---
title: "2019 Mazda MX-5 Reportedly Gets 181 HP and a Higher Redline"
description: "Other under-the-hood improvements reportedly include connecting rods that are now 41 grams lighter, tweaked counterweight arrangements in the crankshaft, a throttle body opening that's now 28 percent bigger."
date: "2018-06-12"
modified: "2018-06-12"
authors:
  - name: "Chris Tsui"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/chris-tsui"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/21481/2019-mazda-mx-5-reportedly-gets-181-hp-and-a-higher-redline"
categories:
  - "Mazda News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
tags:
  - "compact"
  - "Convertible"
  - "Japanese Cars"
  - "mazda"
  - "Mazda Miata"
  - "miata"
  - "mx-5"
  - "Roadsters"
  - "sports cars"
---

# 2019 Mazda MX-5 Reportedly Gets 181 HP and a Higher Redline

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/06/2017-mazda-mx-5-miata-rf-82-e1528826326521.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Back in March, we reported on a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration filing that indicated the [2019 Mazda MX-5 would get a substantial power bump](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/18930/the-mazda-mx-5-might-be-getting-a-substantial-power-bump-for-2019>). New reports now tell us that the power bump, along with a higher redline and a telescoping steering wheel, are most definitely coming to next year's Miata.

Spotted by the folks at [*Road & Track*](<https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/future-cars/a21267933/2019-mazda-mx5-miata-horsepower-specs-details-news/>), Japanese auto magazine [*Car Watch*](<https://car.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/impression/1126170.html>) recently spent some time behind the wheel of an RF version of Mazda's latest roadster. As you've probably already gathered from this story's headline, they found a car that now produces 181 horsepower—26 horses and almost 17 percent more than the 155 present in the current model. The car's redline also gets a significant bump, now sitting at 7,500 rpm rather than 6,800 rpm thanks to increased valve spring rates and pistons that are now 27 grams lighter than before.

Other under-the-hood improvements reportedly include connecting rods that are now 41 grams lighter, tweaked counterweight arrangements in the crankshaft, and a throttle body opening that's now 28 percent bigger. To compensate for the increased air and fuel flowing through the powertrain, the MX-5 also gets a new, bigger exhaust valve, a new exhaust manifold, and a new muffler.

For the first time ever in a Miata, the 2019 car will apparently come with a telescoping steering wheel which should make life a lot more comfortable for anyone bigger than Mazda's most diminutive test pilots. I recently spent some time with last year's MX-5 RF and as a completely average-sized male, I struggled to reach the steering wheel comfortably without having my knees jammed right up against the bottom of the dashboard. Looks like Mazda got my strongly-worded emails, then.

When we reached out to Mazda U.S.A. on whether or not these changes would make their way stateside, a spokesperson responded, "We can’t offer any comment on whether these specs are pertinent to the U.S. at this time."

## Author
Chris Tsui is *The Drive*'s former Reviews Editor and current freelance automotive journalist. He's based in Toronto.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/cltsuii/>)