BBR GTi Mazda MX-5 Super 220 2020 UK first drive

Totally tat-free inside the cabin. BBR’s modifications have always focused on the mechanical elements of the MX-5 and so even this fully loaded example is factory-standard within. That means analogue dials plus leather-trim for the thin-rimmed steering wheel and gearknob – there's no Alcantara, harnesses or the like. In fact it's all faintly old-school in feel with cosy ergonomics, and even before you’ve hit the engine-start button you’ll wonder how well Mazda’s only gently bolstered seats are going to fare against proper BBR-spec performance.

Fire the thing up and it doesn't feel so standard anymore. As well as the Super 220 engine upgrades, this car is running BBR’s GT-spec exhaust silencer, whose note is enjoyably punchy at idle – tight and brassy but also juicy – and only gets better from there. BBR’s Supersport silencer allegedly ups the ante considerably, and to the extent that it’s not officially recommended with the upgraded exhaust manifold: good fun but far too lairy for most.   

Once the engine’s warmed through we take the opportunity to explore its potential along the stretches of dual carriageway en route to some good B-roads. The first thing you notice is that throttle response is crisper that almost every conceivable rival at this price (perhaps the Yaris GRMN was a touch sharper at high revs) and the power delivery feels flawlessly linear. It grows in strength and character right up until the red line, which now sits at 7800rpm, up a generous 300rpm on standard. That's not quite supercar-high but it’s up there with the best of the rest, and with sensible gearing there’s plenty of opportunity to max-out the first three gear ratios as often as you like.

With an improved power-to-weight ratio the Super 220 feels quick enough but still not memorably so. Torque is increased from from 151 to 166lb ft up and arrives earlier, but you’ve still got to make the engine sing for its supper (which, just to remind you, is a highly pleasurable undertaking) and, on balance, progress feels maybe a shade slower than you’d experience in a turbocharged Fiesta ST.

However, the thing about the Ford is that its performance feels ideally suited to B-roads: quick enough to give your frontal lobe a solid workout but not so quick that you’re checking the instruments every other corner and so can’t truly immerse yourself in the drive. It’s exactly the same with the Super 220. Better, even, because it takes a little longer to initially build speed and you’ll hold onto gears right up until the red line. In this sense the factory 2.0-litre SkyActiv-G already excels, but the additional polish of the Super 220’s delivery, along with its crisper response mean nobody is ever going to regret paying for this upgrade.

Take a look at the performance car market today and it’s easy to think that around £50,000 is the entry point for something genuinely well sorted with rear-wheel drive.

To be perfectly clear, the Super 220 demolishes that idea, and to drive it even briefly is to want it in your garage on a more permanent basis.

Admittedly, you need to commit to owning a modified MX-5 to get a truly enlightening experience: the engine kit is good at what it does but the addition of BBR’s anti-roll bars, springs and the lightweight wheels are what makes it difficult to imagine the ND-generation car getting much better than this. 

On the right tyres, you’re presented with a Goldilocks blend of grip and power, and enough precision to decide for yourself which of those two attributes will be the dominant force. Honestly, this is a car that encapsulates why we love driving – and it's affordable.

BBR GTI MX-5 Super 220​ specification

Where Northamptonshire Price £2682 (kit) On sale Now Engine 4 cyls in-line, 1998cc, petrol Power 221bhp at 7800rpm Torque 166lb ft at 4350rpm Gearbox Six-speed manual Kerb weight 1188kg Top speed 155mph (est) 0-62mph 6.0sec (est) Fuel economy circa. 40mpg CO2 n/a Rivals Mazda MX-5 30th Anniversary, Toyota GT86, Toyota Yaris GRMN