The Mazda MX-5 Miata FR made its formal debut at the 2016 New York Auto Show.
Mazda will mark the New Year with the launch of the new MX-5 Miata RF, and it says its “most loyal customers” will have reason to celebrate because they will get first crack at ordering the distinctive retractable fastback model that made its debut at the New York International Auto Show last March.
A special MX-5 RF Launch Edition model will be available and will feature just one option: the choice of a SkyActive-MT six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic transmission.
“Rarely does any automaker have a vehicle that garners the sort of loyalty and enthusiasm MX-5 generates,” said Robert Davis, senior vice president with Mazda North American Operations, “something we don’t take lightly. MX-5 RF is the next chapter of this storied model line, and we can’t think of a better way to give back than to first offer this bespoke Launch Edition to those who have stuck with us.”
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The launch of Miata RF was one of the big surprises at this year’s New York show and came shortly after the debut of an all-new, fourth-generation version of the little roadster, known to fans by its internal codename, the ND.
Despite the complex system needed to operate, the RF weighs about the same as the ragtop.
Short for Retractable Fastback, the unusual design bears more than a passing resemblance to the Porsche 911 Targa. Unlike the new Miata ragtop or the prior generation’s folding hardtop, the rear frame of the RF’s roof, complete with flying buttresses, remains in place while both the roof itself and the back glass fold away.
“You wait all your career to touch an icon like this,” designer Julien Montrosse, gushed during a New York Auto Show preview.
Those buttresses actually serve a functional purpose, providing the rear support for the unusual, folding roof. They also add rollover protection for the little roadster.
It’s a complex system – though in operation it is rather elegant to watch, designer Montrosse suggesting it was a “very difficult three-dimensional equation” for the Miata RF product development team to work out.
Surprisingly, the folding top, supports and motor drive system add little additional mass. By using aluminum for the top, the RF is, overall, “almost comparable” to the weight of the ragtop Miata.
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The cockpit layout of the Miata RF is the same as the ragtop roadster, with the same interior space and the same sized trunk.
The Miata RF Launch Edition will be offered in the same, unique color combo as the prototype.
The powertrain will also be the same as the ragtop edition. When the fourth-generation MX-5 was launched for the 2016 model-year, it introduced a new 2.0-liter package making 155-hp, down from 167 with the NC, or third-generation Miata. But torque jumped to 148 pound-feet from the old model’s 140.
Mazda has yet to release some of the key details about the RF, notably its price, though it’s expected to carry a premium over the stock ragtop model. It’s also expected to be more heavily equipped than the base version of the ND Miata.
The maker does note that it will build a maximum of 1,000 Miata RF Launch Edition models for the U.S. market. It also said that the MX-5 RF will be the only Miata model to get the distinctive color package used for the New York prototype: Machine Gray Metallic paint color, Auburn Nappa leather interior trim with a hand-painted black roof panel.
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