2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata (JDM)The next-generation Mazda MX-5 might come with a gas engine at first, but it will be ready for life "without a combustion engine."There's been endless speculation about the future of the Mazda MX-5 Miata. As this generation quickly ages, Mazda needs a new one to replace it and there have been many rumors about what will power the next generation. And while no specific powertrains have been confirmed for the next-gen Miata, Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro was very clear that electrification is in its future. "The successor must also be ready for a scenario without a combustion engine," he told German magazine Auto Motor und Sport. That sounds to me like Moro is saying that the new MX-5 will come with a piston engine at first but be designed to eventually support an electric version. When you consider the rumors that have surrounded the future drop-top sports car, that makes some sense. AdvertisementAdvertisementBack in March, Mazda's GM of global sales and marketing told Australia's GoAuto "Eventually, in the future, if the technology is there, then we will think about it. But at this moment, the internal combustion engine is the way (forward)." 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata (JDM)However, in 2025, Auto Express found patents of a Mazda MX-5 with batteries in its transmission tunnel. That would indicate Mazda using a typical combustion car chassis but one that's capable of housing batteries for future powertrains. It seems like Mazda wants to make a traditional sports car, just one that can handle electrification when the time comes. Fortunately, weight, or lack thereof, is still Mazda's main priority."The challenge for us is to make the basic structure lighter without using exotic materials like carbon fiber," Moro told Auto Motor und Sport. "The target weight for the developers is between just under 1,000 and 1,200 kilograms [2,200-2,645 pounds] . And I believe we can achieve that."AdvertisementAdvertisementThat's about as heavy as the current Miata. If Mazda can pull off an electric version that comes in at even close to the current Miata's curb weight, that'd be a monumental achievement.And Mazda wouldn't be the first brand to stuff its batteries into the transmission tunnel and potentially under the hood. Maserati does it for the GranTurismo Folgore, with a T-shaped battery pack that sees most of it under the hood, close to the bulkhead, and the rest in the transmission tunnel. Not only does that maintain a traditional weight distribution, rather than the typical skateboard battery pack design, but it helps the driver sit lower than in most EVs. For something like a Miata, that makes more sense than a typical EV platform.Electrogenic NA Mazda Miata EVThere's no timeline as to when an electric Miata might happen but I hope it's sooner rather than later. If Mazda can truly nail its weight and balance goals, while providing the instant power of an electric powertrain, a Miata EV could be a truly awesome sports car. We already know how great the original Miata is when EV-swapped. So I can't wait for a new one.
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