Mazda Admits Turbocharged MX-5 Miata Is Awfully Tempting

Feb. 03, 2015 11:00 AM ET by Jay Traugott Rumor / 45 Comments

And it's totally doable.

Sales have yet to officially begin and already Mazda has big plans in place for its all-new fourth generation MX-5 Miata. We're just now learning about its official specs, such as its 2.0-liter SkyActiv four banger with 155 hp engine. That's the US-spec engine. Europe, Japan and other countries will also be given a less powerful 1.5-liter option. But Mazda knows MX-5 buyers typically want as much power and driving fun as possible, and a turbocharged version hasn't been ruled out.

Mazda's head of global PR just hinted at this possibility during MX-5 test drives in Spain, stating that "we will have this ND-series model for maybe ten years, which gives us plenty of time to make many variants. And yes, a turbocharged or MPS variant is one of the options we will definitely consider." Another possibility is to offer the larger 2.5-liter four pot, but that may impose a problem: weight. Mazda wants to maintain the roadster's 50:50 weight distribution and turbocharging may be the best method to guarantee that. "Turbocharging is preferable, even to a V6 now. We can use a lighter engine with the same power or more, and achieve (the) emissions and fuel consumption we need."