What's the news?
Mazda, with more than a little help from Jota Sport, has developed the MX-5 GT4 racer into a podium finisher and hence feels it's time to offer the car for sale to privateers. The ready-to-race car can be ordered now in time for the international 2013 season at a starting price of about €160,000 - before VAT.
Exterior
A racer should be all form above function, yet the MX-5 GT4 still looks fantastic. Jota Sport strips back the standard body shell to the metal and builds up the bespoke racer from there. The price includes an FIA specification roll cage, carbon fibre for the doors, front splitter, rear diffuser and rear wing. All glass is replaced by lighter polycarbonate.
Interior
Inside, the dashboard and centre console are also made from carbon fibre. There's an FIA-compliant racing seat with six-point harness and a dinky Momo racing steering wheel with a quick-release coupling. The instrumentation is replaced by a Pi Omega D2 display and data logger and gone is the manual gear shifter - a set of carbon fibre paddles behind the steering wheel taking care of business.
Mechanicals
Under the bonnet sits a highly tuned 2.0-litre petrol engine. Mountune Racing, based in Essex, fettles the powerplant and adds a turbocharger. Peak power is quoted as 320hp at 7,200rpm while torque maxes out at 350Nm at 6,200rpm. As in the road car, the engine is longitudinally mounted and in this case bolted to a six-speed sequential gearbox.
Brakes all-round are 320mm AP Racing ventilated discs and electric-assisted power steering is standard. The racing alloy wheels are 17-inch in diameter and they're shod in 205/45 R17 tyres. A 100-litre fuel tank is fitted and the overall kerb weight is 1,000kg. Buyers may upgrade to four-way adjustable dampers.
Anything else?
Mazda and Jota have a few more development tricks up their sleeves for the car before the end of this season, potentially including wider tyres and bodywork. Until then, buyers also have the option of an Intelligent Power Unit, lithium power pack and an endurance exhaust depending on their racing needs.