We’ve made no secret of the fact that we are fans of the Mazda MX-5. The little roadster, in its many forms, is the ideal driving machine: lightweight, rear-wheel-drive and (mostly) fitted with a manual transmission. Over one million units sold across four generations would be enough to let you know that Mazda nailed the recipe from the start. But the Gorgona Cars Mazda MX-5 NM Concept has, seemingly, improved on perfection.

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Italian Flair

If you had to guess where it comes from you would probably say Japan, or the USA, but the Gorgona Cars Mazda MX-5 NM Concept hails from Italia. The land of high fashion and delicious food has a penchant for the Japanese roadster. Probably because it is well suited to the narrow roads and winding coastal passes of Italy. By the way, the ‘NM’ stands for Naked Monoposto.

The car was shown at a national MX-5 gathering and it was an instant hit. The best part is that Gorgona Cars wasn’t just showcasing their talents, they plan to build the Mazda MX-5 NM Concept. The worst part is that it will cost over R1,2m and that’s without a donor car.

Mazda created a few single-seater MX-5 concept cars, as you can see by clicking here.

Custom Creation

So, what does one get for all this money? Gorgona Cars starts with a first generation Mazda MX-5 or NA. They completely strip down the car, cutting off the windscreen frame in the process. The company also cuts the doors, making them much smaller and increasing the size of the side sills.

Click here to read about our very own MX-5 track car.

The side sills are just one area of strengthening that includes new front and rear subframes, new frame rail reinforcements welded to the underbody. Under the aerodynamic hump, there’s a roll-over bar protecting the driver. Gorgona Cars says its efforts yield double the rigidity of the original NA. Oh, and the car rides on an adjustable coilover suspension.

More below the gallery

  • Gorgona Cars Mazda MX-5 NM Concept 1
  • Gorgona Cars Mazda MX-5 NM Concept
  • Gorgona Cars Mazda MX-5 NM Concept 1
  • Gorgona Cars Mazda MX-5 NM Concept
  • Gorgona Cars Mazda MX-5 NM Concept
  • Gorgona Cars Mazda MX-5 NM Concept
  • Gorgona Cars Mazda MX-5 NM Concept
  • Gorgona Cars Mazda MX-5 NM Concept
  • Gorgona Cars Mazda MX-5 NM Concept
  • Gorgona Cars Mazda MX-5 NM Concept
  • Gorgona Cars Mazda MX-5 NM Concept
  • Gorgona Cars Mazda MX-5 NM Concept
  • Gorgona Cars Mazda MX-5 NM Concept

Only the Essentials

Gorgona Cars has done away with almost everything from the interior, including the second seat. Monoposto means single seat in Italian. The interiors are lined with Alcantara – dashboard, door panels and seat cushions – and equipped with a four-point harness on the race seat. There is no radio, no air conditioning, as if it’s needed. There is only the small Momo steering wheel, pedals and the gearbox lever: all an enthusiast driver needs. 

Click here to read about the world’s fastest MX-5.

New Power

Gorgona Cars has removed the entire original powertrain. They have replaced it with the engine and drivetrain from the latest-gen (ND) MX-5. This means it has a 2,0-litre 16v mill that produces 135 kW (double that of the original car) and 205 N.m of torque. A six-speed manual sends power to the rear wheels through a limited slip diff’.

Check out a V10 powered MX-5 at this link.

If your budget extends even further, and it probably will, Gorgona Cars will rebuild the engine with new parts to unleash 168 kW. This is a handy figure, but even in unmodified guise the power should be pretty quick thanks to a total mass of 830 kg. Check out the video of the Gorgona Cars Mazda MX-5 NM Concept below, though we hope your Italian is better than ours.