Mazda Mx-5 2010

Following a number of leaks of images and details, Mazda finally released official information for its facelifted MX-5 (Miata) range in October, when the car made its world debut at the Paris Motor Show. For the facelift, both the exterior and interior has been given a revamp, as has the car’s engine lineup, which now has a 500rpm higher rev limit. Today Mazda released the car, known in its home market as the Roadster, for sale in Japan, the first market to get the updated car.The 2010 model lineup can be distinguished by a new front-end design, revised side sills, and a new rear bumper. The character hump in the hood remains, as does the fender flares that give the barest of nods to the RX8’s design. A tweaked mesh grille is also more reminiscent of the Mazdaspeed3 (MPS) than previous designs, as is the new lower intake. Inside, the car's design is very much like the current model's with only minor stylistic updates such as the dark silver trim, new instrument panel, and new Recaro seats on select models. The car is also available with newly designed 16in and 17in aluminum wheels. The 16in wheels have five sets of twin spokes, while the 17in wheels have 10 twisted spokes. New exterior color options include Aluminum, Metropolitan Grey and Sunflower Yellow.Changes to the car’s powerplant range include the introduction of a forged crankshaft, fully floating pistons and newly designed valve springs. The rev limit for the 2.0L manual model now registers at 7,500rpm, with peak output of 160hp (118kW) 188Nm coming at 7,000rpm. The six-speed manual gearbox has also been upgraded with new carbon-coated synchronizer for improved shift-feel. A lower front roll center and retuned suspension make the car’s response to steering inputs more linear and enable the driver to precisely trace desired lines. A key refinement was made to the front suspension knuckles. The ball joints’ vertical pivot position was changed to reduce the height of the front roll center by 26mm. This decreased fluctuations in the vertical loading on the outer wheel during cornering maneuvres.The new range will go on sale in Europe in the first half of next year and is expected to arrive in North America shortly after for the 2010 model year.

Source: www.motorauthority.com