Since 1990, the Mazda MX-5 Miata has always been low on displacement and big on driving fun. Sounds like a natural fit for a turbo, right? Our Pick of the Day, a 2004 Mazda Mazdaspeed MX-5 Miata posted on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Tampa, comes from the first of only two model years when Mazda made a turbocharged version of its popular roadster.
Well, not officially—technically, the gearheads at Mazdaspeed made it. They kept its 1.8-liter displacement the same as it was in the regular Miata, but added an IHI turbo that pumped in up to 8.5 pounds of boost. To make it even more effective, Mazdaspeed also put in a front-mounted air-to-air intercooler. That combination helped the I4 produce 178 horsepower and 166 lb-ft of torque—increases of 36 and 41, respectively. A six-speed manual gearbox with a heavy-duty clutch and a Bosch limited-slip differential pushed that increased level of zoom-zoom to the road.
Power is important, but the Mazdaspeed MX-5 wouldn’t have been a true Miata if it didn’t have the handling to match its output. So Mazdaspeed equipped it with a shock tower brace and lowered it on a specially tuned double-wishbone suspension equipped with firmer Bilstein shocks, higher-rate springs, and larger stabilizer bars at both ends.
To make sure their creation stood out to passers-by as well as the people who drove it, Mazdaspeed gave it two unique paint colors (Velocity Red Mica or Titanium Gray Metallic), tinted headlights, special front and rear air dams, Mazdaspeed rear spoiler, and 17-inch Racing Hart Concepts wheels. A sport-tuned exhaust system with a larger resonator and a re-baffled muffler made the Mazdaspeed Miata distinctive on a sonic level.
Inside, the Mazdaspeed Miata offered the choice of black and red cloth or black leather seating, and came standard with alloy pedals, silver Mazdaspeed gauges, and silver mesh trim.
This particular piece of Miata history has been well preserved over the course of only 45,704 miles. According to the selling dealer, “The black leather interior is rip- and tear-free, the dash is free of cracks, and everything works including cold AC. The black roof is in great shape.” If you want to add this rarity to your automotive collection, you’ll have to trade $18,000 to make that happen.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
