Miata signing up for Jenny Craig

[ahmed_7erzon]

The Mazda MX-5 (aka Miata) isn't a car one would necessarily call “fat”. But it seems the engineers at Mazda think the already-slim and slender MX-5 could stand to lose a pound, or 720.

Engineers at Mazda have decided to tackle the task of bringing the hugely popular MX-5 back to its former slim self, the 1989 original. That original weighed in at just 2,178 lbs. The current gen MX-5 is a portly 2,480 lbs.

Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com

So, how will those crafty Mazda engineers achieve their desired (and slightly maniacal) target weight of 1,760 lbs? Well, for starters there's talk of a new MX-5 engine. Yup, it could be as small as 1.4L, sport a turbo and be equipped with direct injection all part of Mazda's SkyActiv engineering efficiency program. High-strength steel will be used for the body, and the interior will lose a few amenities (who really uses a glovebox anyways, especially when the owner's manual will be offered on a USB key?).

This MX-5 diet is sure to raise some eyebrows. For a car that's already quite a bit smaller than most cars on the road today, even most two-seaters, the question of safety comes into play as well. But Mazda's got that covered too (we told you, they're crafty); to protect pedestrians from front impact, talks of a pyrotechnic hood have been circulating.

Can the Mazda MX-5 reach its goal weight? We're not too sure. What we are sure is that all the engineer's hard work is sure to pay off with a sleek and sexy looking future MX-5 we can't wait to try out.