Once a year right around the start of the holiday season, the Southern Automotive Media association puts on an event aimed at lifting the spirits of a select group of patients from Baptist Hospital who have been dealt a raw deal in the game of life by bringing them along for a day at the track where they are all given the opportunity to join Homestead Miami Speedway’s elite 100 MPH club. As much of a charitable function as Rides and Smiles is every year, it is impossible to ignore the fact that as part of our volunteerism we too are fortunate enough to spend a day at the racetrack.
There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to make this even run as smoothly as it does and the manufacturers are certainly a large part of the program’s success by ensuring that there will be products like the supercharged FordShelby GT500, drop top Dodge Viper SRT-10 and a bright yellow Bumblebee Camaro from Chevrolet to help keep the kid’s enthusiasm overflowing as they await their chance to do a smoky burnout and then head south down the pit straight before entering into the twisty 2.3 mile long road course before climbing the banking of Nascar’s turns three and four on the north side of the track which then dropped them onto the front straight where they would reach the magical 100 MPH mark.
There were also a few benevolent individuals who donated both their time and their rides to bring smiles to all of the kid’s faces; like a race ready Ferrari 360, one flame spitting Ford GT, a bright yellow Corvette ZR-1 as well as one very special bright orange Porsche 911 GT3 RS; however we were selected to drive the brand new and equally as orange, Mazda Miata. To be perfectly honest, after receiving the news we were a bit bummed; but hey, it’s for the kids!
Mazda will unveil at the Frankfurt Motor Show the MX-5 Superlight concept, a model created to celebrate MX-5’s 20th anniversary. The Superlight concept is based on the facelifted roadster and comes with no windshield, retractable roof and frame.
The MX-5 Superlight was built in an attempt to improve driving performance, handling, fuel economy and CO2 emissions. This is combined with a radical exterior design requiring no windshield, and sporty chassis settings for pure roadster driving fun.
The MX-5 Superlight is powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder that delivers 126 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque and is equipped with a Mazdaspeed cold-air intake and exhaust. Thanks to its low weight: 2,194 lbs, the car sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds.
For close to two decades, Mazda has relied on the MX-5’s bankability to become one of the top-selling convertibles in history. The secret behind the MX-5’s success was largely due to it keeping a tried-and-tested formula: light weight and awesome dynamics.
And now that the MX-5 - the Miata in the US - is celebrating its 20th birthday, Mazda is releasing a special edition MX-5 that takes all the elements of past MX-5’s and tinkering with it to make it lighter and faster. The concept car, which is being called the MX-5 Superlight, is set to be introduced to the world at the Frankfurt Motor Show, where Mazda fans are already buzzing in anticipation for the car’s unveiling.
While details behind the MX-5 Superlight remains sketchy, the name ‘Superlight’ does give off the idea that the car would be stripped lighter to make it faster than it already is. Renderings of the concept car have also surfaced and judging from the sketches, the car underwent a number of structural changes, which includes the absence of A-pillars and the inclusion of front and rear decks that would help control the airflow surrounding the vehicle.
Mazda of Japan has just revealed a special edition MX-5 in celebration of the lightweight roadster’s 20th Anniversary as a member of the automaker’s lineup. Since its inception, the Mazda Miata has been awarded the title of world’s highest production two seater roadster by the Guiness Book of World Records. All of the double decade Miatas will be covered in Crystal White Pearl Mica, a color that is being used for the first time on the fun to drive roadster that will be sold for around $30,000.
The new special edition MX-5 is is offered in two flavors, the first example is based on the Roadster RS version featuring a rag top and six speed manual transmission, while the other will be built upon the VS platform taking full advantage of the vehicle’s power assisted retractable hard top and six speed automatic gearbox.
Setting the 20th Anniversary Miata apart from the rest of the crowd are a set of functional Recaro racing buckets wrapped in red and black leather, exclusive 20th Anniversary badges, clear fog light covers, a glass window for the soft top model and a set of stylish multi spoke 17 inch aluminum wheels
Touring car driver turned Fifth Gear host, Jason Plato had a chance to compare two lightweight convertibles that you wouldn’t normally put in the same category. He admits to liking the Mini Cooper S Convertible but he says that the Mazda MX-5 is much more fun. So which is quicker around their test circuit the Japanese roadster or the BMW owned Brits?
