This one-off model was created by students at Saitama Automobile College for the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon.
The Toyota S-FR was one of the most promising concepts at the 2015 Tokyo Auto Salon, but the automaker’s original plans for a production version never materialized. Looking to the 2024 show in Japan, students at Saitama Automobile College will create a convincing replica of a roadster-style concept based on the Mazda MX-5 NC.
This model appears to retain all of the body’s hard points, including the windshield, mirrors, doors, bonnet, and retractable fabric roof, but everything else has been redesigned to resemble Toyota’s concept. I am. The front end is equipped with MINI-derived round LED headlights, which fit nicely between the custom bumper and the stock bonnet.
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The large grille, canards, rear diffuser and fixed rear wing clearly reference the more aggressive-looking Toyota S-FR Racing Concept that debuted at the 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon. The rear end is also custom-built, with round LED taillights of unknown origin and a sculpted tailgate with integrated ducktail spoiler beneath an oversized wing.
Inside, the team added a pair of racing buckets and an aftermarket steering wheel with all Mazda emblems removed. There’s no word on any mechanical changes, but the car has been visibly lowered, suggesting the suspension has been tweaked. Work’s aftermarket aluminum wheels are a nice touch.
This ingenious transformation shows what would have happened if Toyota had teamed up with Mazda to develop a production roadster. Interestingly, there are rumors that the Toyota S-FR concept was created using his NC and ND parts from the Mazda MX-5. Although there is no confirmation of the latter, Japanese Nostalgic Cars speculates the same based on similar hardpoints and the timing of the concept’s launch.
Either way, the Saitama Automobile College-modified Mazda is a convincing Toyota S-FR clone, and probably the only one in existence. Should Japanese tuners offer similar body kit conversions for the Mazda MX-5 NC?