2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata and Cup Racer: Get the Inside Track [Video]

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We answer important questions about the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata and the global Cup racer. Why does the 2016 MX-5 have less power than the previous model? When will the MX-5 Miata Cup race car be available?

The 2016 Mazda MX-5 has a 2.0-liter DOHC in-line 4-cylinder engine good for 155 horsepower and 148 lb-ft of torque. Much to Emme’s delight, the 6-speed manual is standard equipment and the 6-speed automatic an available option. Compared to the previous generation MX-5, the 2016 model has less power, but more importantly the video reveals why the 2016 MX-5 is more powerful than the outgoing model. The answer is more than just being lighter than the NC MX-5.

Watch the video for answers and much more.

Global Mazda MX-5 Cup Race Car

The Mazda MX-5 Cup racer is a new global spec race car based on the fourth generation (ND) Miata. Making its global debut at SEMA last year, the new 2016 MX-5 Miata Cup car will be sold by Mazdaspeed Motorsports in turnkey form, straight from the factory in Hiroshima. A roll cage and fire suppression system will be fitted to the Cup racer at the factory. The final Cup car’s specs were finalized back in March with a price of $39k. Roughly 100 spec-Miatas will be produced the first year, of which half will get shipped to U.S. customers and the remaining going to Asia and Europe.

2016 mazda mx-5 cup car

The single-make SCCA Pro racing series has been in place since 2006. For 2016, the spec-race car gets a major update. The MX-5 Miata Cup is a stock car in the truest sense. Cold-air intakes and Mazdaspeed exhaust headers are the few modifications drivers are allowed, while the 2.0-liter four-cylinder is locked to prevent any internal tampering. The race exhaust runs through a catalytic converter, too, and the stock six-speed manual, dashboard, and body carry over. That lets Mazda make production changes to the street-legal Miata when it uncovers issues on the track, such as misfiring engine coils or broken shift forks, that warrant changes to series production parts.