2012 Mazda MX-5 Mk3 BBR

Highlights

• Rare 1 of 550 Venture Edition Roadster Coupe

• Verified 27,436 miles on the clock

• Fully ceramic coated, Dinotrol treated underside

• Excellent service record and MOT to August 2026

• BBR Stage 2 turbo conversion (300bhp) and suspension package

Overview

Modifying your car is a tricky thing to do. Will you ruin the experience? Will it feel like it was cobbled together in a dank shed by a chap named Kevin? Don’t get us wrong, we love modified cars, but it really does have to be done correctly. It can be a minefield.

However, there are companies out there that specialise in extracting ultimate performance from relatively humble cars, and whose work is so good that for all intents and purposes it’s as good as an OEM product. When it comes to the MX-5, one of those companies is BBR. They’re pretty much the default choice for anyone wanting to turn their humble roadster into a bit of a scorcher. Offering a range of packages for all manner of applications and budgets, their work really is top notch, as anyone who has experienced one of their upgraded MX-5s will confirm.

You may have realised by this point that the lovely, low mileage Venture Edition MX-5 you see before you has been rather heavily breathed on by BBR’s engineers, and the result is something quite fabulous. With a full Stage 2 turbo conversion delivering 300bhp to the rear wheels and the BBR suspension package also fitted, it certainly ups the ante quite significantly over the original powertrain. And that kind of engineering doesn’t come cheap – the history file shows nearly £11,000 was spent at BBR making this MX-5 as good as possible.

The fact that the starting point for all of this fast road loveliness was the rare Venture Edition MZR Roadster Coupe only makes it even more special. It’s absolutely loaded with kit, benefits from gorgeous Havana Brown leather upholstery and that beautifully designed folding hardtop can drop or rise in just 12 seconds. Add to that full underbody Dinotrol protection as well as a comprehensive ceramic coating (even for the wheels), and you’ve got a seriously quick sports car that you can genuinely use whenever you fancy.

With just about 27,500 miles on the clock and an unimpeachable maintenance and service record, we really don’t think you can go wrong with this.

See? It is possible to modify a car and significantly improve it. The secret is to leave it to the experts. Not to Kevin and his shed. 

History and documentation

• Registered March 12th 2012

• 1 of just 550 examples made for the UK market

• Current owner since 16 September 2022, four former owners

• Just 27,436 miles on the clock, verified by the MOT and service records

• Current MOT with no advisories expires August 26th 2026; the previous MOT history is excellent, with no notable advisories or issues

• Service record as follows: Mar 2013 @ 1,836 miles, Feb 2014 @ 7,923 miles, Jul 2015 @ 10,473 miles, Jul 2016 @ 11,885 miles, Mar 2018 @ 14,802 miles, Feb 2019 @ 16,174 miles, Feb 2020 @ 17,522 miles, Jan 2023 @ 22,186 miles, Apr 2024 @ c.25,500 miles

• Full document pack

• Collection of invoices and old MOT certificates

• BBR invoices and paperwork detailing more than £11,000 of work carried out

• Two keys

• V5 present in owner’s name

• HPI clear

• London ULEZ compliant

Interior

• Havana Brown leather upholstery, presented in excellent overall condition, with no notable  wear or tear to the seats or door card inserts

• No sagging, significant creasing or staining to the seats

• Black carpet and matched overmats, which look to be in fine fettle, with no damage, threading or wear to be seen

• Electrically operated windows and door mirrors

• Rear parking sensors

• Climate controlled air-conditioning

• Heated seats

• Double DIN CD/radio/navigation system with touchscreen and Bluetooth connectivity

• Multifunction steering wheel

• Exclusive piano black trim

• Alloy pedal set

• The internal trim, switchgear and instrumentation all looks to be in very good order, with minimal evidence of wear and no damage apparent

• Electric folding hardtop which can lower or raise in just 12 seconds – the fastest in the world when it was launched

• The boot is finished with black carpet, which is in lovely condition, with no staining or damage we could identify

• The vendor tells us that all of the cabin’s features and functions operate perfectly, with no faults or issues reported

Exterior

• Crystal White Pearlescent paintwork, which looks very close to flawless

• Comprehensive professional machine polish and ceramic coating, including the wheels, carried out in  May 2023

• The bodywork shows superbly, with no damage, corrosion, misalignment, dents or any other issues we could discern

• OEM Venture Edition and BBR badging

• Crystal clear headlights and rear clusters, with no chips or cracks we could see

• Front foglights

• All of the external trim shows extremely well, with no notable wear, cracking, damage or warping

• The car was treated to a substantial amount of protective work by BBR in January 2023, which included removing the bumpers and side skirts and treating the underside, cavities and suspension components with clear Dinotrol Corraheat (see pictures)

• As you can imagine, the underside is in lovely condition, with no corrosion or damage on display

• The car sits on the correct 17-inch gunmetal alloy wheels, which present very well, with no evidence of kerbing or lacquer peel

• A matched set of Hankook Ventus V12 Evo tyres (205/45) has been fitted – they all look to have good tread depth and clean sidewalls

Mechanical

• 1,999cc DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder

• 6-speed manual transmission

• Rear wheel drive

• Cruise control

• Factory-fitted limited slip differential

• ABS, power steering

• Dynamic Stability Control, Traction Control System

• Exceptionally clean mechanicals and engine bay

• BBR Stage 2 Turbo package for MX-5 NC (fitted by BBR in January 2023)

• BBR dyno sheet (dated May 2023) detailing power outputs of 299bhp / 251lb-ft

• BBR bespoke Garrett GT series ball bearing turbocharger (360bhp plus capability, according to BBR)

• BBR bespoke cast iron exhaust manifold

• BBR stainless steel downpipe

• BBR exhaust centre section

• BBR Super Sport rear silencer

• BBR high-flow lightweight front mounted aluminium intercooler with factory look black intake pipes

• BBR high-flow custom silicone turbo pipes in factory look black finish with stainless steel hose clamps and unique black coating

• BBR lightweight aluminium battery tray in factory black finish

• BBR Recirculating piston type dump valve in factory black finish

• BBR / Bosch MAP / Temperature sensor

• BBR / Bosch high flow fuel injectors

• BBR carbon fibre turbocharger heat shield

• BBR high flow airbox

• BBR stainless steel / Teflon oil and water lines

• BBR Starchip EcuTek calibration software

• K&N Air Filter

• NGK Iridium Spark Plugs

• BBR Twin Friction uprated clutch

• BBR NC suspension package, consisting of Koni adjustable dampers and BBR lowering springs

• April 2024 - new lambda sensor fitted

• We’re assured by the vendor that the car drives perfectly, with no known mechanical issues reported

Summary

A vast amount of time, attention, engineering talent and, let’s be honest, cold, hard cash, has gone into refining this already fantastic little roadster. What we’re left with is an aesthetically subtle sports car with the beating heart of a particularly angry dragon. 

Beautifully maintained, exquisitely finished and truly rare, this is a genuinely exceptional machine that could happily sit alongside exotica worth £100,000s more.

We’d go as far as to say that this is in with a shout of being the best MX-5 NC in the UK. Yes, really. And it could be yours…

To arrange a viewing, click the 'Book Viewing' button located under the 'Place Bid' button. Viewings can be booked up until the day before the auction ends, after which the option will change to 'Contact Seller' for further enquiries. This seller is located in Rickling Green, Essex.