Turbo2 Concept
As we previously reported, the Turbo2 Concept is based on a standard Mazda2, but adds an H&R coilover suspension, 17-inch alloy wheels from OZ Racing, 13-inch Brembo front brakes, and the turbocharged 2.3-liter I-4 ripped right out of the larger Mazdaspeed3. Overall, the look is clean. The graphics are understated, and the front splitter and rear diffuser actually don’t look out of place on the small hatchback. It’s unclear at this point what the car was built to do, but having a name like Charles Espenlaub, a veteran Mazda racer in Gran-Am and SCCA World Challenge, pasted beneath the window could be a clue. The Turbo2 loses points for still sporting the stock rear drum brakes, but if the reasoning behind that stems from racing class restrictions or the fact that this concept previews a future, affordable dealer-installed performance upgrade for the standard 2, all will be forgiven.
MX-5 Spyder
The other concept announced for SEMA last week was the MX-5 Spyder. That car takes a standard MX-5 and ditches the folding soft top in favor of a retractable canvas top that stretches across to the windshield to form a canopy much like the one seen on the Porsche Boxster Spyder. The look is completed by a stylized tonneau behind the seats, along with 17-inch Yokohama Advan RS alloy wheels with matching, super-sticky Advan A048 DOT-R competition tires. The car sits on a Mazdaspeed coilover suspension, while big Brembo front brakes supply stopping power. The custom top gives the Miata a sleeker silhouette, and makes the car nice to look at from practically any angle.
MX-5 Super20
Mazda brought out this one-off Miata to celebrate the model’s 20th anniversary at last year’s SEMA Show, so much of this car we’ve already seen before. For this year’s big event in Las Vegas, however, Mazda gave the custom roadster a makeover, replacing the dark gray exterior treatment with a new Hyper Orange Mica paint color. The car still sports a hard top, along with the flared, flat black fenders, inner-grille fog lights, and 16-inch Enkei alloy wheels. For go-fast parts, the Super20 gets a DPTUNE reflashed ECU, Racing Beat front and rear stabilizer bars, Mazdaspeed coilover suspension, and Racing Beat exhaust system. We’re not sure if we like it any more with this burnt yellow paint scheme, but those Enkeis wrapped in high-performance Toyo RA-1 rubber make us not really care what color it is.
1967 Mazda Cosmo
The sporty Mazda Cosmo coupe became the first two-rotor Wankel-engined production car when it was introduced in 1967 (sadly not in the U.S.). Mazda thinks pretty highly of that accomplishment, and has since had a fascination with the rotary engine. This particular Cosmo belongs to Mazda, and can normally be found at the company’s Irvine, Calif. headquarters. An unusual sight this side of the Pacific, the Cosmo received such comments from show attendees as, “I’ll be damned if that thing’s actually a Mazda.” Many had their precious car-guy egos hurt when they misidentified the sporty coupe as an Alfa Romeo or Aston Martin, among other various ‘60s-era sports cars. Clearly, Mazda did something right when they styled the Cosmo.
Dyson Racing Mazda-Lola B09/86
Mazda’s efforts in endurance racing go way back, and include such celebrated cars as the Le Mans-winning 787B of 1991. To show off the fact that the company’s still involved in top-tier motorsports, Mazda put its 2011 ALMS LMP1-class challenger, the Dyson Racing Mazda-Lola B09/86, on display at its booth. Sporting a turbocharged Mazda MZR-R 2.0-liter I-4 engine, in the same family as the one found in the Mazdaspeed3, Dyson Racing’s Mazda is somewhat of an underdog in its class – up against cars with twice as many cylinders. The prototype race car’s presence at Mazda’s booth helped solidify the brand’s sporty image, and also served as good motorsports eye candy for racing enthusiasts.
