After teasing its 2016 Mazda MX-5 Cup race car a month or so ago, the real deal has been revealed at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
THE 2016 MAZDA MX-5 Cup race car performed pace car duties over the weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
Built on the same line as the regular MX-5, the Cup race car keeps its 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, but it’s stripped out before getting a new exhaust, intake, sports suspension and a roll cage. The first race cars to be sold will be used in the 2016 Global MX-5 Cup in a few months time.
Mazda said throwing the first production race car into pace car duties, allowed it “to gather additional durability data while showcasing it in front of one of the most influential motorsports crowds of the year”.
“For Mazda, this weekend is the perfect blend of past, present, and future,” noted John Doonan, director of motorsports for Mazda North American Operations.
“We are celebrating our motorsports heritage on the track with our vintage race cars. We are showcasing our current line-up of race-inspired products in our consumer display in the paddock, and with this pace car, we are giving a glimpse into the 2016 racing season when the latest MX-5 Miata will be racing in the Global MX-5 Cup.”
