On Thursday, March 5, Mazda's Ujina Plant Number 1 in Hiroshima, Japan, began production of the company's fourth-generation MX-5, best known to North American fans as the Mazda Miata. Initial production will go exclusively to the Japanese market, where sales are expected to begin in June.

It's not yet clear when deliveries of the 2016 Mazda MX-5 will start in North America, but cars shipped here will be powered by a 2.0-liter Mazda SKYACTIV-G four-cylinder engine, producing 155 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. The outgoing MX-5 uses a 2.0-liter Mazda MZR four-cylinder that produces 167 horsepower (158 with the automatic transmission) and 140 pound-feet of torque. While this may look like a (small) step backward in performance, the new MX-5 will measure just over four-inches shorter from bumper to bumper, while weighing in at an estimated 150 pounds lighter. That will likely give a performance advantage to the new car, but at the very least it will be comparable to the current model.

The MX-5 returns on Hemmings Daily.