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Mazda · MX-5 Miata · NB · Japanese M /MANUFACTURERS/MAZDA/MX-5-MIATA/NB/JAPANESE-M

Mazda MX-5 Miata NB Japanese M

The M was a Japanese-market base grade of the NB Roadster, documented with a 1.6-litre DOHC engine and five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. Its complete production span remains unverified.

Rear view of a Mazda Roadster M, identified by the photographer as an NB6C.
Mazda Roadster M (NB6C), photographed on 18 September 2014. Photograph by Tokumeigakarinoaoshima, via Wikimedia Commons; CC0 1.0. The photograph date is not the vehicle’s production year. Photograph: Tokumeigakarinoaoshima · CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication

Identity and position in the range

The M was a Japanese-market grade of the second-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata (NB), marketed domestically as the Mazda Roadster. Mazda explicitly described it as the base grade in its July 2002 announcement. It belonged to the open two-seat Roadster range; M identifies an equipment grade within the generation.

Its historical interest lies in representing the everyday entry point to the Japanese range. The contemporary catalogue offered buyers both manual and automatic versions alongside more expensive sporting and luxury grades.

Engine and transmission choices

Mazda’s July 2000 price list pairs the M with the 1600 DOHC engine and either a five-speed manual, designated 5MT, or an electronically controlled four-speed automatic, designated 4EC-AT. The separately listed 1.8-litre S-VT engine and six-speed manual combinations belong to other grades.

The September 2003 lineup retains those M powertrain choices. Japanese suggested prices before tax were ¥1,850,000 for the manual and ¥1,993,000 for the automatic. These are dated domestic list prices, not export prices or evidence of a particular export model year.

Design and equipment development

The July 2000 revision introduced revised headlamps and bumpers, improved body rigidity, reshaped seats and a revised centre console across the Roadster programme. The release lists the M within that revised range, while identifying additional sporting equipment specifically with RS and RS-II grades.

In July 2002, Mazda excluded the M and NR-A from the water-repellent door glass and mirrors supplied as standard on other grades. Stainless-steel scuff plates were standard on all automatic models, and a BOSE system became an option for the 1600 DOHC range.

The September 2003 update specifically added a water-repellent windscreen and door mirrors as standard equipment for M models. Aluminium-finish cockpit details and a passenger sun visor with vanity mirror were announced for all grades. These dated statements should be used when identifying equipment on an individual car.

Documented availability and production

Manufacturer releases establish M-grade availability on 18 July 2000, 9 July 2002 and 18 September 2003. These are calendar-dated Japanese lineup announcements, not verified assembly start or finish dates. They document the grade at successive points without establishing its complete production span. 2000 lineup; 2002 lineup; 2003 lineup.

The M belonged to the Hiroshima-built NB family. Mazda’s March 2004 production announcement identifies Ujina No. 1 in Hiroshima, Japan, as the Roadster assembly plant. This supplies production context, rather than an M-specific factory record. Neither an M production total nor exact assembly dates is established by these sources.

See the NB generation for broader development and market history, and the sibling 10th Anniversary Edition for a separately documented commemorative variant.

Sources and image credit

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