At the 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed->ke3879, Mazda->ke53 unveiled the MX-5 GT Concept. Because the GT Concept's reception was so warm, the folks at Jota decided to produce this concept and add a little more pep to its step.

The new MX-5->ke1185 GT Jota is based on the MX-5 ->ke1185 Roadster Coupe 2.0-litre Sport Tech version, but Jota added a more powerful engine, an updated exterior look and a sportier cabin. What's even cooler is that the new GT Jota is about 1.5 seconds faster to 60 mph than a base MX-5.

The new MX-5 GT Jota checks in at £29,995 (about $48,500 at the current exchange rates). It will be sold exclusively by Le Mans race specialists Jota, so only the British customers will have the chance to enjoy it. For now, us Americans will simply have to wait until Mazda decides to bring back the Mazdaspeed MX-5 project.

Click past the jump to read more about the Mazda MX-5 GT Jota.

2013 Mazda MX-5 GT Jota

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2013 Mazda MX-5 GT Jota
  • Engine/Motor: inline-4
  • Horsepower: 203
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

The new MX-5 Jota is already quite the looker, thanks to those sexy MX-5 lines, but Jota added even more to the package to set it apart from the crowd. The base setup includes a set of anthracite alloy wheels and a carbon-fiber rear diuffuser for enhanced aerodynamics.

For buyers looking for that more custom appearance and even better aerodynamics, you can opt for a carbon front splitter and a carbon-fiber rear boot lip spoiler.

Each car is hand-finished to order at Jota.

Interior

On the inside, Jota took things pretty easy. The onloy addition of note are the leather Recaro seats offered in three colors: White Pearl, True Red and Aluminum Silver Metallic. More additions and options may make their way into the package as Jota feels its way around customer demands.

Drivetrain

When Mazda gave Jota its blessings to create the MX-5 GT Jota, it was clear in its expectations: deliver more than 200 horsepower, improve the handling and do not compromise the car's fun-to-drive nature.

Jota was more than happy to oblige by tuning the 2.0-liter, four-pot engine to 203 horsepower -- a 43-horsepower gain over the stock MX-5 Sport Tech -- without the use of forced induction. As a result, the new MX-5 Jota sprints from 0 to 60 mph in just 6.4 seconds - an improvement of 1.5 second over the base MX-5 Sport Tech -- while top speed is limited to 140 mph.

Prices

The new MX-5 Jota is priced at £29,995 (about $48,500 at the current exchange rates). It is sold exclusively by Le Mans race specialists Jota and through prominent Mazda dealer Lodge Garage in Aylesbury.

Competition

Mini Roadster

Mini's new Coupe and Roadster model are not enjoying a great deal of success on the market, but the MX-5 still need to periodically check its rearview mirror for its Mini competitor.

The Mini Roadster is powered by a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine that delivers a total of 122 horsepower in its base format. The S version delivers a more respectable 184 horsepower, which is still about 20 horsepower less than in the new MX-5 GT Jota.

The Mini Roadster JCW, on the other hand, delivers a total of 211 horsepower, sprints from 0 to 60 mph in just 6.5 seconds and has a 147 mph top speed. To make matters worse for the MX-5 GT Jota, the Mini Roadster JCW checks in at just £24,790 -- £5,205 less than the MX-5 GT Jota.

BMW Z4

The BMW Z4 is definitely one of our favorite roadsters on the market, and British customers can choose between a wide range of variants: sDrive18i delivering 156-horsepower; sDrive20i with a 184-horsepower, 2.0-liter engine; sDrive28i with a 245-horsepower, 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo engine; sDrive35i with a 3.0-liter TwinPower Turbo six-cylinder that delivers 306 horsepower; and an sDrive35is with a 340-horsepower version of the TwinPower Turbo 3.0-liter engine.

Conclusion

The new MX-5 GT Jota could be the last version of the current generation MX-5, so it's no surprise that Mazda tried so hard to make it special. The only problem is that only the British customers will have the chance to enjoy it, but we may be able to snag one in the grey market.

*Image Note: Many of the images in this review are of the MX-5 [MX-5 GT Concept