25th anniversary model announced … wonder if it will come to the UK
http://www.autonet.ca/en/2014/04/16/mazda-mx-5-miata-celebrates-25-years-at-the-new-york-international-auto-show (picture 7 onwards)
very nice looker.
not being a mk3 expert, i can’t see a lot of difference to the special edition apart from the wheels & maybe the seats. are there a lot of extra touches?
That’s about typical for MX5 “special” editions, which are usually little more than a fairly pathetic marketing exercise by the regional importer.
Apart from the colour (Soul Red Metallic) and the trim, it looks as if it’s a standard car, although American spec cars are slightly different to UK models, lights, indicators, dash etc. The wheels are standard 10 spoke, just a different finish.
According to my local dealer we are not going to see the 4th addition of the MX5 until early 2016
1000 being made, with 100 to the US; it is highly probable some will be sold in the UK. This is a factory edition, not a locally developed edition. Mazda are exactly the same as any other manufacturer wrt special editions. Ford are bringing out a new limited edition Mustang, limite to 1,964 units, in, you guessed it, blue or white. Type approval regulations make it very difficult for manufacturers to bring out radically different limited editions without incurring significant cost. All special editions have a marketing function; either to introduce a new model to a reluctant market, or to push along sales of an aging model. It would be delusional, except in a tiny number of cases, that any car maker brings out a special edition for the fans. One exception being the Le Mans MX5; an indulgence by Mazda, which result in a substantial portion going unsold (no one wanted the Pringle Argyle paint job).
When they can’t even bother to match the steering wheel leather colour to the seat leather colour (as happened in the Venture edition) I think it’s fairly pathetic.
What’s the point of brown seats in a black interior anyway? Just looks stupid to me, as for pale colour leather - really stupid as it gets dirty looking with age.
Sigh - if they’d told me that 2 years ago, I would have bought a mk 3.5. But I don’t want to buy one so close to the replacement date - so constantly pushing the date back is just annoying… however the next version of the GT86 is due in 2015. I can’t postpone my next car purchase indefinitely as I want something more suitable for occasional track days.
Basically just the colour combo really. Interesting that it hasn’t got the new alpine Satnav unit in; other than that the interior is pretty much the same as mine. Really like the soul red on the mazda line up though. When I ordered mine, the dealer had a 6 estate in that colour with 19’s on - gorgeous looking motor
That looks like a standard red Mk3.5 with sport graphite wheels, mirrors from a black car and seats from a kendo. Is there anything new in, apart from the badges?
It is pretty much a combo of the sport black and venture IMHO
The only special thing is the colour - soul red looks awesome on the 3 and 6 and I’m glad it will be on the 5 (even in limited numbers)
I might think about changing mine just for the colour 
So, not really a special edition at all…
Well, yes it is because you can’t get that colour normally - but I guess it could be more special.
At least this “special” edition is available with the automatic box unlike most (well, in the US anyway).
I wonder if the automatic version of the mk4 will ship at the same time as the manual or be even later?
However in the UK our roads continue to deteriorate (even though motorist related taxation is around 8 times the amount spent on all forms of transport). So any hard (bilstein) suspension is going to be bad news.
As much as a special edition as a 10AE.
I’m not sure what else Mazda could have done.
Best thing about the special editions over the years has been the colour.
Better than the std what shade of grey would you like?
Out of curiosity what would people expect or want a special edition to be?
And how much would you be willing to pay extra for that specialness?
Aren’t most "special editions just trim? Not much point in having something different if other people can’t see that it is different.
Nick take the JOTA GT car for the example, that is a truly special MX-5 there are 10 of them it will no doubt be the rarest MX-5 ever available - they have unique bespoke additions, and truly custom elements such as the hand built exhaust and carbon diffusers but the £5K additional price tag is seemingly too much on the top of the range car.
Maybe people can have a good look at them at Brooklands and decide what makes a truly special edition?
sound like an effort to get you buy one now, given the Chassis is now on display and the work we are doing with Mazda for next year I suspect that a mk4 might be not that far away.