carscoop: Mazda MX-5 / Miata

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Catfish Speedster is the Mazda MX-5 You Always Wanted to Have and It's Coming to SEMA

Bauer Limited Production is a new company formed by Cord Bauer’s Bauer Limited Production, Ron Hemphill’s Diversified Products, Tony Woodford’s AWR Racing and Dave Green’s DG Motorsports, with the purpose of using their expertise to design and develop a custom sports car named the Catfish.

The donor vehicle that the Catfish is based on is none other than the Mazda MX-5 (also known as Miata and Roadster). The Japanese carmaker's open top, two-seater model was chosen because of its perfect 50:50 weight distribution, simple and light yet effective construction and affordability.

Being on the Guinness Book of Records as the best-selling two-seat sports car ever means that there are many used and reasonably priced examples to choose from: the MX-5 that was used for the first Catfish prototype cost a mere US$800 (€610).

Mazda Tuner BBR Announces “Super 180” Performance Upgrade for Third-Gen MX-5

Brodie Britain Racing, or BBR as it is commonly known, is a UK-based tuning company that specializes on Mazda models. Some of you may recall the 150HP turbocharged Mk1 (NA) MX-5/Miata, among them a special edition launched in celebration of the 787B winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991.

More than two decades after the last rotary win in La Sarthe, the MX-5 is currently in its third generation (NC) and BBR is still producing tuning packages for the world’s best-selling two-seater car in history.

BBR has now announced a new, normally aspirated package for the third generation MX-5, which was produced from 2005 onwards.

Next-Gen Mazda MX-5 Said to Offer More Personalization Options and a 1.3-liter Turbo

Following in the footsteps of the Fiat 500 and the infamously adorable Mini Cooper, Mazda is looking to get in on all the personalization quirkiness associated with premium cars for the next-generation of the MX-5.

In a recent interview with UK magazine What Car?, Mazda designer Akira Tamatani told of more upcoming available options for the newest roadster in order “to help a customer’s relationship with the car.”

Mazda Debuts 320bhp MX-5 GT4 Racecar for Private Customers, Priced from £125,000

Everyone’s favorite little roadster, the Mazda MX-5, is now available with an all new race-spec model as a customer car for the base price of GBP 125,000 (€157,800 or US$198,300).

The MX-5 GT4 is the track only version of the standard MX-5. Developed in partnership with Jota Sport, the special edition pays homage to the overall success of the GT4 racer in the Avon Tyres British GT Championship.

Track Test Duel: Scion FR-S vs. Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T vs. Mazda MX-5

Not surprisingly, the more or less identical Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S (marketed under the Toyota 86 or GT 86 nameplates outside North America) sports coupes are all the talk these days.

Adding to the many comparisons made by all sorts of online and print publications from all four corners of the world over the past few months is a new review by Jack Baruth from The Truth About Cars.

This time, it’s a track test duel between the 200hp Scion FR-S, the more potent but heavier 274hp Hyundai Genesis 2.0 Turbo and the less powerful but lighter 167hp Mazda MX-5.

Monster Miata, the Makers of the V8-Powered MX-5, Revisited

In the latest episode of Automobile Magazine's "The Downshift", the crew revisits the Monster Miata tuning shop in San Marcos, California, and interviews the company's founder Martin Wilson.

In the video, Wilson talks about the past, the present and the future of the company that became famous for stuffing a Ford Mustang-sourced 5.0-liter V8 into the engine compartment of the Mazda MX-5 roadster (see another V8 powered Miata here).

Watch the Mazda MX-5 Yusho Supercharged Concept at the Hockenheim-Ring

Proving that the MX-5 Yusho, which we first laid eyes on at the Auto Mobil International Show (AMI) in June, is much more than a static concept, Mazda presented the supercharged model at the 'Zoom-Zoom Xperience' test-drive event at the Hockenheim-Ring earlier this month.

A professional driver for the Japanese brand took participants for a spin in the MX-5 Yusho, which is named after the Japanese word for "Victory".

Mazda Announces Refreshed 2013 MX-5 for European Market

Less than a week after the presentation of the 2013 model year MX-5 Roadster in Japan, Mazda has lifted the veils off the European model that will make its debut at the Paris Motor Show in September before going on sale later in the fall.

The European MX-5 in both soft-top and retractable hard-top guises sports more or less the same changes as its JDM sibling with the front of the roadster model adopting a more aggressive front bumper design that houses a reshaped front grille and fog-lamp surrounds.

Mazda Officially Reveals Mildly Facelifted 2013 MX-5 Roadster in Japan

A leaked brochure gave us our first look at the mildly refreshed MX-5 in both soft- and retractable hard-top (RHT) body styles earlier this week and now Mazda has come out with an official release for the 2013 model that goes on sale today in Japan.

We suspect that if not all, most of the changes on the JDM model will be applied on the international market versions before the end of the year.

The second facelift for the third-generation MX-5 since its debut in 2005 brings a redesigned face with a new bumper sporting a larger front grille opening with a more curved upper part, new front fog lamp housings, a front chin spoiler plus black headlamp bezels for the soft-top and chrome bezels for the hard-top model.

In addition, the refreshed roadster model gains a pedestrian protection system in the guise of an Active Bonnet, which raises the rear end of the hood in the event of an accident to absorb the energy of impact and reduce the severity of head injuries in collisions involving pedestrians.

