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It's Green, It's Mean: Mazda Launches MX-5 Karai Special Edition

MX-5 Karai Special EditionMX-5 Karai Special EditionMX-5 Karai Special EditionMX-5 Karai Special EditionMX-5 Karai Special EditionMX-5 Karai Special EditionMX-5 Karai Special Edition
Mazda might want to unveil more MX-5 concepts and special editions for roadster than even Volkswagen could for the Golf GTI. To name but a few, we’ve already seen the Kendo Special Edition and 55 Le Mans this year, and now we bring you the another. This one is called Karai, which reportedly means “sharp” in Japanese, and we can only take their word for it.

Fear not, as the special edition roadster coupe is actually designed for the European market. It’s based on the version of the car that comes with a retractable hardtop and gets a striking lime-green paint called “Metal Green Metallic”, which is not all that metallic if you ask us.

To make the green pop out even more, Mazda has added gloss black accents for the metal top, exterior mirrors, trim accents such as the front grille and fog lamp surrounds, as well as the 17-inch multispoke alloy wheels.

Step inside the snug two-seater interior and the MX-5 Karai greets you with a pair of Recaro sport seats trimmed in black leather and Alcantara with white stitching. Aluminum pedals and a leather steering wheel with white stitching complete the look of the car, while Mazda says that all the pieces that used to be silver are now finished in the glossy black hue. The result: it looks like a poisoned dart frog.

Under the bonnet of the Karai edition lies a stock 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol engine delivering 160-horses, but Mazda also sells an optional sport package that includes an exhaust system, a lowering kit for the suspension plus iPod and USB adapter, and an exclusive set of floor mats.

The base price for the Karai is €30,000 (US$43,500) in Germany, and Mazda says it will only make 165 cars.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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