MX5 Mk2.5

[AndyT77]

As with most PH's i'm always weighing up the pros and cons of future potential cars, and i'm currently thinking about an MX5.

My ex wife used to have Jasper Conran special edition (Mk2), and in prospective budget it seems Mk2.5's are to be had.

Does' anyone have a list of all the special editions that were released in Mk2.5 guise and which is the best to go for (assuming some had a LSD etc, i understand exterior/interior colour schemes are a personal thing).

Cheers !

[oilslick]

AndyT77 said:

As with most PH's i'm always weighing up the pros and cons of future potential cars, and i'm currently thinking about an MX5.

My ex wife used to have Jasper Conran special edition (Mk2), and in prospective budget it seems Mk2.5's are to be had.

Does' anyone have a list of all the special editions that were released in Mk2.5 guise and which is the best to go for (assuming some had a LSD etc, i understand exterior/interior colour schemes are a personal thing).

Cheers !

Jap MK2 special editions

UK MK2 special editions

Sorry, couldn't find anywhere that specifically showed the MK2.5.

[Flat_Steve]

I'd probably go for one of the later ones that were badged as Euphonic, very nice imo.

[oilslick]

Flat_Steve said:

I'd probably go for one of the later ones that were badged as Euphonic, very nice imo.

I'd go for a Jap import anytime

[PlayersNo6]

See this for all the special editions :

http://www.mx5-3rdgenerationlimited.com/mx5limited...

Can't go wrong with a Euphonic, as mentioned. Although I'd seek out an Arctic with A/C personally.

[AndyT77]

Thanks, lots of useful information. I always thought my ex's Jasper Conran had a LSD, but it seems not.

[LukeBird]

There were several Special Editions that had the LSD, uprated dampers etc.
Or the Sport model (like mine) had the Bilsteins, LSD, Nardi steering wheel, 16" rims^ 6-speed 'box.

[MX-5 Lazza]

oilslick said:

I'd go for a Jap import anytime

There are a lot less Jap import Mk2.5s than previous marks. I thing the rules changed to make them less of a bargain.

[oilslick]

MX-5 Lazza said:

There are a lot less Jap import Mk2.5s than previous marks. I thing the rules changed to make them less of a bargain.

I think it's an age thing, they have to be more than 10 years old to avoid lots of expensive inspections and paperwork so 2.5's should start coming through this year.

[LukeBird]

MX-5 Lazza said:

There are a lot less Jap import Mk2.5s than previous marks. I thing the rules changed to make them less of a bargain.

And they actually specced them properly in the UK, compared to the awful standard spec on Mk1s in the UK.

[JPNS]

I've just put a deposit down on a Euphonic - very nice. 5 speed with LSD, leather heated seats and enkei wheels. It's probably one of the cheapest special editions on insurance too at 12A. 10th anniversary ones being group 15

[MX-5 Lazza]

LukeBird said:

And they actually specced them properly in the UK, compared to the awful standard spec on Mk1s in the UK.

That's not really fair. The only things the JDM cars had over the UK model was LSD. AC was a (very popular) JDM option not standard fitment. It was also a UK option but very rare until later cars. Japan also had poverty spec cars just as UK did but they were less popular over there.

[LukeBird]

MX-5 Lazza said:

The only things the JDM cars had over the UK model was LSD.

I thought the spec was far worse than that.
UK Mk2s didn't even have standard alloys early on!

[MX-5 Lazza]

Neither did JDM cars. People seem to think that JDM cars are all high spec but they aren't. Most of them are anyway as the japs tend to like their options. Most JDM specials are based on higher spec cars and there are a lot of them whereas UK specials tend to be based on low spec models. I know a couple of people with poverty spec JDM roadsters without leccy windows or PAS.

Cars are more of a status symbol over there as none of the "ordinary" people have houses that they can show off so they use cars to show off with instead.

[LukeBird]

Aaah understood!

[youngsyr]

oilslick said:

MX-5 Lazza said:

There are a lot less Jap import Mk2.5s than previous marks. I thing the rules changed to make them less of a bargain.

I think it's an age thing, they have to be more than 10 years old to avoid lots of expensive inspections and paperwork so 2.5's should start coming through this year.

The Japanese "Shaken" (MOT) is required every two years starting from the third anniversary of the car's registration. So, a Jap car requires one at 3, 5, 7, 9 years old. As cars get older they tend to find it harder to meet the test requirements, so it's not unusual for cars that are 5, 7 or 9 years old to be exported.

I think the real driver of the reduction in Jap imports across the board is the GBP:YEN exchange rate, it used to be very cheap to import nearly brand new Japanese cars, but it's quite expensive nowadays as the exchange rate has halved in recent years: