Mazda has spent decades proving sports cars don’t need enormous muscle to be fun. They just need to be light, and that means EV power is out. Now one of those rules is about to change. CEO Masahiro Moro has confirmed the next MX-5, codenamed NE, is being prepared for electric power, and somehow Mazda thinks it can keep the little roadster seriously light.

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Speaking with Auto Motor und Sport only weeks after an Aussie Mazda exec said the next MX-5 could be the last to run a combustion motor, Moro said the MX-5’s replacement must be prepared for a future where combustion power is no longer viable at all due to regulatory roadblocks.

“The successor must also be ready for a scenario without a combustion engine,” Moro told the German title. “The challenge for us is to make the basic structure lighter without using exotic materials like carbon fiber.”

Instead of resorting to pricey composites, engineers are being challenged to make the underlying structure lighter using more conventional materials. And Mazda’s target sounds ambitious. Moro says developers are shooting for somewhere between “just under 1,000 kg and 1,200 kg (2,205-2,645 lbs)”, adding, “And I believe we can achieve that.”

If they can, an electric MX-5, most likely wearing a design inspired by the Iconic SP concept (below), could weigh roughly the same as today’s combustion models, or just a smidge higher. The MY26 roadster comes in at 1,003 kg (2,211 lbs) without a driver in Euro trim.

Electric Not The Only Answer

Mazda’s Icon SP concept from 2024.

Fortunately for piston fans, electric isn’t the only future Mazda is planning. The next MX-5 is also expected to use the company’s new 2.5-liter Skyactiv-Z four-cylinder. Some form of hybridization remains possible too, provided it doesn’t undermine the lightweight formula, in which case power could reach 220 hp (223 PS). Today’s hottest US Miata makes 181 hp (184 PS) and even Japan’s hardcore 12R model can’t top 197 hp (200 PS).

We’ll have to wait to see how Mazda makes all those options coexist, because the next-generation MX-5 isn’t expected before 2028 at the earliest. By then, the current ND will have enjoyed an impressively long innings stretching back to 2015.

Mazda Wants A Flagship Sports Car

But new Miata isn’t all we’ve got to look forward to. Moro has another sports-car itch he wants scratched.

“I want a ‘hero car’ for Mazda, a true flagship model that perfectly embodies our brand values,” he told Auto Motor und Sport.

Moro says the MX-5 will continue serving enthusiasts seeking accessible fun, but believes Mazda is missing something special at the opposite end of the showroom. He doesn’t expect this mystery machine to chase big sales numbers and even suggests it could be built largely by hand.

The Mazda MX-5 has survived changing fashions, shrinking sports car sales and an SUV-obsessed world. But there’s one battle it probably can’t win forever. Mazda has now hinted the next-generation Miata could be the last one powered by a combustion engine before electricity finally takes over.

The suggestion comes from Mazda Australia boss Vinesh Bhindi, who says a visiting company executive confirmed a new MX-5 is definitely on the way, even if nobody’s willing to say exactly when.

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“He also hinted at it possibly being the last ICE (internal combustion engine) version,” Bhindi told Australia’s Car Expert.

Senior Mazda execs have previously admitted the next MX-5 is still years away, despite the current ND generation now entering its twelfth year. Given how long previous generations have remained on sale, its replacement could easily carry the combustion torch well into the 2030s.

Old School By Design

The good news is Mazda doesn’t appear interested in reinventing the Miata while there’s still gasoline in the tank. Company executives have repeatedly stressed that the priorities remain refreshingly old school: keep it light, compact and naturally aspirated. And, perhaps most importantly, keep the manual gearbox option.

Reports suggest the next MX-5 could switch to Mazda’s new naturally aspirated 2.5-liter Skyactiv-Z engine, replacing today’s smaller 2.0-liter unit. It could also gain mild hybrid assistance to meet stricter emissions regulations without adding too much weight.

Ambitious Weight Target

Because weight remains public enemy number one. Mazda wants the next roadster to come in below 1,000 kg (2,205 lbs), an ambitious target considering modern crash standards and the possibility of hybrid hardware. If the engineers can pull that off, it’ll be one of the more impressive feats in the sports car world.

Beyond that, though, the writing seems to be on the wall. If the generation after this one arrives sometime in the mid-2030s, a fully electric MX-5 may no longer be optional due to CO2 legislation in key markets like Europe. Battery technology will almost certainly improve by then, but recreating the featherweight, tossable character that made the Miata famous won’t be easy.

Quieter At Home

We’ve got plenty of years yet before the MX-5 turns into a silent EV, but it is getting quieter in its home market. Tightening Japanese noise regulations have forced Mazda to dial back some of the roadster’s soundtrack, just as Mazda Europe is upping the decibel count on its own MX-5’s. The latest Japanese updates include quieter tires and a larger exhaust silencer, with that chunkier muffler even eating into trunk space on the retractable hardtop RF.

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