Overall rating:

BBR created a turbo kit for the mk1 Mazda MX-5 back when it was new. Officially sanctioned by Mazda it turned up the power to 150bhp. It's doing so again today, but the figure is now 220bhp. Sounds good? Well, there's an elephant in the room and it's the £4,995 BBR is asking for the turbo conversion.

Key Facts

Pricing: £4,995 full installation + existing mk1 or 2 MX-5
Engine: Turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol (1.8 also possible)
Transmission: manual gearbox, rear-wheel drive
Body style: two-door roadster
Rivals: Porsche Boxster, BMW Z3, Honda S2000
Top speed: 150mph (estimated)
0-62mph: 6.0 seconds (estimated)
Power: 220bhp at 6,900rpm
Torque: 175lb.ft at 5,100rpm

In the Metal:

The mk1 Mazda MX-5 was always a pretty car, but what's shocking is just how small it is. Alongside BBR's Cosworth supercharged mk3 MX-5 it looks tiny, comically so. Repainted in white, with wheels, hood, wing mirrors and rear spoiler in black, it looks fresh today, and the only clue to BBR's new plumbing under the bonnet is some badging on the wings and boot lid.

Inside it's pure mk1 MX-5, with the exception of the contoured steering wheel - a simple round Momo Prototipo would suit it better - and leather trimmed seats. Simple and pure, just like it should be.

Driving it:

'Fast' barely covers it. Thank not just the 1.6-litre's turbo boosted 220bhp, but also the MX-5's featherweight. It's hilariously quick, the 1.6-litre's muscle making it feel more like a potent six than a small capacity four. The way it pulls eagerly from low revs and piles on the pace is hugely entertaining, the addition of the turbocharger giving the little MX-5 real giant-killing power.

It's not just the amusing increase in pace that seduces, but the way it goes down the road. BBR has added the same spring and dampers rates that it installed on its original MX-5 turbos in the 1990s and many performance cars today could learn from their ability to smother bumps in the road yet retain fine body control. It's the feel on offer that's so appealing, the way the steering wheel writhes about in your hands, transmitting loads of information to your fingertips.

It's that feel as much as the power is what makes the BBR Anniversary Edition so special to drive. Brilliant on back roads, yet feeling more mature and capable at motorway speeds, the Anniversary Edition MX-5 would have no trouble keeping up with all manner of more modern performance machinery - and embarrassing a good number of them.

What you get for your Money:

BBR will build you one for around £8,000: that includes sourcing a car, adding the turbo kit, re-trimming the seats in leather and re-spraying it. BBR will even give you a two-year warranty. Of course you can go further and add those springs and dampers, a longer final drive limited slip-differential, a new hood, bigger brakes and the like, creating a car pretty much identical to this Anniversary Edition. Do so and you'll spend around £12,000, which might sound a lot, but try restoring a car, or finding anything as grin-inducing and useable for the same money and you'll struggle.

Worth Noting

The turbo conversion can be fitted to both 1.6-litre cars and 1.8-litre cars of mk1 or mk2 vintage. Take a close look at the kit BBR adds to the turbo installation and that £4,995 doesn't seem so rich after all - with almost no area of the engine untouched. If you're handy with spanners you can buy all the bits required and save a grand by doing it yourself.

Summary

The mk1 Mazda MX-5 was always a fun drive, but BBR's work adds so much more to it. Retaining its classic appeal, yet modern enough to actually use, the performance on offer is extraordinary. That it's not muddied by traction or stability systems makes it even more appealing for those who really enjoy their driving. This is one of the most enjoyable cars we've ever sampled - that elephant has well and truly left the building.