Well torque is reported to increase by..................3 ft lbs! The power comes from the better breathing and higher redline. With that said, I still hope there is more power and torque under the curve. It is a car that I really enjoyed testing out but thought, needs a little more under the hood. I hope this does it.

Yeah I think this is about exactly what the Miata always needed. probably a fatter area under the curve and the increased headroom on redline means more usable power more often.

More than this, if this shows a split between Fiat and Mazda, maybe some term expired and now we'll see a decent Abarth 124 now (cough, 240hp, cough)...

I'm looking forward to it - probably the car I'm most excited about in the current market (mainly dictated by the depths - shallowness - of my pockets).

I think Mazda has basically gone and done what the aftermarket is already doing with these cars (aside from raising the redline quite that much). Lots of people are hitting 160+ whp in an ND with basic bolt-ons and tuning. Why not entice more people with the power from the factory, if it's not stressing the engine much more? Seems smart to me.

I dislike the look of the ND in photos, mainly because they look like a 4x4, but in person they look much better since you look down on the car, not directly into the side of the car. I wish they had the 124-spec Recaros, though! The Club Recaros look good but the Fiata's seats look even better.

Actually how you improve the HP without increasing the peak trq is by an increase in rpm peak. If you saw a HP yield at the same/previous rpm then yes the trq would also have to be higher. If there is no displacement change on this engine, but only improved breathing/rev limit then it is what it is, same trq/more hp.

But all moot for me personally since there is nothing exciting to me about the new Miata compared to my 16 year old S2k.

500 lbs lighter is not exciting?
Well done Mazda.

^^Agree.

No. That's like saying we will offer you this brand new turd wrapped in real gold foil, are you excited to get it? At best id have mixed emotions lol. Besides, the power to weight ratio still leaves much to be desired and so does looking at what the car offers as a whole. I'm just not exited about it at all. Id much rather spend the 25k on a decent used S2k with some upgraded cosmetic and performance parts and have something reliable, better looking and performing and arguably much more special/unique. There is nothing ground breaking/deeming about a Miata compared to an S2k, other then its price point when both were new and that there are no more brand new s2k being produced anymore. As a sports/performance car enthusiast, neither of those two things capture my spirit or enthusiasm. The s2k in every way is a better platform to start with and end up with after modification.

That is what I was getting at :)

Losing 500lbs is a lot harder than gaining 60HP.

If 180hp and a 2300lbs roadster, for 25k doesn't get you excited then I don't think you can call yourself a sports car enthusiast.