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Mazda Miata getting i-ELOOP regenerative 'braking' in more markets

The Mazda MX-5 Miata is getting the company's i-ELOOP regenerative "braking" system in more overseas markets. A few months ago, the company announced it for the Japanese market, and this week it announced the U.K. will have the feature, too. This has us curious as to whether it will be offered on U.S. market Miatas. We've reached out to Mazda, and we'll update this story if and when we hear back. As a quick refresher, i-ELOOP is a system that was introduced here on the Mazda6 several years ago, and it adds a capacitor to store electricity generated by the alternator during deceleration (hence our earlier use of quotes around "braking") that can be used to run interior accessories such as the sound system and climate control. Then, with power coming from the capacitor, the alternator can be disengaged, improving the efficiency of the engine by reducing drag. And by using a capacitor rather than a battery, the system is more compact, lighter and able to recharge faster than a similarly capacious conventional battery. As for effectiveness, the Mazda6 with i-ELOOP managed to get about 5% more miles per gallon on the highway than one without, going from 38 mpg to 40 mpg. While not a massive improvement, it was a measurable, possibly noticeable one. Applying a similar gain to a Miata would increase fuel economy from 35 to nearly 36.75 mpg on the highway, based on the automatic-equipped car's numbers. The manual would go from 34 to nearly 35.7. The i-ELOOP system is standard on all new Miatas in the U.K., which includes the 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter engines with either the manual transmission or automatic. Strangely, only automatic-equipped cars get it in Japan. This means Mazda could offer it on both transmission options in the U.S. Probably the key consideration will be cost. The system, when it launched in the U.S., was only available on the most expensive Mazda6, and even then it was an extra-cost option. And looking at pricing for the U.K. Miata soft-top and comparing equivalent trim levels, the price has increased between GBP2,800 and GBP4,100. The new model does get some new standard safety features, too, but we expect the i-ELOOP system is a significant contributor. If it is offered in the U.S., it might only be available as an option, and possibly only on the more expensive trim levels to keep lower trims more affordable. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Mazda engineer wants new rotary to be turbocharged

Hope springs eternal for Mazda to revive the high-revving Wankel engine for a new sports car, and the company keeps feeding that thirst with hints that it could happen. To make the possibility even more tantalizing, Mazda drivetrain and powertrain assistant manager Tetsushi Marutani tells Motoring that he wants the updated mill to pack a turbocharger. "Personally, I think that a rotary with some turbo or compressor would be good," Marutani said to Motoring. "Because a rotary, in my opinion, they require more [torque at] low speed, low down torque. So if we have some small compressor or turbo it would help." Mazda hasn't sold a rotary-powered model since the RX-8 and hasn't had a turbocharged one since the third-generation RX-7. However, the recent RX-Vision concept (above) at least hinted at a possible Wankel revival, and Mazda officials confirmed that its engineers continued to develop the engine since the RX-8's demise. The RX-Vision used a next-gen rotary called the Skyactiv-R, but Mazda didn't officially confirm any details about it. Rumors suggested the engine had a two-rotor layout with a total displacement of 1.6 liters. A two-stage electric turbo and hybrid powertrain would allegedly boost the total output of around 450 horsepower. The electric assistance could also counter the Wankel's lack of torque at low revs and poor fuel economy. Those rumored specs sound fantastic, but we still take the rotary's return with a grain of salt. Mazda CEO Masamichi Kogai is adamant that it's not worth the company's limited resources to develop a niche sports coupe instead of better selling vehicles. Related Video:

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata won't get power folding hardtop

Following the reveal of the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata, more and more details (and rumors - oh, the rumors) are coming out regarding exactly what's in store when the car finally goes on sale. Our own Chris Paukert had plenty to say about the exterior and interior, and we've now seen the first photo of the engine. But a new report from Automobile sheds even more light on the 2016 Miata - specifically, that the power folding hardtop model won't be available, at least initially.
Automobile reports that the 2016 MX-5 will only be offered with a cloth top, and an insider confirmed that the mechanism is light and accessible enough that it can be raised and lowered with one hand from inside the car. Mazda officials would not comment on the availability of a hardtop in the coming years.
That said, a hardtop Miata isn't out of the question. There will likely be some sort of fixed roof available - even as a one-piece, lift-off accessory - if only for club racing. Also, remember that the current NC Miata's hardtop is the only one on the market that doesn't take up any additional trunk space, so it's an attractive proposition for buyers. Currently, the power hardtop is only offered on the Club and Grand Touring MX-5 Miata trims.