expect the new Miata to be the fastest car off the light, or to set a new top speed record on the Autobahn, but all signs suggest the new car will be quicker, nonetheless.
Increased use of aluminum held down unsprung weight. The new car continues with a double wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear suspension system. For improved braking, Mazda increased the size of the front rotors nearly an inch.
There are plenty of other little touches added to the new car, including an adjustable steering wheel, and a set of three storage compartments attached to the rear wall. New waist-level vents make it easier to direct hot or cold air if you decide to keep the top down on a less-than-perfect day.
We'll have to wait another week to see whether the new Miata delivers on its promise. TheCarConnection will be driving the roadster in Europe just before the official Geneva unveiling. Don't be surprised to see the look of the latest generation ruffle a few feathers. Purists are that way. But we'd expect that this latest update will breathe new fire into a brand that, 16 years after its introduction, has plenty of life left in it.
http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=8163
