2008 Mazda MX-5 Mk3 Icon BBR

Highlights

• Desirable 2-litre model

• BBR Super 200 tuning package fitted (produces 200bhp)

• Very well chosen enhancements

• 75,951 miles on the clock, verified

• MOT to June 2026, brilliant service record

Overview

Here at PistonHeads, we love the MX-5. It’s easy to see why too. Why wouldn’t we adore a truly democratic sports car that provides heaps of fun, smart aesthetics, a vast network of aftermarket parts providers and tuners, fantastic reliability, and genuinely brilliant handling.

Oh, and did we forget to mention that it’s also an absolute bargain? Because it is. You simply cannot have as much fun on four wheels for the cash. Particularly if you want something that you could honestly use every day with little in the way of compromise.

With each generation, Mazda improved the formula, and the NC (third generation) was certainly no different. With a punchier 2-litre engine available, the car finally started to get the performance it needed to make the most of the handling. Of course, that didn’t stop specialists like BBR from developing tuning kits for it. And that’s exactly what this car benefits from.

But you won’t find any bolt-on supercharger or turbo kits here, no this is proper old-school tuning – high performance cams, a 4-to-1 manifold and some careful remapping result in 200 naturally-aspirated horses straining at the leash. That’s pretty much perfect for the chassis, and suits the nature of the MX-5 perfectly.

Add to the very well chosen performance modifications a few careful visual enhancements, a great service record and a near perfect MOT history and you have a sterling example of “how to MX-5”.

Yeah okay, so it’s not a face-melting hypercar with a squillion horsepower. But to worry about that is to miss the point of the MX-5 entirely. It’s a wonderfully well designed, smartly enhanced, fast, enjoyable, reliable sports car that will put a smile on your face day after day, for years on end. In our eyes, that’s pretty damn priceless.

History and documentation

• First registered 9 May 2008

• Current owner since May 2024, four previous owners

• Service record as follows: May 2009 @ 4,546 miles, May 2010 @ 6,110 miles, Jun 2011 @ 9,285 miles, Feb 2013 @ 11,987 miles, Jun 2014 @ 17,132 miles, Jul 2015 @ 25,025 miles, Jun 2016 @ 30,871 miles, Jun 2017 @ 38,662 miles, Jun 2018 @ 46,589 miles, Oct 2019 @ 54,953 miles, Dec 2021 @ 60,450 miles, Jun 2023 @ 69,668 miles, Mar 2024 - oil and filter @ 73,510 miles, Jun 2025 - oil and filter @ 75,689 miles

• Superb MOT record, with no advisories for corrosion anywhere

• Current MOT with no advisories expires 18 June 2026

• 75,951 miles on the clock, verified by the MOT and service records

• Full document pack

• Collection of invoices and old MOT certificates

• V5 present in owner’s name

• HPI clear

• London ULEZ compliant

Interior

• Smart black leather upholstery, with red contrast stitching

• All of the leather looks to be in good order, with some light wear and creasing to the seat squabs and bolsters, but only what is commensurate with the car’s age and mileage

• Black carpets are fitted throughout the cabin and boot space, complemented with black overmats which feature red edge binding – all present in very good condition

• Climate control

• Electrically operated side windows

• Electrically adjustable heated door mirrors

• Factory fitted CD/radio system

• Thatcham Category 1 alarm

• Multifunction steering wheel

• All of the cabin trim and switchgear shows well, with light wear consistent with the car’s mileage, and nothing damaged or missing as far as we could see

• The instruments are all clear and function well

• As with all MC MX-5s storage is generous, with a good sized boot as well as multiple cubbies and pockets in the cabin

• The boot also contains the original toolkit and jack

• The vendor tells us that everything in the cabin operates just as it should, with no faults reported

Exterior

• The Marble White paintwork looks to be in fine fettle, with a few minor blemishes and touched-in stone chips, but no marks or damage of note

• Similarly, the bodywork is in excellent condition, with no signs of corrosion or damage that we could discern – all of the panels appear to be clean, straight and well aligned

• As with all MX-5s, the car features a manually operated fabric roof, finished here in black

• The roof looks to be in very good order, with some light fade/stretch marks, but no tears, sagging or damage on show

• Heated glass rear screen

• Built in wind-deflector

• BBR badging to the wings and bootlid

• Aftermarket rear carbon style duck tail spoiler, black front splitter and rear diffuser

• Polished BR stainless steel exhaust tips

• Smoked front light lenses and side repeaters

• The standard bezels in the rear light clusters have been replaced with black items

• The underside was treated with WaxOyl in December 2020, then wire-brushed and treated with Dinotrol in June 2024

• Lovely multi-spoke 17inch Rota alloy wheels, finished in metallic bronze

• The wheels are generally in very good condition, with the near-side wheels showing some minor kerbing on the lips

• A matched set of Michelin Pilot Sport 5 tyres has been fitted (215/45 all round), which look to have lots of tread on them, and had no apparent sidewall damage

Mechanical

• 1,999cc DOHC, 16-valve four-cylinder

• Rear-wheel drive

• 5-speed manual transmission

• BBR Super 200 naturally-aspirated tuning package fitted in April 2019 – this took the power from 158bhp/139lb-ft up to 200bhp/160lb-ft (see dyno sheet)

• The BBR Super 200 package includes: a high flow panel air filter, stainless steel 4-to-1 exhaust manifold, high performance intake/exhaust camshafts, Starchip ECU remap and ProEcu hardware/software bundle

• Brembo performance calipers to the front

• Lowered by 30mm on Eibach springs
• Icon spec includes limited slip differential and DSC

• The full bevy of other TLAs: ABS, PAS, EBD, TCS

• New rear anti-roll bar links fitted in August 2022

• The engine bay and all other mechanicals present very well, being very clean and tidy, with no obvious issues we could see

• We are assured that the car starts, idles and drives just as it should, with no known mechanical faults or issues reported

Summary

The 2-litre MX-5 NC is a glorious little sports car, exceptional in every way. The only criticism of it that carried any weight was that it could use some more power. Well boy, does the BBR Super 200 kit address that issue. 

This delightful example has clearly been the pride and joy of its owners, who have carefully serviced it and cleverly upgraded it. And now you can benefit from all their hard work, and enjoy one of the finest drivers cars ever made, in an even more refined form.

Handsomely styled, with a great history and offering the kind of driving experience you’ll keep coming back for, we love this car. We think you will too.

To arrange a viewing, click the 'Book Viewing' button located under the 'Place Bid' button. Viewings can be booked up until the day before the auction ends, after which the option will change to 'Contact Seller' for further enquiries. This seller is located in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire.