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Has this got a run here? R&T article

That's about 17% up on the current US figure, same here?

I'd be more keen to know torque figures. Horse at 6500rpm is great. But what about 750rpm to 6500rpm?

Do they sacrifice torque for more power by overlapping the cams? etc etc

Yeah the USA forum is going crazy with it. Interesting to see if it happens and if it just blanket replaces every 2.0l in the range, potential price rise etc. Depending on real world gains there will be some jealous ND1 owners (myself included). Anyone who purchased the RF LE for approx 56k should be down right pissed off if an extra 26hp is added to 2.0l builds 6-7 months after release

I suspect it's a typo and should read 161, not 181....

I would say this is highly believable.
Nothing will sell more cars like a mid lifecycle major update.
Now time to speculate.

NA, NB and NC's all had normal Mazda motors, but with better CAM's amongst over various engine parts, and consequently more revs and more power.
Even the 1.5L ND followed that exact formula.
Just go back to the ND development.
It was only really supposed to be a 1.5L and they put a lot of work into it over the base 1.5L engine that the Mazda 2 has.
I have dríven that 1.5L on a few occasions and there is only one thing I can say I like about it. It revs out really nice. Otherwise it is underpowered and slow. Sorry to the 1.5L lovers, but this is 2018 not 1990. It is slow by todays standards.

The 2.0L is sort of an after thought, after they put their head back on straight realising that the 1.5L would not sell in their biggest market the US.
I gather they decided this so late in the development cycle that they did not really have the time to develop the 2.0L motor. The weak gearbox issue is probably good proof of the 2.0L not really being developed for that long. Supposedly fixed now???

So hopefully we see a nice 7000-7500 RPM redline again. Maybe peak power around 6700-7000RPM.
I don't envisage low rev torque dropping much because of Direct Injection and Variable Valve Timing.
Lack of revs is something that kills me with current 2.0L. It just runs out of puff once you hit around 6500RPM. The NC would rev out to ~7000RPM on track just before the fuel cut. And the power was still really good up at those revs. I gather the NC2 was better again.

181HP out of a 2.0L is not really that bigger deal these days anyway. A fair few 2.0L warm hatch backs were around 170HP before they started going to 1.4L to 1.6L Turbo motors.
Peugeot and Renault were putting 2.0L 180HP motors back in little hatch backs in the early 2000's.

If this turns out to be true, there's nothing here that can't be achieved already with an aftermarket ECU tune for 16-18MY owners.

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If 181hp is correct it will take more than a tune. Although the current 155hp seems underrated for the small driveline loss most dynos are showing

What mods have you got again Mike?

Exactly good luck getting 180hp with just a tune on a current 2L.
Plenty of tuners out there overstating what they get. Quiet often it is in conjunction with other parts which you can sometimes find in their hidden terms and condition pages.

Personally, I think it's time for Mazda to do another SP version with around 200Kw.
A toughened MX5 is really needed to give a boost to the rest of the MX5 range as it seems to be in the doldrums as far as sales are concerned and with the Fiat version nipping at its heels.

I just looked at the two 124’s at Fyshwick dealer ACT. Both had rusty brake discs, leaves and dust all over and at the back of the yard. Dont think they are selling well here. Haven’t been for a test drive for some time! Plenty of ND’s around though.

trader wrote:I just looked at the two 124’s at Fyshwick dealer ACT. Both had rusty brake discs, leaves and dust all over and at the back of the yard. Dont think they are selling well here. Haven’t been for a test drive for some time! Plenty of ND’s around though.

I still reckon the ND looks like something the Fiat design house came up with.

IMO, the 124 looks like it was re-designed by an American with its ugly bulky nose (two large horizontal intakes), bonnet (I know it's supposed to emulate the original 124's bonnet but the sculpting is completely unnecessary and black makes it look like a dodgy ricer aftermarket replacement) and awful tail-lights (no style there at all; ironic given that the ND's tail-lights look 100% Fiat).

With the ND2 having more grunt, the Fiats are going to be like the Holden Apollo and Toyota Lexcen (ie. owners would rather buy from the manufacturing company rather than a re-badged version of the car unless they prefer the look of the 124 which will probably receive no further development by Fiat).

Same here - the 124s I looked at here in Melbourne were unloved and unwashed and had rusty discs too.
I agree that they don't look as nice as an ND. I guess you could never mistake one for the other.

Now I'm waiting for the Abarth 124 1.75L Scorpion announcement with all this Fiat talk.
$54990 drive away with 190kw sounds like a good deal to me to sell some Fiats.
17x8.5's shod with 235/40/17's, to go with a stiffer lower ride.
Now build the damn thing!!!
This is the rumour thread right???

So am I one of the rare few that like the Fiat styling. I only really like the rear end, sort of a Viper in their. The front is a bit overdone.
What I really would like to see is a half cut MXBarth with the 1.75L, hydraulic steering and a good NC manual transmission.

I don't mind the 124 styling either. Especially the Abarth.
You could make a case the ND has quite feminine styling with its smoothly flowing lines over the rear 3/4's.
I think a lot of the criticism of the Fiat is simply parochial.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and to each there own.

Another fan of the FIAT styling. It is more 'traditional' than the MX5 as you would expect with a shape that pays homage to an earlier model.
To my eyes the 124 styling is very coherent and looks good back to front, which is very important other wise you get something that looks like it was cobbled together from two different cars.
Unfortunately a new FIAT would be divorce material in a family in which the wife remembers my 1976 FIAT 124 Coupe.