Owners of the entry-level 1.5-liter Mazda MX-5 are now able to fit their cars with a new turbo kit designed by Miata specialists BBR.

The new turbo kit is a reengineered version of the turbo conversion for the 2.0-liter variants of the ND MX-5, designed for easy installation and without requiring any modifications on the 1.5-liter SkyActiv-G engine.

BBR claims that with their kit installed, power output rises to 210hp, 81hp more than what the stock engine makes, and 197lb-ft of torque, which is a rather useful 86lb-ft more than before.

The company also claims that the rev-happy nature of the engine has been preserved, offering over 150lb-ft of torque from 3,000rpm to just under 7,000rpm. The kit uses an exclusive twin-scroll TSX28-67R turbocharger.

“For the 1.5-litre SKYACTIV-G engine, the main development effort focussed on turbo matching to suit our desired twin goals of transforming the everyday driving performance, whilst maintaining the rev-free nature of the smaller power unit,” BBR GTi Ltd Managing Director, Neil McKay said.

The kit also includes an easily installed front-mounted air-to-air intercooler, all the necessary boost hoses, a replacement battery tray, a high-flow K&N induction system and BBR’s renowned Starchip / EcuTek RaceRom ECU software package.

“On the Stage 1 conversion boost is set a conservative 7 psi, which is well within the limits of both the BBR turbocharger and the SKYACTIV-G engine,” says BBR’s Neil Mckay. “With internal upgrades to the Mazda engine we know that considerable more power is available – the BBR technical team is already developing future stages to exploit this.”

BBR’s stage 1 turbo package is priced at £4,995 with installation by the company’s qualified technicians while the DIY version is priced at £4,395. Stage 1 customers also get a 12 to 36-month extendable warranty.

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