Please don't call it a Miata

We know that the pictures of the new MX-5 got you talking, but there wasn't much meat behind the bread. Now the information is out and the biggest shocker is the loss of the Miata name. The new car will be marketed as the MX-5, the same name that Mazda has used for the car since its inception everywhere but North America. Many Mazda fans know the Miata as an MX-5, but to the uninitiated it will take some getting used to. Other news comes in the way of the powertrain. A 170 horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder replaces the 142 horse 1.8 from last year. Torque is 136 lbs-ft with 95 percent of it available at the 6700-rpm redline. Dimensions have grown too, the wheelbase is 2.6 inches longer, though length has only grown 0.8 inch. Front track is 3.0 inches wider, rear is 2.1 wider. This will be sure to get you talking again.