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The Mazda Miata generations average about eight to 10 years, which means the current fourth-generation ND Miata, in production since 2015, is starting to get a little long in the tooth. It’s hard to imagine the Miata being anything other than a rear-wheel-drive gas roadster, but Mazda is reportedly in the midst of trying to electrify it.
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That’s according to Motor1, which obtained the following statement from Mazda this week:
Mazda is seeking to electrify the MX-5 Miata in an effort to have all models feature a form of electrification by 2030. We will work hard to make it a lightweight, affordable, open two-seater sports car in order to meet the needs of customers.
Motor1 deduces from this (or perhaps confirmed on background with Mazda) that this means that the next-generation Miata, the NE, will be electrified, and perhaps that is right but it also seems possible that Mazda might wait for the NF, since 2030 is a good long time from now. It’s also possible that Mazda means all “models” of the Miata will have some sort of electric drive, but it’s more likely that some kind of hybrid or electric version of the Miata will be an option.
Certainly a car company can make a light hybrid (the original Honda Insight was lighter than the current Miata by a decent amount) but it’s not easy, and it always presents trade-offs.
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I also don’t know what the point of electrifying the Miata is, other than Mazda going along with the prevailing sentiment or complying with government regulation, as the manual Miata gets 29 mpg combined. Getting 29 mpg is not stellar, but it isn’t bad either and also it’s not like Mazda sells a ton of these things.
Mazda sold 8,807 Miatas in the U.S. last year, or about three percent of its total car sales in the U.S., a number I wouldn’t expect to be too different globally. Still, the MX-5 is Mazda’s defining product, a car that can’t go away and probably never will. If I were Mazda, then, I’d be trying to figure out what an all-electric version of the Miata looks like, make it, and then show it to the world and explain that the Miata has been with us for over 30 years and this is the version that will be with us for the next 30. Mazda would probably sell at least 8,807 of them.
The next-gen Audi RS3 is nearly upon us. We know it’ll have the proper engine, as the company not-so-subtly teased by inscribing the firing order of the RS3’s turbocharged five-cylinder on the side of its camouflaged wrap. While Audi’s not quite ready to spill all the beans on its next compact sport sedan (or wagon for lucky customers outside the U.S.), it is offering a sneak peek into a major component: the RS Torque Splitter.
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First, let’s confirm those engine stats. The RS3’s 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine once again delivers 394 horsepower, though that peak power is available for a wider chunk of the rev range, from 5,600 to 7,000 rpm. There’s also slightly more torque on offer, jumping from about 354 lb-ft in the outgoing RS3 to 369 lb-ft in the new one. Once again, it’s connected to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
The result is a sprint to 62 mph from a standstill that’s about three tenths of a second quicker, at 3.8 seconds, on the way to a top speed of 180 mph provided the RS Dynamic package and its ceramic brakes are optioned. An “entry-level” compact sedan that hits 60 in under four seconds — you couldn’t dream of that 15 years ago.
But that’s not what Audi appears to be most excited about with the new RS3. The company detailed the RS Torque Splitter that sits on the sport sedan’s rear axle in a presentation to media last week. The new system replaces the old rear differential, opting for electronically controlled clutches on each half shaft. These handle torque vectoring, sending power to the inner or outer rear wheels depending on cornering scenarios and slip. Here’s a deeper explanation, courtesy of Audi:
The exact distribution of drive torque always depends on the mode selected in Audi drive select and the respective driving situation. Each of the two multiple disc clutches has its own control unit, which use the electronic stabilization control’s wheel speed sensors to measure the wheel speeds. Other influencing factors include longitudinal and lateral acceleration, the steering angle, the position of the gas pedal, the selected gear, and the yaw angle, i.e. the rotational movement around the vertical axis. In addition, the torque splitter is connected to the modular vehicle dynamics controller as a higher-level entity.
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As you’d expect, the Torque Splitter factors into the RS3’s various drive modes, and there are two in particular that are especially relevant: RS Performance and RS Torque Rear. RS Performance is your optimal mode for peak grip in all conditions, aiming to strike that mythical balance between understeer and oversteer. Meanwhile, RS Torque Rear — which Audi has nicknamed “Drift Mode” and cautions is only intended for use on a closed course — sends all the power straight back, and up to 790 lb-ft of torque to either rear wheel.
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The car’s Electronic Stabilization Control system has been tuned to account for the Torque Splitter and can still be turned off, for those who think they know better than stinkin’ computers. The suspension touts new shock absorbers, exclusive to the RS3, and an upgrade with adaptive dampers is available, too. For the first time, Audi will let buyers choose Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R semi-slicks from the factory if they like.
The result of all of these enhancements is “enormously” increased performance, according to Audi — though you’d figure the tires alone would make for a pretty appreciable leap. We’ll be able to share more on the RS3 in the coming weeks; until then, enjoy these pictures of the sedan and its forbidden Sportback cousin drifting all over the dang place.
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I feel almost nothing looking at these pictures of the new Pagani Huayra R, the latest, most hardcore and supposedly one of the last versions of the Huayra that the Italian boutique supercar maker will build.
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Like other Huayras, this one has a 6.0-liter V12 from AMG. However, this particular iteration is naturally aspirated and develops 850 horsepower. The Huayra R weighs just 2,314 pounds and generates way more downforce than any previous Pagani. It costs 2.6 million euros before tax — nearly $3.1 million — and just 30 will be built. I’m sure their owners will love ’em.
In fairness to the Huayra R, my disinterest has nothing to do with the car itself. Track-focused hypercars that can’t legally run in any category of motorsport have never made a ton of sense to me, though they’re a cool show of unbridled performance, and the Huayra R earns points for its commitment to the naturally aspirated V12 and stylish exterior. I mean, you could put a picture of this and the Zonda R next to each other and depending on how recently I woke up or how much I’ve had to drink, I probably wouldn’t be able to tell them apart — but that’s another story.
Rather, my feelings are an inevitable consequence of Pagani’s glacial release cycle. It makes a car, and then it sells special editions of that car for 10 years, and then it makes another one. It’s only done this twice, but because that’s transpired over the course of two decades, I often find myself wondering whether Pagani is still a thing or not.
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And look, Pagani doesn’t have to change its process for anybody. There’s something refreshing about the one car approach in this age of excess, and the understanding that once said car reaches its final form, like the Huayra R, it’s time to move on. So while I’m finding it hard to care about the Huayra R itself, I also sort of do because of what it represents. It’s a sign that the next Pagani is coming. As we’ve established, that’s a rare event in the course of world history.
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What will the Huayra successor be, then? It’s codenamed C10, and it’s been a while since we’ve heard anything about it. Back in 2019, founder Horacio Pagani told Road & Track that both twin-turbo V12 and battery-electric versions would be sold, with the V12 optionally paired with either a manual or a paddle-shift transmission. At the time, Pagani said the car would arrive in 2021. You can imagine there’s at least a small chance that schedule might’ve slid in the past year.
Until that day comes, we have the Huayra R — a pretty neat track machine in its own right, but also a symbol that Pagani is right on the brink of another transformation.