After years of being known as delicate, Mazda determined so as to add some sass to the Miata with the newest ND mannequin. Designers gave the little roadster slim headlights with furrowed brows and a gaping grille that appears just like the automobile is shouting, “Get out of my method!” Now, there’s a brand new entrance bumper that muzzles the Miata by giving it a tamer, vintage-inspired entrance finish.
Our pals at The Autopian found this new bumper from Scud Energy, which is comprised of fiber-reinforced plastic, appears to be like so much just like the NB’s bumper. It has an analogous form and grille to the second-generation Miata, softening the ND’s front-end look.
The grille is far smaller and rounder, turning it again right into a delicate smile relatively than a gaping maw. The world across the headlights can be barely totally different, with softer furrows and sheet steel below the identical sharp headlights. The smaller grille fully reshapes the face.
The bumper prices ¥95,000, or $607 at right now’s alternate fee, however you’ll pay a premium to ship it to the US—after which it’s important to paint it. It is unclear how the smaller grille opening impacts the automobile’s cooling capabilities, however that is a comparatively small concern.
The brand new entrance finish is actually an fascinating technique to customise your ND, which Mazda will possible proceed to promote for a couple of extra years earlier than the next-generation mannequin arrives. The automaker is already speaking concerning the ND’s successor, which can get a bigger 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, however the remainder of the automobile will retain its bite-sized proportions.
The present automobile measures 154.1 inches lengthy, and the brand new one will probably be lower than 157.0 inches. That does not depart designers with a lot sheet steel to sculpt, but when the Miata’s historical past is any indication, the automobile can exhibit an assortment of personalities. Perhaps the next-gen mannequin will probably be much less angry-looking.
Or, perhaps the following Miata will put on a wider smile because it enters its fifth era as a real fanatic icon.
