Following the success of the Mazda MX-5 GT4 race car in the British GT Championship, Mazda UK and Jota Sport will be building customer MX-5 GT4 race cars equipped with 320bhp MZR 2.0 litre turbo engine to order for the 2013 season.

Mazda UK entered the British GT Championship this year to further develop the MX-5 GT that successfully contested the 2011 Britcar Production GTN Championship and once again challenge conventions by taking on long established GT4 race cars, Aston Martin, Ginettas and Lotus in the Avon Tyres British GT Championship. Although 2012 was very much a development year, the first outing at the Nurburgring demonstrated the potential of the car with a fourth and fifth in class.

“On the track or on the road, convention tells us that the compact Mazda MX-5 should not be rivalling the likes of Aston Martin or Lotus in terms of sheer performance, but here is the evidence that we have a credible alternative to the more established performance marques,” commented Jeremy Thomson, Managing Director of Mazda UK. Brands Hatch in June brought the first podium finish for the team taking third place and ending the dominance of Ginetta and Lotus. Earlier this month at Snetterton, Mazda MX-5 GT4 finished on the podium again with a second place, demonstrating that this car is a real title contender.

Built by Jota Sport, the Mazda MX-5 GT4, weighing in at 1,000kg, will cost £125,000, excluding VAT, and is now available to order for the 2013 season. The car will benefit from further development during 2012 and will be a fully homologated car for GT4 racing.