All four generations of the Mazda MX-5 in one picture!

Mazda Motorsports hosted a media event at Willow Springs earlier this week, giving automotive media members a chance to drive the new Mazda MX-5 in its Global Cup trim. Guests actually got to drive all four generations of the race-spec MX-5 around the Streets of Willow. The first two generations were Spec Miatas and the third generation was an MX-5 Cup car.

The media event was unique: every attendee had to wear a firesuit and helmet, so it was more than just a ride and drive. Mazda Motorsports Director John Doonan, Mazda North America Director of Public Relations Jeremy Barnes, and Mazda Motorsports Communications Officer Dean Case were all there. One of the cars available for media members to drive was Jeremy’s own Spec Miata, which just shows how dedicated of a group Mazda has – the people who work at Mazda are so passionate about racing. Racing is in Mazda’s DNA, so it makes sense that the people who work with Mazda share the same outlook.

The event started Monday evening at the local Lancaster Jethawks baseball game. Mazda had a hospitality suite where we got to mingle with the guests and talk about Mazdas while watching the local minor league baseball team defeat the visiting team.

We were up early the next morning for photography – it was a great opportunity to get shots of all four generations of the MX-5 together. Throughout the day we cycled all the drivers through the cars. Some media members were very specific in their approach, starting with the first generation and working their way up, while others jumped around a little bit. For me it was exciting to listen to their feedback about the cars and the personality that each generation has – their opinions really resonated with mine.

The feedback from the media was that the Global Cup car is so well balanced and more refined than previous generations. The technology is advanced, but it’s similarly balanced to the first-generation car, which was so lightweight, nimble and confidence inspiring. Media members were very impressed with the change from the third-generation MX-5 to the fourth, which is definitely the biggest change between generations.

The media event wrapped up Tuesday, and my busy week continues. I’m heading back to the East Coast, but I’ll still be driving an MX-5: I’m teaming up with Freedom Autosport again to compete in the Continental Tire race at Virginia International Raceway! I’ll be co-driving with Britt Casey, Jr. for the second time this season. The last time we drove together was at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, where we finished second. Fans can follow along live at IMSA.com.