Is The Next Mazda Miata Going Electric?
Rumors have been percolating that the next Mazda Miata might be an electric vehicle, or at least electrifed.
Rumors have been percolating that the next Mazda Miata might be an electric vehicle, or at least electrifed.
Yes, I know the buffs had this about a week ago (we have a small team, remember), but it's worth digging into a bit.
To be clear, it appears that the Miata will still have a gas engine and available manual transmission, at least for one more generation, but European patent documents filed in April show a Miata-looking vehicle with an electric motor in the front.
Not only that, but the motor and batteries would be setup in such a way that the car would maintain 50/50 weight distribution. This vehicle would be rear-wheel drive.
It's not clear if the car in the patent docs is a Miata or perhaps a new model that Mazda has planned. There's a drawing of a car that looks like the Miata -- but that doesn't necessarily mean that this patent is targeted at that car.
Nor does it mean Mazda will even build a vehicle with this setup.
It will be worth keeping an eye on, either way.
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