It’s no secret that we, here at Double Apex, are fans of the Mazda MX-5. We’ve covered many stories on the little roadster from the east, heck; we even have our own MX-5 track/racecar. So we always smile when we see the lovable sportscar in the news. The reason it features today is for the Mazda MX-5 Hairpin World Record. Check out some very cool MX-5 concept cars at this link.

Live motorsport scores

Record-breaker

Mazda’s MX-5 is a record-breaker for any number of reasons, not least of all being the best-selling sportscar of all time; over one million units have been sold over 30 years and four generations. In part, to help celebrate its 30th anniversary (click here to read about the 30th Anniversary model), Mazda Germany set about to break a record that few would believe actually existed: to drive the most number of hairpin corners in a 12 hour period.

Click here to read about another record-breaking MX-5.

Fittingly, the car to conduct the Mazda MX-5 hairpin record was a first-generation, or NA series, MX-5. A few weeks ago Mazda Germany obtained permission to close the Kaunertal mountain pass in Austria. Drivers Cyndie Allemann, Jan Spieb, Niki Schelle and Stefan Novitzki were tasked with wheel-twirling duties.

Click here to read about our experiences driving an MX-5 at Mazda’s Miyoshi Proving Ground.

The record attempt began at 19:00 and the team drove the slightly modified MX-5 for 12 hours flat out, taking shifts to stay alert. During that time 2 900 hairpins, about 1 400 more than the previous record, were completed. In order to be considered a hairpin, each corner tackled had to measure between 150 and 180 degrees. The entire run was recorded using GPS and photoelectric sensors mounted along the course. The record was ratified by Germany’s ‘RID Rekord Institute’. Not only did the driving team have to contend with driving in the dark, hence the rally-style foglamps, but also variable weather conditions.

You can see the highlights video of the MX-5 hairpin world record setting run below, though we hope your understanding of German is better than ours.