Mazda Miata MX-5 Super25 Concept: The Yin to the Super20 Concept’s Yang [2012 SEMA Show]

At the 2010 edition of SEMA, Mazda unveiled the Super20 concept, a rowdy little supercharged, Cosworth-powered take on our perennial 10Best winner, named in honor of the Miata's 20th birthday. Now, just two years later, Mazda has dropped the Super25 concept. (By that logic, shouldn't this be called the Super22?) A more reserved take on the Miata's performance theme, the Super25 draws its inspiration from endurance racing. To send the message home, the racing number selected for the Super25 concept is 55, a tribute to the Mazda's historic 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans win—the first and only Japanese manufacturer to ever win the famed event. Black, gray, and red—the core colors of Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development—are used extensively throughout the car's design. The exterior is finished in Super Red gloss with matte Mica Black stripes dressing the lower portions of the vehicle, circling from front to back. Minimalistic Brilliant White accents highlight the character details along the hood. The black, red, and white pattern continues onto the fixed hardtop, the white stripes continuing onto the trunk lid. A four-lamp lighting pod is mounted just above the modified grille. With the exposed fasteners, the view from the front evokes some classic competition cars of the 1960s and 1970s. Seventeen-inch Volk Racing T37 six-spoke matte black wheels wearing in BFGoodrich tires round out the exterior mods. The competition theme continues inside with a single Sparco racing seat, a six-point racing Sparco harness, and a suede Sparco competition steering wheel. That suede steering wheel matches nicely with the Charcoal suede interior with Tomato Red accent features. A data-acquisition logger mounted into the dash offers real-time ECU figures for those looking to shave pesky final tenths off their lap times. Short Take Road Test: 2009 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring Road Test: 2013 Subaru BRZ Limited vs. Route Napoléon Comparison test: B-spec Racers—Honda Fit vs. Kia Rio5, Mazda 2, Mini Cooper Hatchback We're really digging the pseudo-retro look and minimalist treatment of the Super25 MX-5 Miata, but wish Mazda had been a little more forthcoming with the particulars. For instance, a cage is clearly visible in the car, but Mazda didn't reveal any details on it—likewise with the suspension and engine, which we're guessing still are box stock. Unlike many concept vehicles crafted from unobtanium and a blank check, the Super25 Concept looks like a something mere mortal could craft on a budget. For that alone this thing is cool. Read full story » from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

Put the internet to work for you. via Personal Recipe 647533