Facelifted 2013 Mazda MX-5 NC3 Revealed in JDM Brochure

With the end of production of the rotary-powered RX-8 and until Mazda decides otherwise, the MX-5 / Miata takes on the lonely role of being the Japanese company's only true sports car.

Already on the market since 2005 having received a mild makeover in 2008, Mazda now wants to give the MX-5 NC another extension to life with a second facelift, which has been revealed through a leaked Japanese brochure that made its way online.

The photo scans from the JDM brochure show that the MX-5 with the codename NC3 gains a newly designed front bumper sporting a five-point grille with a more curved upper part and re-shaped fog-lamp surrounds, plus black bezels for the headlamps.

Mazda Announces New Special Edition MX-5 Kuro Models for the UK

While UK buyers would have surely preferred that Mazda launch a truly special edition of the MX-5 like the 205hp GT study heading to this weekend's Goodwood Festival of Speed, for now, they'll have to make do with yet another trim model with added equipment features and the usual sporty decals. Read more »

Mazda to Debut New MX-5 GT Concept at Goodwood, Mulling Production Model

Mazda will have a special treat for visitors at next weekend's Goodwood Festival Speed as the Japanese carmaker will debut its road legal 205hp MX-5 GT Concept that will not only go on display at its stand, but will also take part in the hillclimb in the ‘First Glance’ category.

The new concept model has been inspired by Mazda’s MX-5 GT race programme with the automaker stating that its debut at Goodwood is "to test customer reaction to a high performance version of the iconic sportscar."

Built by race specialists Jota Sport, the MX-5 GT is based on the hardtop Roadster Coupe model with its styling partially resembling the MX-5 Super20 displayed at last year's SEMA show in Las Vegas.

It is finished in a deep orange hue with contrasting black details including the hard top, wheel arches, mirrors and the lower sections of the car.

Mazda Rolls Out New Supercharged MX-5 Yusho Prototype with 237hp at Leipzig Show [39 Photos]

The new MX-5 Senshu Edition wasn't the only Miata to debut at Mazda's stand at the 2012 Auto Mobil International Show (AMI) in Leipzig, Germany, on Friday.

Mazda surprised show-goers with a far more intriguing proposal in the form of the MX-5 Yusho prototype, named after the Japanese word for "Victory".

The matte white paint together with the 17-inch anthracite gray alloy wheels wrapped around in semi-slick Toyo Proxes R888 tires size 215/45 R17, lowered suspension, boot lid spoiler and the carbon-fiber rear diffuser housing the centrally mounted twin tailpipes tell only part of the story.

The real magic occurs under the bonnet with the heavily fettled 2.0-liter MZR four cylinder petrol engine gaining a supercharger system, an intercooler, special Cosworth pistons and connecting rods, a custom exhaust system and reprogrammed software.

New Mazda MX-5 Senshu Special Edition Debuts at Leipzig Show

Mazda pulled back the wraps on yet another localized special edition version of its extremely popular MX-5 roadster, this time for the German market.

The new MX-5 Senshu was revealed at the at the 2012 Auto Mobil International show (AMI) in Leipzig, Germany. The special edition model gets its name from a Japanese word meaning "player", according to Mazda.

It Came from eBay Hell: The BMW Z3 Miata Edition

Back in 1989, Mazda took the automotive world by surprise with the launch of the MX-5, also known as Miata in North America and Eunos Roadster in Japan.

The frisky and affordable rear-wheel drive MX-5 was an instant success and as a result, many carmakers tried to emulate Mazda's move by presenting their own compact-sized roadsters, including BMW, which introduced the Z3 in 1996 shortly after being featured in the James Bond movie, Golden Eye.

Subaru BRZ vs Mazda MX-5 vs Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0 Turbo in Four-Cylinder Grudge Match

In our ongoing $25k sports car poll, the Subaru BRZ has taken a clear lead with 20 percent out of more than 6,100 votes cast up until today.

Oddly enough, its Scion FR-S twin has only managed to gather 7 percent (despite being the same car), the same as the Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0 Turbo, which is still enough to place both higher than the Mazda MX-5 that has secured 4 percent of your votes.

Why do mention these cars specifically? Because Road&Track magazine brought together the Subaru BRZ, Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0 Turbo and the MX-5 soft-top roadster to find out which of the three ticks the most boxes for enthusiasts looking for a fun, rear-wheel drive sports car without breaking the bank.

Official: New Alfa Romeo Spider to be Based on the Next Mazda MX-5!

In a surprise announcement that is bound to excite Alfa Romeo fans, the Fiat Group and Mazda revealed today that they have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development and production of a new roadster model for the Mazda and Alfa Romeo brands based on the rear-wheel drive architecture of the next MX-5.

"The study calls for both Fiat and Mazda to develop two differentiated, distinctly styled, iconic and brand-specific light weight, roadsters featuring rear-wheel drive," the two automakers said in a joint statement, adding that each car will be powered "by specific proprietary engines unique to each brand".

According to the plan, the next Mazda MX-5 and Alfa Romeo's successor to the Spider will be manufactured at Mazda’s Hiroshima plant in Japan, with production for the Italian model to begin in 2015.

With the exception of the limited production 8C Competizione Spider (2008-2010) and the RZ (1992-1994), the last time Alfa Romeo had a roadster with a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout was the classic Spider built from 1966 to 1993. This particular model was featured in the 1967 movie The Graduate with Dustin Hoffman.