1997 Mazda MX-5 1.8 Turbo

I see my MX-5 as a mix between a trackday car and a show car. I’ve always loved the JDM scene, especially because I grew up in the ’90s when Japanese cars and Japanese car culture had such a big influence on me.

I’ve heavily modified the car with a custom JDM-inspired livery, built around the Jinba-ittai philosophy — the idea of creating a perfect connection between driver and machine. To complete the look, I fitted a set of original Japanese Work Equip 04 wheels.

Other modifications include an ME TD-04 turbo kit, producing 240 HP and 305 Nm of torque. With a weight of just 950 kg, this gives the car an impressive power-to-weight ratio, making it an absolute blast to drive on track.

The car is also fitted with coilovers, a roll cage, MOMO bucket seats, and a wide range of other customizations.

CUSTOM build

240 HP // 305 Nm // 950 kg

A blast to drive

Although I don’t compete in official races, I certainly don’t hold back on track days. I regularly push the car to its limits and often find myself among the fastest cars on track, even when lined up alongside proper sports cars.

TD-04 Turbo kit

I installed the Motorsports Electronics TD-04 turbo kit myself. It was a really cool experience and taught me a lot about working on cars, but it also showed me just how frustrating working on cars can be sometimes.

tuned for track use

I had the car professionally tuned on a dyno by a motorsport company to get the most out of the setup while keeping the engine reliable.