Thursday 24th March 2016

Mazda MX-5 Le Mans: Spotted

Well as we're celebrating the MX-5 this week...

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Forget the GT-R. Leave the R8 Spyder. And who really cares about an NSX racing car? No, the big news for PH at New York - going off the comments and views - is the Mazda MX-5 Retractable Fastback. Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising given the MX-5 love on PH, but the attention is still pretty remarkable.

No hiding from anyone in this MX-5

So why not ride the crest of the MX-5 wave for a little longer? Now ideally this feature would use the old MX-5 Roadster Coupe, preferably with a little BBR tweaking to make it more interesting. There are plenty of standard cars around, but nothing any faster.

While on the hunt for BBR cars though, this little gem emerged. Yes, it's an MX-5 Le Mans, the car that celebrated Mazda's incredible victory at La Sarthe. This year marks 25 years since that triumph in fact, so how better to commemorate that fantastic race?

Those with especially good memories will recognise this MX-5, as it's the car we featured as a PH Hero back in 2011. All of the Le Mans cars are very rare, with only 22 believed to have been built and at least five of those not even in the iconic paint scheme. Back when the Hero feature was written just 19 survived; could that be even less now?

It's easy to forget beyond the wild colours and the Le Mans success that these cars were significantly improved over a base MX-5. The BBR turbo boosted power from 114hp to 150hp, plus there were Tokico springs and OZ wheels. Don't forget the authenticity certificate signed by Johnny Herbert too (and yes, this car still has it).

Looking immaculate under here as well

The Le Mans is a very special car in the history of the MX-5, and should remain jolly good fun as well. Yes, this car has 90,000 miles on it and "a number of enthusiasts" have owned it, but that's kind of the point. It will have been cherished throughout those miles as those who owned it will have (hopefully) recognised the Le Mans as something special. The fact that an Owners' Club member has owned it is encouraging, as is the fact it looks flawless in the photos.

So what on earth will it cost? Frustratingly this Le Mans is listed at POA, so we'll have to compare standard MX-5s for some idea. Amazingly the most expensive of those is for sale at £12K, albeit with just 14,000 miles. Given the rarity and the status of the Le Mans, it wouldn't be a surprise to find the asking price beyond even that. What do you reckon? How much can an MX-5 really be worth? The floor is yours...

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MAZDA MX-5 LE MANS
Engine: 1,600cc, turbocharged inline-4
Transmission: 5-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 154@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 154@5,500rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1991
Recorded mileage: 90,000
Price new: £20,499
Price now: POA

See the original advert here.

[Specs: MX5 Mazda]

[NJ72]

Saw this exact car 3 years ago in the Watford Mazda dealer awaiting collection by the current owner. It had 90k on the clock then, so not really been driven in the past 3 years it would appear.

They sold it for £10k then AFAIK, so probably a good £12-14k I'd guess.

Sorely tempted, looks great in the flesh...