[Auto/Moto] The 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata Makes for an Even Better Benchmark

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You learn a lot about a car in Lime Rock Park’s first corner. It’s called Big Bend, a sweeping third-gear right-hander that’s spat its share of driving royalty—both men and their machines—out smoking and sideways. In the new Mazda Miata, you can trail brake on the way into Big Bend, the roadster’s rear end following obediently as you float down toward the corner’s apex. Right here, smack in the middle of Big Bend, the Miata feels perfect. If you can believe it, the fourth-generation Mazda Miata (called “ND”) is closing in on 10 years old, an eon when most models are redesigned every four to six years. So, the ND Miata just got its second facelift to keep things fresh. Consensus is that it's called the ND3.There are expected changes—a new infotainment system, a redesigned front bumper, new lights, new wheels, and new paint color and trim choices. Yet by far, the most important tweaks for Miata people are a revised steering system and a new limited-slip differential. The diff has different locking factors, on and off throttle, which helps stabilize the car under braking and on corner entry and reduces understeer on corner exit.We couldn’t resist taking the updated roadster to Miata Country, those roads in northwestern Connecticut that flow gently through farmland, along rivers, and through stands of red maple, birch, and beech. And right in the middle of it all sits Lime Rock, heaven for sports cars and the people who drive them. I always thought the ND Miata had very good steering, but with its extra heft and more natural off-center response, the ND3’s rack represents a huge improvement. Combined with the ND Miata’s talkative chassis, the car shouts what’s happening on the road surface. When driving on the road, the chassis is wonderful. As ever, the soft suspension setup means the car needs a moment to take a set after you turn into the corner, but once it’s there, you can drive the car on the throttle.Mazda’s noble commitment to reducing weight—this car comes in at 2,341 pounds—pays dividends in the country. The car does that classic sports-car thing of breathing with the road, working with the surface beneath, rather than trying to beat it into submission. It’s remarkably rigid for an open-top car, and while roll is more pronounced than something like a BRZ or GR86, it’s in service of better ride quality. Mazda North America’s head of vehicle dynamics, Dave Coleman, always likes to point out that the best driving roads are among the least traveled, and thus, least-well maintained. Here, stiffer suspension just makes for an unpleasant experience at best, tires that lose contact with the road at worst. And while the drivetrain remains unchanged for the ND3, it still bears mentioning. This four-cylinder delivers instant throttle response and perfectly smooth power delivery up to its 7,500-rpm redline. In a world of anodyne four-cylinders, this one shines. It feels like, and indeed, is, a true sports-car engine, meant to live in the upper half of the tachometer. Sounds sweet, too.

https://www.motor1.com/reviews/725295/2024-mazda-miata-nd3-review/