- Doors and Seats
2 doors, 2 seats
- Engine
1.8T, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
157kW, 289Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 7.8L/100KM
- Manufacturer
RWD
- Transmission
Manual
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Used car review: Mazda MX-5 SP
Fast forwarding the fun factor
From the moment it was launched here at the end of 1989, Mazda's cute little drop-top MX-5 has been eulogised for its build quality, purity of concept, personality and fun factor.
Apart from the the fact that superseded models have now reached middle and old age, the MX-5 has been an unmitigated winner both for Mazda and those who bought it.
Part of the car's magic was that it appealed to a vast cross-section of buyers, with one exception: fans of ultra-high-performance driving.
The MX-5's taut, responsive chassis and pin-sharp steering were enough to make the car fun on just about any kind of road but the standard 1.6 and subsequent 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine just didn't deliver the thrills.
With that in mind, Mazda Australia turned to its Sydney-based developers to devise something with more sting in the tail.
The special projects operation created a hotter, sharper MX-5 and convinced Mazda's notoriously conservative head office in Japan to anoint the model as one of its own, right down to applying the full factory warranty.
The Australian-designed and developed version of a hot-rodded MX-5 was based on the NB model of 1992, with a turbocharger bolted on.
Of course, it wasn't that simple, and Mazda Australia's special projects crew spent a lot of time working out the details and ensuring the engine's original reputation for reliability was maintained.
The turbo installation was a low-boost one, which allowed the MX-5's original compression ratio to be retained and the rest of the engine to be pretty much untouched. That was good for durability but also meant that, when off boost, the MX-5 SP (as it was named) felt like a standard MX-5.
Whip the turbocharger into a frenzy, however, and 150 kW of power was sent to the rear wheels through the standard six-speed manual gearbox.
Torque was also higher with a peak of 280 Nm, a very impressive figure from a 1.8-litre engine.
The result was that the MX-5 SP was a quick car in a straight line. It pulled strongly through the mid-range and was a much friskier vehicle at part-throttle.
But you couldn't help but feel the extra power was testing the limits of everything else about the car.
Suddenly, what was responsive steering in the standard car became a bit nervous in the SP, and the standard car's darty way of turning into corners became potentially a bit of a handful if you were accelerating at the same time.
But there's no doubt the extra power was welcome in most situations and the SP model suddenly started to appeal to those who valued straight-line urge as well as cute styling, sharp handling and a convertible roof.
Having seen what could be achieved, head office in Japan decided to build its own interpretation of the SP and called it SE. With an even softer turbocharger installation, the motor made just 121 kW of power and 206 Nm of torque - not a huge leap over the standard MX-5's 107 kW and 168 Nm.
Driving the SE made you wonder whether the engine was turbocharged at all, such was the lack of rush or welling up of the power delivery. Yes, it felt a little stronger than the standard MX-5 but it was hardly any more exciting and made many wonder why Mazda had attached a $5000 premium to the SE over the non-turbo model.
These days, the Australian-developed SP version is the one to go for because it's the one that made the most of the potential advantages of fitting a turbocharger to an engine.
Make sure the one you find is a proper Mazda Australia-modified car and not a backyard addition, and check that the service record is intact and up to date.
Watch out too for crash damage and signs that the thing might have been raced - there were many in events such as Targa Tasmania and weekend hill-climbs.
A modified car is also something to be wary of; big changes to the engine can seriously shorten its lifespan and/or reliability.
What to pay
The SP's reputation for being a rocket, and its relative scarcity, have kept values high. Expect to pay at least the the region of $30,000 for a non-raced example. Despite being newer, the SE is about $2000 cheaper.
The competition
Performance convertibles aren't common, especially those with turbocharged engines. Some buyers will also look at the MGF, but unless it's the later version with the completely revamped suspension, we wouldn't bother.
An Alfa Romeo Spider might also come into the reckoning but you'll need a much bigger budget.