- Everyone asked for a Miata with more power, so Mazda cranked the MX-5’s wick to 197 ponies
- And what’s this? Subaru got STI to find a few more horses for a special-edition WRX, too
- One caveat: neither of these cars are (officially) coming to Canada, sorry
It is generally accepted by most gearheads the Mazda MX-5 is a perfect blend of weight balance and horsepower, despite the engine three-digit output rating’s starting with a ‘1’. Still, as this year’s Christmas dinner at your author’s house proved, there’s always room for more. At the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon, Mazda rolled out a hotter MX-5 under its Spirit Racing banner, juicing output to nearly 200 horses.
Technically called the “Mazda Spirit Racing Roadster 12R,” the hot drop-top breathes better than a standard MX-5 thanks to a new intake and exhaust. Changes to the engine’s cylinder heads, cams, and pistons, means the team didn’t limit themselves to bolt-on improvements. In total, power rises to 197 horsepower, which is 16 more than stock.
A full list of 12R alterations include the likes of an aero kit, lightweight wheels, gummy tires, and Brembo-branded brakes. Also peep the Recaro buckets and four-point harnesses. Mazda plans to make 200 of these hot roadsters, priced at ¥7 million apiece, and they will, unfortunately, only be available for purchase in the automaker’s home market of Japan.
Elsewhere in the brand, we’d be remiss if we didn’t whine about how the frankly handsome Mazda6e all-electric sedan and its 80-kWh battery with 500-plus kilometres of range, introduced at an auto show in Brussels, won’t be offered in our market either, thanks to all hands here preferring high-riding SUVs and crossovers.
What else was shown at the Tokyo Auto Salon that won’t be arriving on this side of the pond? How about a real Subaru WRX STI, one which wrings nearly 300 horsepower from its upgraded 2.4L engine? As stressed as such a mill might be, it’ll still be a better boxer than Jake Paul.
Chassis tweaks include changes to the suspension dampers and springs. The aero addenda look good, as well. Nevertheless, someone at the brand thinks it is a good idea to only offer this all-wheel-drive rocket with an automatic transmission (and a CVT at that) so perhaps we’re not missing out on too much after all.