Only 200 units of the Mazda MX-5 12R will be sold and they each get only 16 hp over stock.
The Mazda MX-5 has been lauded and slammed for being a ‘low-powered’ sports car for the entirety of its existence. Many fans have come to admire the ‘purist’ philosophy behind the convertible sportscar but just as many detractors will point out that it’s actually not very powerful for such a fast-looking car. Well, Mazda have finally caved and offered a limited edition version of the Mazda MX-5 that promises just a tiny bit more power to hopefully assuage some of those critics. Meet the Mazda Spirit Racing Roadster 12R.
The Mazda Roadster 12R was shown at the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon for domestic sale, hence the local name ‘Roadster’ instead of the more common MX-5 or the North American specific ‘Miata’. It’s also worth noting that ‘Mazda Spirit Racing’ is the new name for Mazda Speed. The Roadster 12R is powered by the familiar 2.0L Skyactiv-G four-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine, but this time the engine gets a higher output. Peak power is rated at 197 horsepower, up from 155 horsepower on the earliest iteration and 181 horsepower on the updated model.
While a jump from 181 horsepower to 197 horsepower doesn’t sound that impressive, contextually-speaking many owners with the base model 1.5L engine are content making do with just 129 horsepower. Considering the relatively low weight of the MX-5 (it’s just over 1 tonne), the difference between this new model and the original base model must be night and day behind the wheel. To extract the additional power, the intake, exhaust, cylinder heads, pistons and camshafts all had to be upgraded, so it’s not something owners would be able to comfortably and reliably unlock with just an ECU re-map.
However, it’s not just a mere output bump that Mazda have done. On this Spirit Racing Roadster 12R model, they’ve also added a set of lightweight Rays TE37 wheels wrapped in Yokohama Advan AD09 tyres, Brembo front brakes, a Fujitsubo exhaust, a rear spoiler, height-adjustable Bilstein dampers, Recaro bucket seats and Sabelt harnesses. Inside, the steering wheel, handbrake lever, centre console and gearknob are all wrapped in Alcantara to make this ‘special edition’ feel special.
There’s a massive catch though – only 200 units of the Mazda Spirit Racing Roadster 12R will be made and they’ll likely be popular enough to be sold out via lottery very quickly in Japan itself. Pricing is estimated at around 7 million yen or about RM200,000 before excise duties and taxes.
Mazda says that there will be a ‘Spirit Racing Roadster’ variant without the additional power for the mass market later this year and this won’t have a production cap on it. If you ask us, it’s missing the point but it’s likely not something that Mazda can justify spending money on right now. Malaysians will likely have to wait and see what the grey market can bring in in about a year+. Perhaps one or two units will find their way into our market. If they do, look out for the “Mazda Spirit Racing” badges!
