Mazda UK adds new Sport Venture model to the MX-5 Roadster line-up

It's the latest in a long line of special-edition MX-5s

By: James Fossdyke

Apr 12, 2021 at 4:20am ET

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The Mazda MX-5 has received yet another special edition with the arrival of the £27,615, limited-run Sport Venture variant. Based on the mid-range 1.5-litre Sport model, the new iteration is marked out by its Deep Crystal Blue Mica paint, grey fabric hood and silver door mirror trims.

Limited to just 160 examples in the UK, the car also features 16-inch bright alloy wheels and Light Stone Nappa leather upholstery. And all that comes in addition to the standard Sport trim, which includes heated seats, automatic lights and keyless entry. You get automatic windscreen wipers, too, as well as an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity software, plus a Bose sound system.

All 160 cars will come with the 130 bhp 1.5-litre Skyactiv-G petrol engine, which comes with a six-speed manual gearbox. That allows the car to complete the 0-62 mph sprint in 8.3 seconds before accelerating on to a top speed of 127 mph. Driven with more restraint, however, it’s capable of returning 44.8 mpg on the official economy test and it emits 142 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre travelled.

Prices start at £27,615, making the Sport Venture marginally less expensive than the £27,705 R-Sport model, which went on sale last year. Fitted with the same 1.5-litre engine as the Sport Venture, the R-Sport comes with Polymetal Grey Metallic paint and a grey hood combined, as well as 16-inch RAYS gunmetal alloy wheels and burgundy Nappa leather seats with silver stitching.

And for those who think the Sport Venture name sounds oddly familiar, there’s a good reason for that. It was last used in 2014, when Mazda created a special edition of the then-current MkIII, or ‘NC’, MX-5. Like the MkIV ‘ND’ model launched this week, it came with Deep Crystal Blue paint and silver detailing, although it used the 1.8-litre engine and was also offered in Titanium Flash. The 1,219 examples sold were split between the soft-top and Roadster Coupe folding hard-top designs.

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“When it comes to driver engagement, the current-generation MX-5 has already established itself as a benchmark sports car, and with the 2021 Mazda MX-5, and now the Sport Venture, we continue to offer one of the most exciting and satisfying to drive cars money can buy,” said Jeremy Thomson, the managing director of Mazda Motors UK. “The MX-5 is Mazda’s brand icon and it embodies all that is great about our products, while its fun-to-drive character has strengthened the bond between Mazda and its customers for over 30 years.

“The 2021 model continues this unswerving dedication to delivering an affordable world-class sports car, while the Sport Venture continues our long heritage of offering uniquely styled limited edition versions.”