Mazda MX-5 Turbo

March 2002

With its delightful chassis and inherent balance, there's never been any question about the car's ability to handle more muscle. And now, it seems, the company has overcome any lingering doubts by launching a factory-backed, turbocharged MX-5 that has precisely those credentials.

Developed by Mazda's Motorsport Division, the MX-5 SP's watercooled turbo increases power from the standard roadster's 150bhp and 181Nm of torque to 200bhp and 280Nm respectively. It could have been pushed even higher, but boost pressure has been deliberately restricted to keep lag to a minimum and ensure reliability. Both the 6,800rpm power and 4,600rpm torque peaks have been moved down the rev range over the standard car's, even though the SP uses the same variable valve timing as the normal motor. A wider-diameter exhaust system handles the extra flow, and en-dows the MX-5 with the sort of tail-pipe note it should always have had.

Despite the improved performance - we guess it would touch 60mph in a Porsche Boxster-bashing six seconds - the idea wasn't to build a traffic-light grand prix winner, but to make the car more driveable. So there's no huge tur-bo rush as revs rise, only more torque across the range that makes progress far more relaxed. Other changes to the MX-5 are minor. There's a polished alloy fuel cap and gearshift knob, metallic air-vent surrounds and scuff plates in each door opening. Oh, and an SP badge. That makes the turbocharger pretty costly, because the souped-up soft-top is

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