REPORT: 2011 Mazda MX-5 Miata to get SKY-G power

Mazda MX-5 Miata Superlight Concept -- Click above for high-res image gallery

Big changes for the Miata? As a blog that's gone on record as adoring the current iteration of Mazda's quintessential sportscar, that notion is a bit worrisome. But we're a bit calmed down by the thought that the company is headed in the right direction. According to Inside Line, the 2011 MX-5 Miata will shrink in size a bit with an expected curb weight of just 2,200 pounds. That low weight should pay big dynamic dividends and boost efficiency, but the big news on that front will be an all-new engine.

Powering the next-gen Miata will reportedly be either a 1.3-liter or 1.5-liter version of the four-cylinder SKY-G engine (G as in gasoline) that Mazda showed off earlier this year at the Tokyo Motor Show. With an expected 150 horsepower, the current model's power-to-weight ratio would remain intact, and Mazda predicts the downsized mill will return up to 50 miles per gallon in the little sportscar. These are changes we can live with.