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Round 9: Test Your JDM knowledge

2K views 24 replies 10 participants last post by  airbrush1 
#1 ·
Which Roadster is this. There are several BIG clues in the pic.
 

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#10 ·
o far I've found that its a 2002
http://www.cars-directory.net/specs/mazda/roadster/2002_7/

And one of these models:
NR-A GH-NB6C
SP GH-NB6C
M GH-NB6C

Maybe...
Nope. I think Freedomgli knows it, bt it seems to have some
others stumped.

Some more clues:

1. Its not just any old Roadster; the VIN indicates it. So big hint, this didn't go to Joe Schmoe. No one has NA6CE-100001 (which actually doesn't exist).
2. Mazda Japan VINs are in released in blocks, so 700001 does not indicate this is the 700,001st Roadster built... But the VIN should indicate to you approximately when the car was made.
3. Paint code is 22V, which should be Sunlight Silver Metallic. But the car ain't any more. Colour is key.
4. Real anal Roadster enthisiasts will note the VIN plate is riveted on, instead of being screwed on which all Roadster VINs are normally.

There's one more clue here, but then that will make it too easy.

I need the exact model please.
 
#13 ·
I've had two close guesses. Time to spill the beans.

The car in question is the 2005 Roadster Coupe Trial Version, that did the rounds at the shows in Japan, before being sold on to the public. The car was intended for full production, but it seems it ended up becoming the Monocraft kit.

The car left the factory painted silver. The VIN is unusual; when the NB was launched, the first vins were NB6-100001 and NB8-100001 etc Face Lift Bs were numbers N66-200001 and so forth. So why is this one NB6-700001. Mazda sold less than 40,000 of so NB-FLs in Japan; it was a slow seller.

So that means two things; either this coupe is actually the very first 1.6 Roadster built, and thereafter lead a long life on the show circuit, in various colours. Or the VIN was a "fake", in that the car wasn't issued a VIN until late 2004, to coincide with, surprise surprise, the genuinely 700,000th model to be built, handily a US spec Miata turbo.... I think the latter.

The colour as correctly spotted by Giryan, isn't a metallic; its been described as a china blue, probably a special mix, and clearly inspired by the Gulf oil blue used on GT40s and Porsches (someone in the UK had his Boxter painted by the factory in this colour; looks superb).

The car then appeared in a showroom, for sale at 3.7 milion yen ($30kish). A bargain perhaps. Show cars like this rarely reach the public, and as a genuine one-off, it would have been so easy to import into the US.
 

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#20 ·
Very nice job roadsternut. I was close but I was thrown off by the color not matching the paint code. That was a good challenge and a very cool car. I'd love to own a Roadster Coupe that was also a show car. I'm certain it was snatched up by an enthusiast somewhere. Does anyone know its current whereabouts?
 
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