Y a Me i ts fai te tigi Lite tit if ees Ai ena eat oy 443 Friday, December 3, 1993 - North Shore News — ty haa in oa AE mente be hotell § Vas eda Se a eemaserd vob Rene Ie 93 Semis Photo supplied The 1994 Mazda Miata is equipped with a larger 1.8 litre four cylinder engine, standard driver’s-side airbag and optional passenger airbag. Suspension and braking refine- ‘ments have been designed to increase driving pleasure. Mazda’s nimble, rear-wheel- drive convertible sports car, | the Miata, enters the 1994 model year with the first major changes since its introduction in 1989, A larger 1.0 litre four cylinder engine, bigger brakes, and suspen- J sion and body-structure refinements tea are designed to improve perfor- Amance and “make the Miata respond more preciscly to the will of the driver,” according to Mazda. Passenger safety has been improved with the addition of a 4 new optional passenger-side airbag (a driver’ s airbag is standard). Interior refinements include a mildly restyled instrument panel, new seat cloth and additional interi- or storage, Thankfully, Mazda left the Miata’s simple, attractive styling alone. The Miata’s soft curves and traditional long hood, short rear- deck design have been a hit with sports car buyers since the car debuted five years ago. The Miata is still Canada’s best-selling con- vertible. A couple of minor styling refinements bear mentioning. The optional PanaSport look-a- like wheels have been replaced with redesigned 7-spoke alloy wheels, Buyers also have a choice of three optional wing attachments for the rear deck-lid. The Miata is now available in four colors, two of them new: black, red, a new shade of white, and a new metallic-blue color which looks much more attractive than the hot-wheels blue of previ- ous Miatas. As before, the Miata ts available with an optional, color-coded, removable hard-top (with a rear- window defogger), a handy item for secure, winter driving conditions. For 1994, engine size has been increased from 1.6 to 1.8 litres, pro- ducing an 11% increase in horse- power to 128. Though more powerful, the dual overhead cam, 16 valve 1.8-litre four cylinder engine (borrowed from the former Protege GT) doesn't significantly increase accel- eration times, With the additional safety and mechanical features, the "94 Miata is now 32 kg (70.4 Ibs) heavier. In addition, the new engine is designed to produce more low- to mid-range torque for better perfor- mance in low-speed urban environ- ments, The Miata’s fantastic, quick short-throw five-speed manual gearbox is basically the same, and an optional electronica!ly-con- trolled four-speed automatic trans- mission replaces last year’s four- speed hydraulic automatic. The new automatic has a new “hold” feature “so that manual-like driving can be enjoyed”, according to Mazda's press material. Frankly, drivers who want man- ual-like driving should stick with the five-speed. ‘ You get so much more driving enjoyment out of the Miata with the manual transmission. There is one drawback to the manual transmission, though, At highway speeds, the engine revs a little too high in fifth gear (3,100 rpm at 100 knvh). I'd like to see higher top-gear ratios or a five- speed transmission. The Miata is a fun car to drive, any way you look at it. The steering (optional power- Inquire aber? the Miata at North Shore Mazda, 711 West 14th St., North Vancouver. since its 1989 debut Price as tested $24,870 Base price $20,555 Type two door, two passenger sports car Layout longitudinal engine/rear-wheel drive Engine 1.8L four cylinder, DOHC, 16 valves, multi-port fuel injection Horsepower |28 @ 6,500 rpm Torque [10 ft-lbs @ 5,000 rpm Transinission five-speed manu- al (four-speed automatic) front t) is lightning quick, handling is balanced and forgiving thanks in part to a 50/50 front/rear weight distribution, and the brakes are fan- tastic. Brake size has been increased from J3 in. to 34 in. this year. Four- wheel disc brakes are standard on the Miata, and ABS is optional. Body rigidity has been strength- ened by a bar directly behind the seats which spans the width of the passenger compartment, Other changes include: a new, larger rear differential to handle the engine’s increased torque; new shock absorbers, stabilizer bars and performance rods, . The Miata's interior is small but Curb weight 1,040 kg (2,293 Ibs) Tires P}85/60R-14 radials Length 3,948 mm (155.4 in.) Width 1,676 mm (65.9 in.) Height 1,224 mm (48.2 in.) Fuel Consumption City 12.3 L/100) km (23. mpg); Highway 10.1 L/100 km (28 mpg) Warranty = Basic three years/80,000 km; Major compo- nents five years/100,000 km immensely attractive, with tradi- tional, round “Smiths’-like gauges, and simple, well-placed controls, Curiously, there are no armrests on the doors. The Miata’s convertible top is simple to put up and down, requir- ing two latches to be undone and the top pulled back. A clip-on ton- neau cover can be placed over the top area. Base, five-speed Miatas start at $20,555, while fully-equipped Miatas with leather interior, power window und door locks, power steering, cruise control, CD player, alloy wheels, passenger airbag, hardtop, and limited slip-differen- ual, can go well over $27,000.