2016 Mazda MX-5 Power Figures Revealed

Having owned a few Miata and MX-5 cars over the years, I am here to tell you that the cars have never been about power and raw performance. The MX-5/Miata is the epitome of a momentum car. That means you have to keep the momentum up when you are hooning the crap out of it on the track. As I have told more than a few novice drivers, you just don’t use the brakes as much as you think you should, and it’ll turn like a go kart.

The MX-5 has always been about handling, and the car is capable of carrying more speed through corners than most people’s skivvies can handle. Mazda has officially announced the power numbers for the all-new 2016 MX-5 and on one hand, the numbers are underwhelming. The 2.0L SkyActiv 4-cylinder engine will produce just 155hp and 148 lb-ft of torque.

The current car produces 167hp and 140 lb-ft of torque. That’s the bad part, the new car makes less horsepower than the old one and most of us would be hard-pressed to notice 8 lb-ft more torque. The upside is that we know the new car will be lighter than the old one. Exactly how much lighter we still don’t know, as the weight figure has yet to be announced. That said, I’d expect better performance even though the car has less power than the old MX-5, and that will be how Mazda justifies the reduction in horsepower.