The current-generation Mazda MX-5 is getting a bit...old. There’s just no going around it. The ND platform—despite getting several updates over the years—is already turning a decade old in 2025. Not that we’re complaining, of course, because we still love the Miata, but it makes people wonder if this will be the last iteration of the famed sports car.
Recently, though, the guys at Road & Track were able to talk to a few Mazda executives, and they made very, very good use of the time and confirmed whether or not there’s still a Miata in the future. The short answer, fortunately for all car enthusiasts, is yes.
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The long answer includes the fact that “detailed thought is already being given to a fifth-generation version” so that it meets global emissions and safety standards. But what makes all of these better is that Mazda chief technical officer Ryuichi Umeshita told Road & Track that the key to the next-generation MX-5, no matter what its future looks like, is that it should still be lightweight.
It also appears that the engineers sticking to that philosophy is pushing Mazda to retain internal combustion engines rather than go for electrified powertrains, since the former is much lighter than the latter. Chances are, the next-gen Miata will have one of the new Skyactiv Z powerplants. And it seems Umeshita is determined to put a manual gearbox in the fifth-generation MX-5, which is another “key for the package,” saying that it gives the sense of Jinba Ittai. The CTO also said that Mazda isn’t eyeing increasing the power of the car, as “the current power-to-weight ratio is enough.”
We couldn’t agree more. And we can’t wait to see what’s next for the Miata.
