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2023 Mazda MX-5 Gets Kizuna Special Edition in the UK, It's Limited to 250 Units

Referred to as ND, the fourth-generation Mazda MX-5 is getting on a bit. Unveiled in 2014 and in production since 2015, the small roadster is almost a decade old. The Japanese automaker is currently developing the NE for a potential debut in 2024 for model year 2025, but also improves the ND whenever and however possible.
2023 Mazda MX-5 Kizuna special edition 43 photos
Photo: Mazda / edited
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For example, the 2023 model year has received a special edition over in the United Kingdom. The Kizuna combines a blue-finished soft top with Light Stone Nappa leather upholstery. Available in Deep Crystal Blue or Machine Grey, the rear-wheel-drive sports car features the lesser engine in the MX-5 Miata's lineup.

Not available stateside, the 1.5-liter Skyactiv-G is a four-cylinder lump. The naturally-aspirated mill develops 132 ps at 7,000 revolutions per minute and 152 Nm at 4,500 revolutions per minute, meaning that you'll have to rev it hard to get close to the manufacturer's claimed acceleration figures. In old money, the peak output is 130 horsepower and 112 pound-feet of twist.

Equipped with 16-inch alloys featuring a bright finish, the Kizuna is limited to 250 cars in the United Kingdom. 170 cars will be specified in Machine Grey, whereas the remaining 80 will get Deep Crystal Blue.

The Kizuna – which apparently means enduring bond in English – joins 10 other variants of the MX-5 in this part of the world. Both the soft-topped roadster and hard-topped retractable fastback come with the aforementioned 1.5er as standard. The big-dog engine is a 2.0-liter version of the Skyactiv-G, which pumps out 184 ps (181 hp) and 205 Nm (151 lb-ft) on full song.

For the 2023 model year, the Roadster Prime-Line and Exclusive-Line get the 1.5er as standard. The larger engine is optional in the Exclusive-Line and top-of-the-line Homura. A six-speed manual is also standard. Prospective customers of the six-speed automatic that doesn't really have a place in the MX-5 can get it exclusively in the RF Exclusive-Line and RF Homura.

It's also worth remembering that Mazda's new special edition builds on a slightly updated 2023 model. Highlight additions include the Zircon Sand exterior paint color and red-painted Brembo front brake calipers for the manual-equipped Homura trim level. From 2022 onwards, all MX-5s feature Kinematic Posture Control.

Simply put, KPC is designed to brake the inner rear wheel during hard cornering to suppress body roll. The system also makes the steering response a little more linear, giving drivers more confidence in the twisties.

Going forward, there are many rumors in regard to what's in the offing for the fifth generation. Hearsay suggests in the ballpark of 200 ps for the NE, as in 100 ps for every liter of displacement for a grand total of 197 in terms of mechanical horsepower. Research & development boss Ichiro Hirose let it slip a few years ago that a certain degree of electrification is considered, most likely a mild-hybrid setup with a 48-volt ISG.

According to head of design Akira Tamatani, the NE will be somewhat inspired by the Vision Study, a concept from 2022 with small hints of the FD RX-7.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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