This 35th Anniversary Mazda is one of the USA’s rarest MX-5s

A Japanese carmaker has announced a limited edition of the world’s best-selling roadster that celebrates a) 35 years of lightweight brilliance, but most importantly b) maroon and beige.

This is the Mazda MX-5 Miata 35th Anniversary. It does not celebrate 35 years of maroon and beige, but 35 years of, well, lightweight brilliance. Yes, while it sometimes feels like the MX-5 has been here since the dawn of time, its debut was only back in 1989.

Since 1989, Mazda has shifted well over 1.2m of the little tykes, meaning this limited-to-300 US-only edition makes a readily available roadster… not readily available. Best get in quick if you want this car’s “sultry, dark red” metallic paintjob, which is the fourth new bespoke three-layer ‘Takuminuri’ finish available.

Said sultry hue is matched to a beige soft top, 17in alloys, lots of 35th Anniversary badging and a colour – sorry, color – matched rear spoiler. Inside there’s yet more anniversary badging, tan leather, tan carpets (wipe your feet first), and yet more colour-matching around the pillars and panels.

The 35th Anniversary is based on Mazda’s ‘Grand Touring’ trim, which affords such luxuries as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 8.8in infotainment display, heated seats and a Bose stereo.

While there’s no more power from the 2.0-litre nat-asp four-pot (still a whisker under 180bhp), nor any more… gears from the six-speed manual, there’s an asymmetric limited slip diff at the back, ‘sport-tuned’ Bilstein dampers all round, and shock tower bracing.

Nothing for you to brace for, mind. Where the regular Grand Touring kicks off from $34,630, this limited-to-300 35th Anniversary car costs $36,250. Mazda’s also throwing in a “special owner experience that is sure to excite”. More exciting than maroon and beige?