2016 Mazda MX-5 Wears its Track Suit for New Global Race Series

After you’re done gawking at the pictures and thinking how sweet the 2016 MX-5 looks all dressed up for racing, you’ll be pleased to learn that this Miata heralds a new Global Cup series.

The announcement for the new racing series was made at the 2014 SEMA Show on Tuesday.

In 2016, about a year after the launch of the road-going MX-5, Mazda will host multiple Global MX-5 Cup series in North America, Europe and Asia, with all participants using identically prepared cars powered by a 2.0-liter SKYACTIV-G four cylinder engine.

The series will culminate at the end of 2016 with a Global Shootout at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in California, where the top drivers from around the world will race for the title. The winner will receive a one-day test in Mazda’s top-level TUDOR United States SportsCar Championship SKYACTIV prototype racecar, among other prizes.

Mazda said it will confirm which countries will be involved and when the races will take place, along with full technical details about the car, at a later stage.

“We’re excited to take the elements of success of the existing Mazda MX-5 Cup series, and introduce them to a new global audience,” said Masahiro Moro, Mazda Global Sales manager. “It has long been our goal to see Mazda fans around the world competing in identical MX-5s, and the launch of the 2016 MX-5 Miata is the perfect time to make this goal a reality.”