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Mazda MX-5 goes giant-killing

LONDON, England - Mazda’s iconic roadster, the MX-5, will take on the might of the supercar brands in the British GT Championship in 2012.

Cheekily, the little car will compete in the GT4 class against Lotus, Aston Martin, Ginetta and Nissan.

2011 was a development year during which the Mazda had a successful campaign in the Britcar Production championship, its competitiveness forcefully demonstrated during the final race of the season at Brands Hatch: fifth overall against the more powerful Porsches, Ferraris and Loti.

OUTSTANDING HANDLING

The MX-5 GT4 weighs 1000kg (with 150kg ballast) and gets 236kW from its two-litre engine which, with a Hewland sequential gearbox, delivers 100km/h in three seconds and top speed of 260km/h.

It’s the world’s fastest and most powerful MX-5.

Outstanding handling, Mazda says, that has made the MX-5 a favourite among people looking for an outstanding drive experience, has been further developed through the race programme in 2011 with the help of the Motor Industry Research Agency.

The car also claims high levels of stability under all loads, making the car easy and fun to drive, an important feature for the longer endurance races.

7 WEEKS, 9 ROUNDS

Last season the Mazda MX-5 GT demonstrated its strengths in endurance racing; while not as powerful as rivals it uses less fuel and is easier on tyres. This translates to less pit time - a winning formula.

The British GT championship is nine rounds over seven weekends. The first race will be at Oulton Park in Cheshire over the Easter weekend, April 7-9, 2012.

Jeremy Thomson, MD of Mazda UK, said: “We’re looking forward to taking on the supercar brands and winning. 2011 was a valuable development year during which we established the strengths of the car and then developed the power and handling to best exploit those strengths.

“We are excited and optimistic about our first year in British GT and fully expect the Mazda MX-5 to upset a few established brands.”
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