Mazda MX-5 Matte and Black Special Edition is darkened hotness

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:28:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Mazda, Misc. Auto Shows, Design/Style

Mazda MX-5 Matte and Black Special Edition - Click above for high-res image gallery

We make no effort to hide the fact that we love the Mazda Miata just the way it is. In fact, it's always been just about perfect in our eyes, as evidenced by our most recent road test of the sporty little Japanese runabout. But if bright schoolbus yellow just isn't your bag, baby, may we suggest something a little more subtle?

Mazda has just rolled out the MX-5 Matte and Black Special Edition at the 21st annual Salon du Cabriolet, Coupé & SUV in Paris. Ostensibly to celebrate the Miata's 20th birthday in France, we kinda think Mazda just wanted to prove that its sportscar looks pretty darn good in the automotive equivalent of the little black dress. And boy, does it ever.

There's nothing special underhood, so the 2.0-liter four still puts out an adequate 167 horsepower. We can't say that we see them in the photos ourselves (fortunately), but design label LK by Laure Kczekotowska Paris has reportedly decked the MX-5 out in rhinestones, gems, and crystals. Ah well, nothing can be perfect. See for yourself in the image gallery below.

Gallery: Mazda MX-5 Matte and Black Special Edition

[Source: Mazda via Le Blog Auto]

Mazda MX-5 Matte and Black Special Edition is darkened hotness originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mazda Roadster Power Retractable Hard Top launches in Japan

Alex Nunez — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 09:32:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Japan, Mazda

The new retractable hardtop Miata has officially launched in Japan and is available through dealers nationwide beginning today.

We brought you details on the car in July when it made its debut at the British International Motor Show, so we'll just quickly recap the highlights here. The folding hardtop opens and closes in just 12 seconds and adds a little over 81 pounds to the car's overall weight. When opened, the roof splits into three pieces and is stows behind the seats. This ingenious system results in no loss of trunkspace over the ragtop version of the car.

Powertrain selections are the same as the ones offered on the original softtop model. Mazda's 2.0L DOHC 4-cylinder can be mated with a 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, or 6-speed "Activematic" automatic transmission. Maximum output is 170 horsepower with the manual transmissions, and drops to 166 with the auto.

The most confusing aspect about the car is it's name, which differs depending on what market it's in. The official names are:

JAPAN: Mazda Roadster Power Retractable Hard Top
EUROPE: Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe
NORTH AMERICA: Mazda MX-5 (Miata) Power Retractable Hard Top

For what it's worth, we'd have just called it the "MX-5 Roadster Coupe" across the board. Out of the three, that one's the catchiest by far. But hey, what do we know?

(Press release after the jump)

[Source: Mazda]

Related posts:

Mazda Roadster Power Retractable Hard Top launches in Japan originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Aug 2006 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments