Mazda MX-5 NA and NB limited editions: the list and how to spot one

MX-5 special editions are an easy topic to get wrong: the same names came back in different countries, and the paint of one edition was sometimes also available in regular production. In this guide I rely on the official model chronology on Mazda's website (Japanese market) and on motoring-press summaries for the US and the UK. How an edition affects the price is covered in more detail in what an MX-5 NA or NB costs.

How does a limited edition differ from a regular MX-5?

Usually in paint, trim and extras rather than mechanicals. A typical package was a colour not offered in the standard palette, leather in a different shade, a Nardi wheel and gear knob, polished wheels, and sometimes a numbered plaque or certificate. Underneath, it was mostly a regular MX-5 of that model year.

There are exceptions where an edition changed the character of the car:

• Japanese versions based on the S Special (including the S Limited, RS Limited and R Limited) — a strengthened body and Bilstein dampers,
• the M2 models (M2 1001, 1002, 1028), prepared by Mazda's M2 subsidiary, with more power and a roll cage among other changes,
• the turbocharged cars of 2001–2005 (Mazdaspeed Roadster, Roadster Turbo, Mazdaspeed MX-5).

Which NA limited editions were made in Japan?

In Japan the MX-5 was sold as the Eunos Roadster, and Mazda gives exact production numbers for the domestic editions. The table below comes from the manufacturer's official chronology.

Mazda also offered trim levels for which the chronology gives no production figure, and which are often mistaken for editions: the 1990 V Special (green paint, tan leather, Nardi wood wheel and gear knob) and the 1992 S Special (strengthened chassis, Bilstein dampers, BBS wheels, spoiler).

Which NA special editions were sold in the US?

In the US the editions had bigger runs and a different colour almost every year. According to Jalopnik's 2015 guide:

• 1991 Special Edition — British Racing Green, tan leather, Nardi wood details; 3,997 built,
• 1992 Black Miata — black paint and tan leather; 4,625 built,
• 1993 Limited Edition — black paint and the only red interior on an NA, BBS wheels, sport suspension; 1,505 built,
• M-Edition 1994–1997 — a different colour each year: Montego Blue (1994, 3,000), Merlot (1995, 3,500), Starlight Blue (1996, about 3,000), Marina Green (1997, 3,000); all with the Torsen LSD,
• 1997 STO — Twilight Blue, appearance package; 1,500 built.

The R-Package (1994–1997), with stiffer suspension and Torsen, was not an official special edition, although it often appears in such lists.

Which NA editions went to the UK and the rest of Europe?

Mazda UK released 13 special editions of the first generation, according to Japanese Nostalgic Car, describing Mazda UK's videos on MX-5 editions. The best known:

• Limited Edition (1991) — British Racing Green with a tan interior, 250 cars with a numbered plaque,
• Le Mans (1991) — 24 cars with BBR turbocharging (about 150 bhp), in livery inspired by the Le Mans-winning Mazda 787B, with a certificate signed by Johnny Herbert, according to evo,
• BBR Turbo — a BBR-turbocharged version, 850 built,
• Gleneagles (1995–1996) — about 400 cars with the 1.8 engine in Montego Blue, with champagne leather, a steering wheel bearing the Gleneagles hotel crest and a tartan document wallet, as PistonHeads describes,
• Berkeley (1998) — the last NA edition, in Sparkle Green.

Montego Blue shows well why paint alone proves nothing. It was worn by the 1994 US M-Edition and the British Gleneagles, but also by regular cars. The 1997 Mazda MX-5 1.8 from the MB Classics archive — in this colour, with leather and the Torsen LSD — was described as a desirable specification, not as a special edition.

Which special editions did the second-generation NB have?

The most important was the 1999 10th Anniversary: 7,500 cars worldwide (Mazda's figure), Innocent Blue Mica paint (Sapphire Blue in the US), a six-speed gearbox — the first in MX-5 history — Bilstein dampers and Torsen. According to evo, about 600 went to the UK.

The NB in Japan and the US

For the Japanese market Mazda lists, among others, the NR Limited (2000, 500 units), YS Limited (2000, 700), Mazdaspeed Roadster (2001, 200), MV Limited (2001, 300), SG Limited (2002, 400) and Roadster Turbo (2004, 300). In 2003 the fixed-roof Roadster Coupe appeared, built to order.

In the US, according to Jalopnik, there were the 2000 Special Edition in Mahogany Mica (3,000 built), the 2001 Special Edition in British Racing Green (3,000), the 2003 Shinsen (1,451), the competition-focused Club Sport (50) and the turbocharged Mazdaspeed MX-5 (4,000 in 2004 and 1,428 in 2005).

The NB in Europe

Europe had even more editions, and their numbers were rarely published. Mazda UK had 17 NB editions, including the Euphonic with a Sony audio system and the 2003 Angels. In Germany, Auto Bild described in 2002 the Phoenix edition: 2,200 cars in Titan Silver, with 15" alloys, leather upholstery and a two-tone Nardi wheel, available with the 1.6 (110 PS) and the "1.9" (146 PS) — the German badge for the 1.8.

The Polish market more often sees cars from German and Central European editions. The MB Classics archive has had two:

• the 2000 Mazda MX-5 Miracle — Mahogany Mica paint, light leather, wood trim, and with the 1.8 a six-speed gearbox and Torsen LSD; this car also had wheels from another edition, the Unplugged, and a body-coloured hardtop,
• the 2003 Mazda MX-5 Memories II — a facelift-era edition originally for the German market.

How do you check that an MX-5 is a genuine special edition?

Most reliably by matching several features at once with the paperwork, not by a single badge. Plaques, badges and wheels are easy to move from another car, so check:

1. Factory colour — the paint code on the build plate should match the edition's colour; signs of a respray in the engine bay and under the seals are a warning.
2. Interior and hood — many editions had trim in a colour not offered as standard (such as the red interior of the 1993 US Limited Edition or the light leather of the Miracle) or a hood in a different colour.
3. Numbered items — a numbered plaque (the 1991 UK Limited Edition, the Berkeley), a certificate (Le Mans), original extras (the Gleneagles wallet, the crested steering wheel).
4. Paperwork — the first registration document, service book, dealer invoice, edition brochure.
5. Mechanicals — for versions with Torsen, a six-speed gearbox or a turbo, confirm those parts are still there.

Is a special-edition MX-5 worth paying extra for?

It depends on the edition and the condition, but the name alone is rarely enough. Hagerty UK's 2021 guide says most NA special editions are not worth seeking out for the name alone and that condition is far more important. The exceptions are the Japanese R-Limited and RS-Limited, which had passed £10,000 in perfect condition. The same guide warns that the thin leather on some editions splits easily.

So it makes sense to treat an edition as a bonus on a good car, not as a reason to overlook corrosion. Cars currently for sale are in the MB Classics showroom, sold ones in the archive. Other Japanese models worth considering are in my list of Japanese future classics, and the other model guides are in the Models and buyer's guides category.