Would it not make SOME sense for Mazda to put the inline 6 in the MX5?

Posted by ALaLaLa98@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 92 comments

Hear me out please. Mazda has a 3 decade-long success on their hands. The MX5 has a VERY strong following, in spite of the fact that a lot of people have complained about how it's too slow, or too small, or whatever, regardless of whether or not that's fair criticism. Engine swapping a Miata for a bigger, more powerful engine isn't uncommon at all. You'll even find V12 Miatas out there. Mazda itself has been trying to be more upmarket for a few years now. They have an entirely new engine, an Inline 6 no less. Small rwd roadster + inline 6. Is this not obvious? An inline 6 Miata could be Mazda's Z4, or SL, only SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than any of those cars. I am pretty sure only A BUNCH of people have thought about this too. It seems like a total no brainer. In classic r/cars fashion, I fully expect people to tell me how "oh it's gonna throw off the balance", or that the Z4 doesn't sell well, or that the Miata is already perfect and nothing needs changing. Well the Miata didn't need turbocharging...until it got it. It also didn't need a hardtop...until it got it. It also didn't need a targa top...until it got it. It seems likely that the next MX5 is going to have some form of electrification. I think right now is a better opportunity than ever maybe. If Mazda puts the inline 6 in the Miata and does it right, they could have a real winner.