Chicago Auto Show: Mazda Unveils MX-5 Special Edition

By Lyndon Conrad Bell

Lyndon Conrad Bell

Contributing Writer

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3,516 views Feb 10, 2011

2011 Mazda MX-5 Miata Special Edition

Ironically, the formula had been established way back in the Fifties with the classic English and Italian four-cylinder roadsters. It was such a simple idea, yet no one had done it in years. So when Mazda introduced the Miata back in 1989, the automotive community immediately fell in love.

Combining all of the driving attributes everyone loved about those small European sports cars, with the reliability and economical operating costs Japanese cars were by then famous for, the Miata ushered in an entirely new era of sports cars.

So successful was the formula, Mercedes and BMW soon followed suit with small roadsters of their own. That’s right, were it not for the success of the MX-5, the world might never have known SLK and Z3 (now Z4). Mazda recently celebrated a major milestone with the production of the 900,000th MX-5—the sports car formerly known as the Miata.

To mark the occasion, Mazda unveiled the 2011 Mazda Miata MX-5 Special Edition at the Chicago Auto Show. Available in a limited run of 750 units, the 2011 MX-5 SE features every option available for the car—including the power retractable hard top. This includes a Bluetooth hands-free phone system, SIRIUS Satellite Radio with a six-month complimentary subscription, Xenon headlights, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with a Traction Control System (TCS), an anti-theft alarm, and keyless entry and start.

Interior touches include gray door trim and heated leather seats with gray stitching, a black leather-wrapped parking brake and steering wheel with contrasting gray stitching. Chrome treatments accent the air vents and instrument cluster, while aluminum does the same for the pedals (with the six-speed manual transmission).

The SE’s running gear is comprised of 17-inch wheels and summer tires, Bilstein shocks, a limited slip differential, and a sport-tuned suspension. The six-speed manual transmission features a short-throw shifter, while the six-speed automatic uses steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. The 2.0-liter in-line four makes 167 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque (158 horsepower with the automatic).  Curb weight is 2,593 pounds with the manual and 2,619 pounds with the automatic.

Even with all the luxury equipment, the Miata SE enjoys a nearly 50:50 weight distribution and remains an enjoyable car to drive. Purists might decry all the “luxury features” and would politely suggest a less comprehensively equipped MX-5 would be more of a driver’s car. And, they’d be absolutely right—plus it’d be considerably less expensive too.

The base Miata starts at $23,110, while the SE goes for $30,925 with the manual transmission and $31,525 with the automatic.