Never let it be said that your JDM special days are over. At the crowded Tokyo show, something called the Mazda Spirit Racing Roadster 12R made its debut. A name straight out of Gran Turismo, and the perfect tag for something the world has been yearning for for decades. Or our world certainly does, at least: a 200-horsepower MX-5, made by Mazda.
Well, technically Mazda Spirit Racing, the new performance offshoot launched in Tokyo last year and tasked with bringing some motorsport notoriety to Mazda showroom models. Obviously the MX-5 is the only place to start. With all the desirable and expensive modifications we love to see on a great engine—a freer-flowing head, new piston design, unique cams and exhaust manifold—the 12R takes the MX-5 from 184 horsepower to the heights of 200 horsepower for the first time. No one said that NAT-ASP gains could be achieved easily…
Additionally, the Spirit Racing car has received a host of upgrades to harness the power. All the stuff I’d spent Gran Turismo credits on improving something called the 12R, basically, including Rays wheels, Brembo brakes, Yokohama AD09 tires, Bilstein dampers, Recaro seats and a Fujitsubo exhaust. Finally, there’s a factory MX-5 with proper sports car specs.
Not that there will be many of them. Of what can be collected now, there will only be a hundred 12Rs made (to honor the No. 12 MX-5 Super Taikyu racer) which seem likely to remain in the home market. Its price is seven million yen, or about 36,000 pounds sterling. Which, yes, isn’t much more than what a regular MX-5 would cost here in 2025. But there’s some hope for UK-based enthusiasts, because there’s also a regular Mazda Spirit Racing Roadster in Tokyo. The gray car doesn’t have the extra power, but it benefits from similar upgrades to the wheels, brakes, suspension, interior and body as the 12R. So perhaps a more serious brand of factory-backed MSR accessories is out of the question in the future. There is always a BBR on hand if not…