Driving a properly balanced, RWD sports car on a twisty mountain road is a must experience for every true motoring enthusiast. Even better if you can do that while also breaking a world record, just like Mazda did with a first-gen MX-5.

On the night of July 17, the Japanese automaker was allowed to close the Kaunertal mountain pass in Austria, and they used it to set a new record for the most hairpins driven by a car in 12 hours. As mentioned above, the weapon of choice was an MX-5 Mk1, modified by the ‘Mazda Garage’ team. It was put through its paces by racing drivers Cyndie Allemann and Jan Spieb, rally driver Niki Schelle and image test driver Stefan Novitzki.

Also Watch: Mazda MX-5 30th Anniversary Edition Is Pure, Unadulterated Fun

Part of the MX-5’s 30th anniversary celebrations, the record-breaking attempt began at 19:00 local time, and besides fighting the dark, they also faced additional challenges due to heavy rain. 12 hours later, the classic roadster managed to cover 2,900 hairpins, some 1,400 more than the previous record. In order to be valid, each hairpin had to measure between 150 and 180 degrees, and the whole run was recorded using a GPS signal and photoelectric sensors mounted along the course. The record was certified by Germany’s ‘RID Rekord Institute’.

Unfortunately, Mazda did not say anything about the modifications featured on the MX-5 in question, and our German is a little rusty. However, if yours is better, then you could try and decipher the mystery by checking out the following video.

 

Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try
Mazda MX-5 Breaks A Record You Never Knew Existed, Always Wanted To Try