2010 Mazda MX-5 Miata

2010 Mazda MX-5 Miata

There is just something about a roadster that plasters a smile to your face. Maybe it is the wind rushing past, the sound of the engine and exhaust as you wind up through the gears or maybe it is just the sun glistening down on you as you roam through the countryside. In any case, the Mazda Miata has always been fairly economical, but now there is a flurry of rumors swirling that the next generation Mazda Miata will get even better fuel economy than the current model that sees the upper end of the 20s on the highway. How? Enter the newest technology from Mazda sheathed in the SKY series of engines.

The SKY series of engines were revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show earlier this year and consists of the SKY-G direct injection gasoline motor and the SKY-D clean diesel engine. It doesn’t end there; Mazda has also showcased the SKY Drive automatic transmission as a complementary piece of technology to help improve efficiency. The SKY grouping of technology is part of Mazda’s plan to increase its average fuel economy by 30% by 2015 (assuming 2008 as a base). You might be able to see where we are going with this.

2010 Mazda MX-5 Miata

2010 Mazda MX-5 Miata

Yes, this could mean that the 2011 Mazda Miata’s miles per gallon could be in the neighborhood of 70 mpg. However, our partners over at MotorAuthority.com speculate that 50-mpg is probably more likely. Any way you slice it, the next generation Miata is bound to cause a stir. Maybe this is why it is one of the best selling sports cars of our time? Or maybe it is that whole wind in your hair notion; you decide.

 

Be sure to check out more of the details around the High Gear Family of sites, including the coverage on TheCarConnection.com and MotorAuthority.com.