2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Takes on an Aluminum Balance Beam

The open-top lightweight sports car boasts a front-midship engine, two seats in the middle and drive at the rear. The engineers behind the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata (ND) are adamant that there’s a 50:50 front-rear weight distribution, but does that promise hold water when it’s put to the test?

You’ve probably seen the video by now and there’s a good explanation to be made. The 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata is a packaging work of wonder. From the get-go, the pitch was to achieve the 50:50 weight balance with the driver inside. Yes, boys and girls, that’s Japanese engineering at its best, with a little Jinba ittai (man and horse as one body) on top.

Putting the two-seater roadster on a balance beam to see if the vehicle stays centered is, at the end of the day, a bit of a pfaff. If it were a perfect setup, the beam would tilt either way due to the vehicle’s weight and high center of gravity over the balance point. There may be some truth behind this grandstand play, but we wouldn’t mind if the Mazda MX-5 Miata would boast a 55:45 weight distribution IRL.

Even the US microsite claims “near-perfect 50/50 front/rear” distribution, so go figure what our position is. Regarding the curb weight of the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata, the US-spec model tips the scales at 2,332 pounds (1,058 kilograms) for the manual or 2,381 pounds (1,080 kg) for the automatic. As the base 1.5 packs 130 ponies and 111 lb-ft (150 Nm), the 2L SkyActiv-G with 155 HP and 148 lb-ft (200 Nm) is our pick.