Madza MX-5 ’55 Le Mans Introduced

The Mazda MX-5 could very well be renamed the Mazda “pure driving pleasure” and this is why we are thrilled whenerver a new development related to the Japanese roadster is announced. This time, Mazda was determined to emphasize its connection to motorsport and decided to do this by introducing a special edition incarnation of the MX-5.

Destined for the Swiss market, the vehicle uses the MX-5 ‘55 Le Mans name, celebrating the carmaker's 1991 Le Mans victory. In case you were wondering, the name is inspired from the 787B No.55 race car, which was driven to victory in 1991 by Johnny Herbert, Volker Weidler, and Bertrand Gachot.

The racer did more than just bring Mazda a Le Mans title, as the feat was the first victory for a Japanese car and the rotary powerplant in the unforgiving endurance event.

Now that we know the vehicle’ s source of inspiration, it is time to see what sort of machine we are talking about. The MX-5 ‘55 Le Mans is powered by a 2.0-liter unit that delivers 160 hp and is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.

Mazda engineers were pretty serious about the vehicle’s dynamics, as they’ve chosen to gift the car with a sports suspension supplied by Bilstein, a front strut bar, a limited slip differential (LSD), as well as with a set of 10-spoke lightweight alloy rims.

Customers can choose between four exterior colors, which come with contrasting stripes (on the sides of the vehicle). The MX-5’s racing connection is highlighted through exterior logos and a numbered plaque placed in the cabin.