While production street cars are produced in the hundreds per day, race cars are typically handcrafted one-at-a-time, over many months. The new Mazda MX-5 Cup race car hit a significant milestone this week with the 100th car ordered since the first example was completed on November 21, 2015.

The Battery Tender MX-5 Cup is the signature spec series for the Mazda Road to 24, the sports car counterpart to the Mazda Road to Indy. On both paths, Mazda-powered champions earn a Mazda scholarship to advance their career. The MX-5 Cup champion earns a $200,000 scholarship.

Bottom line, we’re happy to announce a big milestone reached by one of the most supportive manufacturers of the amateur racing community.

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Comments

Keith Tanner MegaDork

6/23/16 10:17 a.m. That's pretty spectacular. DWNSHFT HalfDork

6/24/16 6:59 a.m. 100 in the U.S. is pretty spectacular. That's 100 just in the U.S., right? Tyler H SuperDork

6/24/16 7:52 a.m. DWNSHFT wrote: 100 in the U.S. is pretty spectacular. That's 100 just in the U.S., right? That would be ironic, if it's the Global MX-5 cup. Even at this number, the rumors I'm hearing from the track is that demand outpaces production by a fair margin, so you better buy a couple and try really hard to stay off the Armco. Ed Higginbotham Associate Editor

6/24/16 8:32 a.m. In reply to DWNSHFT: Yes it sounds like it. Quote from John Doonan, director of motorsports, Mazda North American Operations: "When we announced this program, we set our target at 50 cars in the U.S. in 2016. To double that goal in less than a year is a huge endorsement by our customers that they see this car as the best value in sports car racing today." cwh PowerDork

6/24/16 9:38 a.m. How is the Cup car different from the production version? Keith Tanner MegaDork

6/24/16 10:29 a.m. They start as pure production cars, not bodies in white. They're caged, obviously. They run a spec suspension (Motion Control, much better than the Spec Miata stuff), GEMS ECU, coolers on every fluid and a full exhaust. I think that's basically it. The guys at Long Road Racing have been working really, really hard. As a side note, if you want ultra-low-mileage stock parts such as seats or shocks or exhausts, they're selling the take-off parts.

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