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Chicago Auto Show page claims 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata to produce 155 hp [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Mazda wasn't willing to confirm or deny the figures cited by the Chicago Auto Show, although we're betting the 155-horsepower figure is a bit on the low side. As for the CAS page, a Mazda spokesman told Autoblog that they "aren't sure where they got that number." The horsepower estimate has since been pulled down. Well, someone may have made a boo-boo. The Chicago Auto Show is currently hosting a page that claims the Mazda MX-5 will produce 155 horsepower, courtesy of a 2.0-liter, Skyactiv four-cylinder. If this is correct, it'd be the first time the MX-5's US power output had been revealed. The 155 hp figure would account for a 12-hp drop from that of the outgoing MX-5, though, a corresponding weight loss should still improve the power-to-weight ratio for the 2016 model. Now, the CAS page could simply be following previous reports, including one from Autoblog. As recently as October, it was being reported that the MX-5 would be powered by a 2.0-liter, Skyactiv four-cylinder, a version of which is producing 155 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque in the Mazda3. Naturally, we've reached out to Mazda for comment – or perhaps even confirmation – on the info from CAS, although we aren't expecting a reply until at least later this morning (darn time zones). Of course, as soon as we hear anything, we'll update this story. Related Video:

BMW tops Consumer Reports 2023 Brand Report Card

Feels like we wrote about Consumer Reports' 2022 Brand Report Car and 10 Top Picks a few weeks ago, but it was last April. So the mag is back with a ranked roster of 32 brands and 10 vehicles in four categories for your debating pleasure. Starting with the brands, last year's top three were Subaru, Mazda and BMW. This year, the Munich crew climbed two spots to win the prize thanks to "Superb road test scores and solid results in CR’s reliability and owner satisfaction surveys." Subaru narrowly fell to second, maintaining its four-year run in the top three. Mini, eighth last year, jumped five spots to get the last step on the podium. The rest of the top 10 were Lexus (up one spot from last year), Honda (down one spot from last year), Toyota (up three), Genesis (up 12), Mazda (down six), Audi (down three) and Kia (up eight). The magazine and testing outfit says its Brand Report Card "[reveals] which automakers are producing the most well-performing, safe, and reliable vehicles based on CRÂ’s independent testing and member surveys," and that "Brands that rise to the top tend to have the most consistent performance across their model lineups." Last year's top 10 had six automakers from Japan, three from Germany (giving Mini credit for England), none from the U.S. or South Korea, and five luxury brands. This year's list counts five makes from Japan, two from Germany because Porsche fell out of the top ten, two from South Korea, still none from the U.S., and four luxury brands. Buick again ranked as the best domestic, dropping to 12th after being 11th last year. The big mover was Lincoln, its 10-place jump up to 16th attributed to better reliability from the Corsair and Nautilus. Tesla's improved overall reliability saw it climb six spots to 17th. Dodge climbed one spot to 15th. Jeep got out of the penalty box in last to come second-to-last. Land Rover fell three places into the penalty spot.  CR's top 10 vehicle models The 10 Top Picks list is practically a new list. Only two holdovers made it to 2023, those being the Subaru Forester and Kia Telluride.

Mazda2 with extended-range hybrid rotary tech shown

Every story dealing with a new rotary engine from Mazda lands in a different place on the matrix of possibilities between "Coming soon!" and "Never gonna happen!" In 2011 it was speculated that the rotary engineering program would be shut down with the demise of the RX-8, in 2012 the program was still alive and taking lessons from the SkyActiv engines, in August 2013 a Mazda insider said a rotary engine called 16X would be here in two years, in November the CEO said the only way we'd ever get a new rotary is if Mazda could sell 100,000 of them per year. Meaning that, for the moment, you can forget about it.
And yet, last month Mazda was putting journalists in a Mazda2 RE Range Extender, an electric car using a 0.33-liter rotary to power its lithium-ion batteries when the charge runs down. With a 75-kilowatt, 100-horsepower electric motor turning the front wheels, the Wankel generator and its 2.6-gallon gas tank living under the trunk double the range of the electric-only Mazda2 to 250 miles.
There's been talk of using a rotary to assist an alt-fuel vehicle for at least seven years, with Mazda pairing an electric motor with a rotary that ran on gas and hydrogen in a Mazda5 in 2007. Since then, almost all of those stories debating its return or demise also spoke of the oddball motor's advantages, such as compact size and ability to run on various fuels, as an aid in an unconventional powertrain.