Mazda MX-5 Miata NB Roadster Turbo 1839 cc in 2004
The Japanese Roadster Turbo brought an intercooled 1839 cc engine to the NB range. Mazda announced February 2004 sales; its published allocation figures differ.
The Japanese launch-year Roadster Turbo
This record covers the Japanese Roadster Turbo in calendar year 2004, within the NB generation. It is the year-level entry beneath the 1839 cc turbocharged engine, rather than a specification for every export-market 2004 MX-5.
The open two-seat NB had arrived in January 1998; Mazda’s chronology places the Turbo in February 2004, before the third generation arrived in August 2005. It therefore belongs to the later NB period, not a new generation. Mazda MX-5 chronology.
Japanese launch specification
Mazda announced the car on 24 December 2003, scheduling Japanese sales for early February 2004 through Mazda and Mazda Anfini dealers.
Its intercooled 1839 cc DOHC 16-valve inline-four produced 172 PS (126 kW) at 6000 rpm and 209 Nm at 5500 rpm. A six-speed manual transmission accompanied an upgraded clutch, reinforced driveline and torque-sensing limited-slip differential. Lowered suspension with Bilstein dampers and 205/40R17 tyres complemented the engine changes.
Turbo-specific spoilers, smoked headlamp bezels and metal-tone cabin trim distinguished the car. Buyers could choose four body colours and four interior packages. These are Japanese launch specifications. Mazda’s launch announcement.
Announcement, sales and allocation
The contemporary announcement specifies a 350-car sales allocation. Mazda’s later chronology instead lists 300 under February 2004. Neither establishes a reconciled actual production total; the discrepancy remains unresolved. Launch announcement; retrospective chronology.
Mazda’s March 2004 production release describes the Japanese turbo launch as December 2003. For this record, December identifies the announcement and February the scheduled sales introduction, following the more explicit contemporary launch notice. Neither date establishes the first assembly day or the final production date. March production release.
Production context and historical significance
Mazda documented turbocharged Roadster production at Ujina No. 1 in Hiroshima, Japan: the 700,000th Roadster left that plant on 5 March 2004. That particular car was destined for the United States, so it provides production context without establishing a Japanese-market build total or identical specification.
By March, Mazda reported turbo versions available in Japan, North America and Australia. The Japanese Roadster Turbo thus sits within a broader late-NB expansion of the model’s performance offerings. The 700,000 figure covers cumulative Roadster production, not Turbo production. Mazda’s production milestone announcement.
Roadster Turbo 1839 cc Turbocharged Engine
Parent engine record for this Japanese launch-year entry.