Meet Mazda’s sharper MX-5 Club

The new Mazda MX-5 hasn't made it on sale yet, and it's already been given the special edition treatment.

Rather than just being a natty new colour and a set of more kerbable alloys, though, the Club - unveiled at the New York motor show - is proper.

More focused mechanicals take priority: the suspension sharpens up with some Bilstein shock absorbers, body control should improve thanks to an engine-bay strut brace, while a limited-slip differential ought to squeeze out the most possible entertainment from around 155bhp being sent to the rear wheels.

There's also a set of 17in gunmetal wheels and some very subtle spoilers front and rear, while a further options back swaps the alloys for lightweight BBS rims, beefs the body kit up a little and brings more powerful Brembo brakes.

Though the focus is on pointier dynamics, equipment stays strong, with Mazda's new 7in touchscreen media system linking up to a nine-speaker Bose audio system. Quite where all nine speakers fit inside the titchy MX-5's two-seat interior is a little beyond us, mind you.

It all sounds great, doesn't it? There's a ‘but' coming, though, and the New York reveal acts as a clue. For now, the launch-edition Club is only US-bound and exclusive to the MX-5's more potent 2-litre Skyactiv engine.

We imagine its more interesting tweaks aren't too difficult to shoehorn under a European spec car, though, nor the 1.5-litre version we found so sweet earlier in the year. And Mazda is yet to rubber-stamp UK specs.

So over to you, TG.commers: off to your Mazda dealer, placards in hand, now...