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2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata to make video-game debut next week in Forza Horizon 2 [w/video]

We've driven the all-new, fourth-generation Mazda MX5 Miata. Have you? Well, probably not. With the new roadster not set to hit dealerships until later this year (at the earliest), you might be stuck waiting a bit to climb behind the wheel of the highly regarded two-seater. Of course, if you happen to own Forza Horizon 2, your wait will be significantly shorter. And it'll be absolutely free to boot. The new convertible will make its video-game debut as part of a four-vehicle car pack for the open-world racing title. Downloads will start on March 17. Alongside the new MX-5, the Mazda car pack will also add representatives from each of the roadster's first three generations. Repping the NA will be the 1990 MX-5. The second-generation NB will be represented by the turbocharged 2005 Mazdaspeed MX-5, while the NC will arrive in the form of the Super 20 Concept, shown back at the 2010 SEMA Show. On top of the new vehicles, gamers will also have a chance to win a 2016 MX-5 as part of the new Mazda MX-5 Challenge. Running from March 17 to April 30, those interested in a free Mazda will need to lap its virtual counterpart around the Sisteron Perimeter Sprint Circuit, with the two fastest drivers slated to take part in a head-to-head race in June. The winner will walk away with their very own 2016 MX-5. Oh, and as a final juicy tidbit, the press release clearly states that the Miata weighs in at just 2,332 pounds – just a smidge more than the original NA. (That's with the manual transmission, of course – automatic cars are said to weigh 2,381 pounds.) You can get more specific details on the contest, as well as read more about the car pack, in the attached press release. Check out the release, as well as a preview vid of the MX-5 Car Pack. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. MICROSOFT AND MAZDA LET YOU DRIVE IT FIRST: ALL-NEW MAZDA MX-5 DEBUTS AS FREE DOWNLOAD FOR FORZA HORIZON 2 ON XBOX ONE IRVINE, Calif., March 12, 2015 -- Beginning March 17, Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) is giving Forza Horizon 2 players the exclusive opportunity to drive the all-new 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata on Xbox One months before the physical car goes on sale to the public. Additionally, by taking advantage of the free download of the car, and driving it in the game, users will have the chance to win one by competing in the new Time Trial Rivals Contest.

Aussie Mazda MX-5 Miata specs leak suggests power loss

Mazda's 2016 MX-5 Miata reveal didn't include much in the way of specifications, but the car's debut seems to have blown the lid off of the rumormill, with the latest word out of Australia including fresh claims of curb weight and engine output.
Before delving into the findings from Motoring.com, we're going to take a moment to find a few grains of salt. It's not that we don't trust the Oz publication, it's just that we wouldn't be surprised to learn their car's specifications will vary from that of our eventual North American car.
Of course, we don't expect the footprint of the new ND model to itself to differ much - it will still be the most compact Miata ever - overall length is expected to check in at just over 154 inches - that's about 1.4 inches shorter than the original NA Miata and over 4 inches shorter than today's NC generation, yet it'll ride atop a longer wheelbase and be slightly wider while sitting lower to the ground.

Mazda Miata 'fathers' Hall and Case offer a tour through the roadster's history

The original Mazda Miata broke onto the automotive scene in 1989 and was a huge success. However, the convertible's genesis goes all the way back to the early '80s. Bob Hall and Dean Case were among the inside men of the program on the US side, and they were on hand at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca during the recent MX-5 event there to tell some of their stories about the project's beginning.
Hall was on the Miata project from very early on, and one of his most fascinating stories is how the convertible got its shape. The droptop wasn't necessarily going to be a rear-wheel drive roadster. There were both front-wheel-drive coupe and mid-engine concepts being considered. In fact, the classic look of the NA generation was the least favorite of the three at the sketch stage.
Hall comes off as a jokester hiding a genius mind. He has a fountain of information in his head about what a Miata should be, but it all comes down to "less is more." However, he admits that it's easy to conceive that idea, but it's much harder to actually execute it well.