Mazda releases MX-5 35th Anniversary Edition

Mazda has celebrated 35 years since the launch of the MX-5 by creating another special edition. Announced last October, the MX-5 ‘35th Anniversary Edition’ arrived in Australia in January, defined by model-exclusive paint and wheels, plus special badging and identification inside and out.

Based on the current ND Series MX-5 Roadster GT, the 35th Anniversary Edition is a cosmetic package, fitted with the standard (135kW and 205Nm) 2.0-lite Skyactiv-G petrol engine and only available with a six-speed manual transmission.

There are no upgrades to the suspension or braking, but a circuit-developed ‘DSC-TRACK’ mode is added to the Dynamic Stability Control. This lowers the DSC intervention threshold, allowing an element of oversteer.

Defining features start with Artisan Red paint that’s exclusive to the 35th Anniversary Edition in the MX-5 range, although this premium metallic finish did make its debut on the CX-90 SUV. Complementing this is a beige hood and 17-inch alloys that are also exclusive to the special edition.

Inside, the seats, lower dash, centre console and doorcards are trimmed in tan Nappa leather, complemented with beige carpeting and floormats. Black leather trim for the steering wheel, shift knob, shifter boot and handbrake features contrasting beige stitching, while the air vents are accented in Artisan Red.

Headrests are debossed with a ‘35 Anniversary’ logo and laurel wreath, while the floormats feature metal ‘35th Anniversary’ badges. Similar exterior badges, positioned aft of the doors, also carry each car’s individual build number.

Unlike the 30th Anniversary Edition MX-5 from 2019 that was limited to 3,000 units worldwide (with 30 allocated for Australia), production of the 35th Anniversary Edition will apparently not be capped at a specific number. Instead, it will only be built for a limited time. That being said, only 50 units have been allocated to Australia, most of which landed in January.

Priced at $52,020 (+ ORCs), which is an $800 premium over the Roadster GT it’s based on, it’s likely that all 50 units of the MX-5 35th Anniversary Edition had found buyers at time of writing.