The Mazda MX-5’s light body and rear-wheel drive setup make it an ideal car for tuning, as do its low purchase price and good looks. Obviously, the urge to tune a Mazda MX-5 is primarily due to the fact that most standard models are relatively underpowered.
Having said that, can an old Mazda MX-5 be transformed so radically that it could go head to head with Porsche’s latest Boxster, the benchmark of its segment?
Well, to find out, Auto Express took a 16-year-old Mazda MX-5 Mk2 and started upgrading it. The car is not a random MX-5 though, it’s Mat Watson’s own car. Powered by a 113hp 1.8-liter engine, it’s obvious that it couldn’t stand a chance against the Boxster, whose 2.7-liter flax-six engine produces 265 hp.
This is why Watson decided to fit it with a supercharger said to lift power somewhere between 180 and 200 hp. But he wouldn’t stop there, with the MX-5 receiving a stronger clutch, lighter flywheel, adjustable coilover suspension, bigger disc brakes and new Yokohama tyres.
All the parts added up to just under £4,000, on top of the car’s £1,000 purchase price. We’ll find out if that was enough to beat the Boxster on track in a follow-up video.
For now, scroll down to see how the MX-5 was upgraded.