Mazda testing 2016 MX-5 Miata Continental Kit option
The above photo is not Photoshopped except to hide the plate number. It is a real image taken by a sharp-eyed Torque News fan this week in Mass. We would like to say that we think it is a test mule for the new “Continental Kit” 2016 Miata. However, we suspect it is actually a very smart NC generation Miata owner’s own creation.
The 2006.5 through 2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata has no spare tire, and the tires are not run-flats. There is no plan other than to call AAA for a tow if one gets a flat, or tears a sidewall on a pothole. Sure, Mazda puts a can of goop and a compressor that adds one PSI per hour in the trunk, but we all understand that is strictly for show.
We have obscured the plate number to protect the identity of the owner of this Miata. If that owner is you and you would like to share your story, please enter a comment below and request that we contact you. No need to reveal any phone or e-mail in the text of your comment. Just say it is you, and we will reach out. We will ask you to confirm your plate number to us, and we would love to do a short interview and publish your story here at TN.
As the former owner of an NC Miata, I can admit to trying to stuff a tire into the trunk to see if it would fit (nope). And failing that to asking a local Miata dealer if I could try to stuff an RX-8 compact spare into my trunk to see if that would work. They would not play along. So, like many Miata owners I drove around for many years with a repair kit of my own making in the trunk consisting of a plug kit, Fix-a-Flat, and the AAA phone number carefully noted. I had two flats during my four years of ownership and wish I had thought of that ingenious kit idea.
So is this kit a practical idea, or a horrible carbuncle on the backside of a beautiful car? Tell us your thoughts below.
Photo contributed by Dr. HHT. Verified by TN Staff.