It’s actually happening! After all the hoopla, production has begun on the North America-bound 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata.
As reported earlier, the first 1000 cars off the line will be the MX-5 Launch Edition. Based on the Grand Touring trim line, these special few vehicles will also carry unique badging and will be sporting the exclusive combination of Soul Red exterior and Sport Tan leather interior. We now know these will come with an MSRP of $30,495 with the six-speed SKYACTIV manual transmission, or $31,570 for the six-speed automatic.
You can pre-register at www.LongLiveTheRoadster.com. Orders open on May 5th and cars should arrive in dealers late this summer.
For the rest of us not lucky enough to get in on the Launch Edition, there are the Sport, Club, and Grand Touring trim lines.
Those drivers wanting fewer features and a killer dealer will look at the Sport trim line. With a starting MSRP of $24,915, it sits on 16-inch alloy wheels and carries a host of new standard features such as a six-speed SKYACTIV-MT manual transmission, cruise control, LED headlights and tail lights, Bluetooth phone pairing and audio streaming, leather-wrapped shift knob, power door locks, and a single USB input.
Enthusiast drivers should take a look at the MX-5 Club, with a starting MSRP of $28,600. This comes standard with 17-inch gunmetal alloy wheels wrapped in 205/45R17 tires, front air dam and trunk-mounted rear lip spoiler, limited-slip rear differential, Bilstein® shocks and shock-tower brace when equipped with the manual transmission. Additionally, MX-5 Club is available with a $3400 package that equips it with forged, lightweight BBS 17-inch wheels, Brembo® front brake rotors and calipers with painted front and rear calipers, functional aerodynamic side sill extensions and rear bumper skirt.
Goodies inside the Club include piano black seat back bars and exterior mirror caps, MAZDA CONNECT™ with a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system and commander control knob and an AM/FM/HD/SiriusXM® satellite radio with a nine-speaker BOSE® audio system with headrest speakers.
Moving to MX-5 Grand Touring endows the roadster with 17-inch bright alloy wheels, leather-trimmed heated seats, automatic climate control, BOSE® nine-speaker audio system with headrest speakers, AM/FM/HD/SiriusXM® radio, MAZDA CONNECT™ with a seven-inch touchscreen monitor, commander control knob, Homelink® garage door opener, rain-sensing wipers and adaptive headlights, all in addition to MX-5 Sport’s standard equipment. You also get Mazda’s i-ACTIVSENSE suite of safety features including blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and lane-departure warning. MX-5 Grand Touring has an MSRP of $30,065.
An automatic transmission is available across all trim lines for an additional $1075. Keyless entry is also an extra option for $130, although it is standard with the automatic.
A power retractable hard top is not available on any 2016 MX-5.
As a vocal Miata enthusiast, I personally think the Club trim line is the way to go. The limited-slip differential is absolutely necessary for getting the most out of your MX-5 in the twisties. While the Grand Touring also comes with the limited-slip, it’s also loaded with nannies that just aren’t necessary.
No word on when the Sport, Club, and Grand Touring vehicles will find their way to dealerships, but we hope it’s in time to enjoy some top down weather.
Check out the TFL Car review of the 2014 Miata. Do you like this NC version better than the 2016 ND? Tell us in the comments!
Emme is a driver, reviewer, rabble rouser, and Gazelle who can be found online on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and either one of her blogs.
