Mazda has some fine-driving cars in its lineup, but compared with other marques it hasn’t tried overly hard of late to capitalize on that with performance-branded versions of those models to match the likes of Toyota’s GR and Honda’s Type R badges. That could be about to change if the two sporty concepts Mazda showed at the Tokyo Auto Salon are anything to go by. The cars in question are the MX-5-based Mazda Spirit Racing RS and the Mazda Spirit Racing hot hatch. Details are thin and Google’s translation of the Japanese text that talks of “polishing the undercarriage” isn’t much help. But it seems that both cars retain their stock powertrains and instead rely on changes to the body trim, wheels, suspension and interior to make them look and feel more exciting than the cars they’re based on.
Mazda Spirit Racing, in case you weren’t
aware, is the branding used on the firm’s race cars in Japan, and while the
2.0-liter-powered RS concept doesn’t look as wild as the competition Miatas,
it’s certainly not short of attitude. Red detailing on the mirror caps, front
bumper and harness-equipped interior punctuate the muted gray and black color
scheme, and judging by the way those six-spoke wheels are jammed into the
arches, the RS benefits from both a wider track and lower ride height to make
it feel at home on a track or twisty road.
The tweaked 3 gets a similar treatment and
color scheme, plus an even more aggressive body kit consisting of a big front
spoiler, side skirts and a large rear wing. It wears the same black, red and
gray garb, and the central hood stripe also seen on the Miata this time
stretches across the black roof. Mazda is considering putting both cars into
production, according to comments made by Mazda Spirit Racing’s Ikuo Maeda and
reported by Response.jp. Mazda claims the cars are developed with know-how
gained in the Super Endurance series and says the RS is designed to appeal not
only to existing Miata owners, but those who are “a little faster,” too.
