2024+ MX-5 ("ND3") — What Actually Changed

Mazda did not call the 2024 MX-5 a new generation. The chassis, the 2.0L Skyactiv-G, and the six-speed are the ND2 carryover. What people mean by “ND3” is a mid-cycle refresh: a new center screen, a reworked differential, retuned steering and stability control, and a few trim and lighting changes. Here’s what’s actually different, and what isn’t.

The big one: the new infotainment system

The headline change is the center screen. The 2016–2023 ND ran the Gen 6 Mazda Connect CMU — a 7-inch, 800×480 touchscreen on Linux 3.0.35 with an Opera Presto browser layer. The 2024+ refresh drops that for an 8.8-inch widescreen running Mazda’s newer Connect platform.

	2016–2023 ND (Gen 6 CMU)	2024+ ND (“ND3”)
Screen	7-inch, 800×480, touch	8.8-inch widescreen, touch in CarPlay/AA
CarPlay	Wired retrofit only	Wireless, built in
Android Auto	Wired retrofit only	Wired, built in
Platform	Linux 3.0.35 / Opera Presto	Newer Mazda Connect generation
Firmware	`.up` ZIP packages, `v74.xx.xxx`	Different package format and version scheme
Commander knob	Yes	Yes

Two practical notes for buyers. First, wireless CarPlay is now standard — on the older car you had to add a wired retrofit and a wireless adapter to get there. Second, the newer system touchscreen works while parked in CarPlay/Android Auto; the Commander knob remains the primary input on the move, same as before.

If you’re cross-shopping a 2024+ against an earlier ND specifically over the screen, the older Gen 6 unit is the more modifiable one — there’s an established community ecosystem for it, and none yet for the 2024+ platform. For most everything else, the cars are close. See /nd-miata/carplay/ for how CarPlay differs across model years, and /nd-miata/best-years/ if you’re weighing years against each other.

The mechanical change that matters: the asymmetric LSD

The refresh’s most meaningful drivetrain change is a revised asymmetric limited-slip differential on manual cars. It uses different lockup ramp angles on power and overrun, so it bites harder under acceleration than on a trailing throttle. The goal is cleaner corner exit without the diff snatching mid-corner on lift. Owners coming from an ND1/ND2 manual notice it as slightly more progressive rotation rather than a dramatic change — it’s a refinement of an already-good chassis, not a new character.

Mazda also retuned the electric power steering and added the DSC-Track mode behavior carried from the higher-spec cars, raising the intervention threshold so the stability system lets the rear move further before stepping in. If you autocross or do HPDE, that higher threshold is genuinely useful; you can also still fully defeat DSC by holding the button.

Lighting, trim, and the small stuff

Headlights: revised LED signature; the daytime running light and turn-signal pattern changed.
Wheels: new design options on some trims; the underlying fitment is unchanged (see /nd-miata/wheel-tire-fitment/).
Cluster: updated graphics and menus.
Steering wheel and switchgear: minor revisions to match the new screen.

What did NOT change

This is the part that surprises people: under the skin, a 2024+ is mechanically very close to a 2019–2023 ND2.

Engine: the 2.0L Skyactiv-G (P5-VPS family), same ~181 hp / 151 lb-ft and 7,500 rpm redline as the post-2019 cars.
Transmission: the same six-speed manual and six-speed automatic.
Suspension geometry: double wishbone front, multilink rear, same basic pickup points.
Chassis dimensions: wheelbase, track, and curb weight are within the ND2 range.
Brakes: same caliper and rotor sizing on equivalent trims.

For maintenance, mods, and track prep, this means the existing ND2 knowledge largely carries straight over. Oil specs (/nd-miata/engine-oil/), the service schedule (/nd-miata/service-schedule/), tire fitment, alignment (/nd-miata/alignment/), and track-day prep (/nd-miata/track-day-prep/) all apply, with the usual advice to verify torque specs and any 2024-specific part numbers against your own car.

FORScan on the 2024+

FORScan talks to the body control modules over the OBD-II port: RBCM, FBCM, SSU, instrument cluster. Those are vehicle-platform modules, independent of the center screen, so the SkyActiv-era as-built tweaks (i-Stop default off, auto door lock, Find My Car flash) often still work on the 2024+. Two cautions: module byte layouts can shift with a refresh, and community verification for 2024+ is thin. Always back up your as-built data before changing anything and verify against your own backup, not older ND notes. See /nd-miata/forscan/.

The Gen 6 CMU-specific tweaks (disclaimer removal, touch-while-driving, boot-time changes) do not apply to the 2024+ screen, and the firmware-side software we sell for Gen 6 cars is not compatible with it.

How to tell which system you have

8.8-inch widescreen display (the older car’s 7-inch screen is visibly narrower).
Wireless CarPlay with no adapter (Android Auto is wired on both new and retrofit setups).
Settings → About shows a version that is not in the v74.xx.xxx format.
The car is titled as a 2024 or later model year.