Mazda celebrates major milestone with special MX-5

The Mazda MX-5 turned 35 earlier this year, and the Japanese carmaker has continued the birthday celebrations by unveiling a new special edition variant of the iconic sports car.

Mazda’s MX-5 35th Anniversary celebrates 35 years since the first-generation ‘NA’ model rolled off the production line in 1989.

Now in its fourth generation, the MX-5 has become more than just a conventional convertible, with both soft-top and hard-top RF versions available, each getting the 35th Anniversary treatment.

Mazda Australia has confirmed it’ll come to local showrooms, though timing is yet to be locked in.

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Revealed as a part of this year’s Mazda Fan Festival at Fuji Speedway, the MX-5 35th Anniversary variants are painted in the new Artisan Red Premium finish, which first debuted on the flagship CX-90 SUV.

Soft-top versions get a beige roof, making it look like a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe or a Linfox truck.

The wheels, measuring 16 inches on the soft-top and 17 inches on the RF – are the same design as those found on entry-level variants, though the special edition rims score a silver finish.

Inside, the upholstery is also beige, while the floor mats and headrests feature 35th Anniversary logos and the air vents get surrounds matched to the exterior body colour.

Mazda hasn’t detailed performance changes for the 35th Anniversary MX-5s, though it’s expected to be no different under the skin to the model currently in showrooms.

That means a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine under the bonnet, should the special edition be offered here. This produces 135kW of power and 205Nm of torque.

A less powerful 1.5-litre remains on sale in Japanese soft tops, though it was dropped here due to a lack of demand.

A Mazda Spirit Racing version of the MX-5 is due to launch in the near future, having been recently spied testing at the Nürburgring in Germany.

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