Make mine MX-5

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The world’s favorite roadster is back for (and with) more

WOULD YOU believe it if there was a car enthusiasts’ group so passionate and enduring, that at some point the country’s brand distributor would actually offer a vehicle variant in celebration of that club’s silver anniversary?

Well, that’s exactly the case with the Miata Club Philippines (MCP) — an exceptionally tight and consistently active Mazda Miata enthusiasts’ group — that is now celebrating its 25^th anniversary in the Philippines.

In case you haven’t heard, Mazda Philippines has recently unveiled its beautiful 2022 Mazda MX-5 model, now with the option for a new body color, new interior trim color and further personalization. It also comes with new tech called Kinematic Posture Control (KPC), which basically makes taking fast corners with the already amazingly balanced MX-5 even more enjoyable. KPC is essentially a type of suspension-brake integrated tech that keeps the car better planted on the road even with heightened G-forces. This, according to Mazda’s Shigeki Saito, further improves the driver’s “one-ness” with the MX-5, even at higher speeds. And as a bonus, there is absolutely no extra weight added onto the vehicle to accommodate this new tech!

“With over a thousand examples sold by our distributorship since 2014, the Mazda MX-5 continues to be a popular and highly regarded sports car in the Philippines,” shares Steven Tan, President and CEO of Mazda Philippines. Furthering that, “Mazda’s lightweight, open-top formula — as seen on the MX-5 — has consistently been realized for more than 30 years. But we believe there is still room to involve the driver even more and enhance the emotional bond with his car… That is why we are continuing to elevate this already unique driving experience with the introduction of new features and owner-initiated options that will make future MX-5 owners even happier and fulfilled.”

Having said that, there is now also on-offer a soft-top version of the lovely MX-5 Club Edition — yes, the fancy one with the Recaro Sport bucket seats and 17-inch forged BBS wheels and all. In fact, there is now a total of 76 combinations possible when one chooses to customize his or her own 2022 Mazda MX-5 via www.mazda.ph’s Build Your MX-5 portal. If you do so, you’ll be looking at a possible wait time of four or five months before you receive your order. Given the global microchip shortage caused by COVID and all, that’s not bad.

But how does all this connect with the special variant I earlier mentioned — that trim that celebrates the silver anniversary of what some like to argue is the most-active, long-lasting and joyful car club in the Philippines? Yes, I’m talking about MCP!

Well, Steven Tan also revealed that Mazda Philippines is now offering a special Mazda Club Philippines 25^th Anniversary Edition MX-5 variant — available from Feb. 28 this year to September 2023 only. It comes with a blue top, black leather seats, and in the new body color of Platinum Quartz (since its beautiful quartz luster was chosen to symbolize “unending youth”). This special variant is also immediately recognizable via its unique, thin red strip that runs from front to rear. And all buyers of the MCP 25^th Anniversary Edition MX-5 will also receive a special MCP 25^th anniversary book together with their purchase.

To clarify, this variant will not be sold in a limited number of units. Instead, it will be produced based on demand — albeit for a limited time. Furthermore, the first delivery of these special units will, of course, be for buyers who are MCP members.

Oh, and all 2022 Mazda MX-5 variants are priced below P3 million! Long live the genius affordability of Mazda’s roadster!