The 51st special edition Mazda MX‑5 is a grey masterpiece

Mazda’s gone grey for this latest special edition version of the already-special sportscar – the R-Sport – announced this week. Grey doesn’t sound inspiring but this is grey in a good way: a cool new paint colour called Polymetal Grey set against piano black mirrors and a grey fabric hood which we reckon looks very smart. Set off by 16-inch gunmetal alloy wheels and with a burgundy Nappa leather trimmed cabin, the R-Sport offers a classily subtle take on the otherwise familiar two-seater.

There are to be 150 of them and you can only get the R-Sport with the least powerful engine option, the 132PS (130bhp) 1.5-litre, although it is possible to spec-up the 2.0-litre with the same options, at a price. While any special edition’s features are never free as the car companies like to tell us, part of the appeal of a special is its all-in price.  For the R-Sport that is £27,700, £1600 more than a standard (and already well equipped) MX-5 Sport on which the R version is based.

Mazda says UK deliveries will begin once the current retail restrictions come to an end. A good way to blow out of the post-coronavirus cobwebs? Has to be. But with the 30^th anniversary  MX-5  special edition and the 100^th Mazda anniversary MX-5 special edition (announced only a few weeks ago), it is easy to wonder if Mazda sells any MX-5s that aren’t special…