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Mazda MX-5 Miata All-Wheel-Drive Possible, but It Won’t Likely Happen

With every generation of the popular roadster from Japan, the Mazda MX-5 Miata has rewritten the rules of what a back-to-basics sports car should be. But have you ever imagined what it would be like if Mazda added an AWD variation to the lineup?
2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata (ND) 1 photo
Photo: Mazda
To be frank, the thought of that never crossed my mind. But the Assistant Manager for Drivetrain and Powertrain Development at Mazda did think about the possibility. Speaking to CarAdvice, Mr. Tetsushi Marutani declared that all-wheel-drive ”is also possible” for the current generation MX-5 Miata, “but there are many factors to consider first, especially that the car must deliver driving pleasure.”

That’s fine and all, wrapped in a glimmer of small hope, but don’t keep your fingers crossed because Marutani prefers the MX-5 Miata in rear-wheel drive configuration. Regardless of the fact that RWD is both cheaper and more economical, drive at the rear is the norm for every respectable sports car and supercar.

Of course, models such as the Lamborghini Huracan and the Nissan GT-R deviate from the norm with their fancy all-wheel-drive systems, but the truth of the matter is that rear-wheel-drive is still king in this automotive segment.

Giving the MX-5 Miata an all-wheel drive system will not only hike the price of the small, affordable sports car and make it heavier but it would also change the crisp driving dynamics of the ND we know and love. Based on Marutani’s statements and his choice of words about the matter, the Mazda MX-5 Miata AWD won’t happen anytime soon.

The company official also made it clear that the next-generation Mazda i-Active AWD system will become reality in about five years or so. The question is, though, will the production version of the Mazda RX-Vision Concept embrace i-Active all-wheel drive? Would you prefer it like that or would you rather favor the classically correct rear-wheel-drive architecture of its forerunners?
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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