Mazda3- and Miata-based track-ready concepts revealed in Tokyo

Mazda has hinted at plans to let drivers who want to take their Miata to the track bypass the aftermarket. It unveiled a race-ready concept called RS at the 2024 edition of the Tokyo Auto Salon, and it gave the Japanese-market version of the Mazda3 hatchback the same treatment.

The brand grouped both concepts under the "Mazda Spirit Racing" label. It adds that it fitted the ND-generation Miata-based RS concept with an updated suspension system designed using the lessons it has learned from years of racing, though specific details haven't been released yet. Mazda notes that the model is currently under development, which suggests it won't remain at the concept stage for long, and that it will be street-legal, so it's won't land as a track-only roadster. The suspension changes notably take relative comfort into account.

Visually, the RS stands out from the regular-production Miata with a specific front splitter, side skirts, a stripe-like graphic on the hood, red accents, and black wheels. It also seems to ride lower than the standard car. There's no word on what's under the hood yet, but we're not expecting any significant mechanical changes. It's reasonable to assume that the production model will be offered with a stick-shift, however.

The 3-based concept receives the same basic treatment, and here again technical specifications aren't available. Riding on the same wheels as the RS, it's finished in gray with a black stripe on the hood and the roof panel, a front splitter, and a big roof-mounted spoiler. Suspension changes are part of the package, but the 3 needs to be equally at home on the road and on the track so the setup likely isn't boulder-hard.

Mazda Spirit Racing also presented several track-only concepts at the event, including a wide-bodied 3 hatchback whose 2.2-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine runs on biodiesel and a Miata built to compete in the ST-5 category of the Super Taikyu Series in Japan. The latter has already started racing in its home country, but it's too early to tell when the other concepts will line up on a starting grid.