Let's see if our favorite racetrack is a perfect fit for our favorite roadster, the Mazda MX-5!

Japanese tuner Kuhl Racing has made a name for itself with its Nissan GT-R bodykits and most recently, its outlandish list of visual upgrades for the Toyota 86. Now, the company has shown off its kit for the 2016 Mazda MX-5 and as you'd expect, it's outlandish to say the least.

At the front, the company's kit is quite restrained and incorporates a new splitter but the bumper itself hasn't been touched. The same however can't be said of the bonnet which has been adorned in a bold paint design like something out of a different universe.

As for the sides of the popular Japanese sports car, they are dominated by the distinctive set of tightly-spoked aftermarket wheels as well as the lowered skirts sitting just an inch above the ground. While far from practical, the new skirts do complement the front splitter and give the MX-5 a real Japanese tuner car vibe.

The modifications are then completed at the rear with arguably the most eye-popping elements of the entire kit. Most significantly, there is a custom diffuser that's been painted red and bolts onto the standard bumper. Complementing the diffuser are two prominent titanium tailpipes with blue tips. Completing the changes is the carbon fiber wing.

Although Kuhl's MX-5 upgrades limit the vehicle's practicality and everyday driveability, they will ensure any owner can fit in with the country's insane neon-lit supercars.

Just a few hours before pre-orders for the 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Launch Edition kick off, the limited-run model has been priced.

Limited to just 1,000 units, interested customers can purchase the six-speed manual-equipped model from $33,850. Units installed with the six-speed automatic transmission are slightly pricier, starting at $34,925. Both will be available for pre-order online for a $500 refundable deposit.

Discussing the successful launch of the car, senior vice president of U.S. Operations for Mazda North American Operations said “After a tremendously positive response to our global reveal of the 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF, we knew we had to do something unique for the MX-5 RF Launch Edition. Exclusive access to the presale is a way we can offer something special to our most loyal customers who can’t wait to get behind the wheel of one of the most anticipated vehicles in Mazda history.”

Based around the Grand Touring trim level equipped MX-5 Miata RF, the Launch Edition stands out thanks to its Machine Gray Metallic paint scheme, black roof panel and Auburn Nappa leather interior. Additionally, Launch Edition models come complete with distinctive doorsill plates with Advanced Keyless Entry.

Alongside these selection of add-ons, the RF Launch Edition will be delivered to customers with a 42 mm Tourneau watch, custom-designed to match the car.

Just yesterday Mazda announced pricing on its new MX-5 RF. And now the first examples have started rolling off the assembly line in Hiroshima, Japan.

Shorthand for Retractable Fastback, the RF is the latest version of Mazda's celebrated roadster, packing a targa-style roof with fixed buttresses and a retractable roof panel to offer many of the advantages of open-air driving without the compromises.

The model is being built alongside the fully convertible Miata as well as the Fiat 124 Spider at Ujina Plant No. 1 near Mazda's global headquarters in Hiroshima. The first examples will be shipped out to dealers in North America and Europe before they even go on sale in the Japanese domestic market later this year as the Roadster RF.

By now Mazda has made over a million Miatas. Most of them have been straight-up roadsters with folding fabric roofs. But the automaker has toyed with numerous other bodystyles, including a fixed-roof coupe and windowless speedster. After the previous third-generation NC model was offered with a folding hardtop, the new ND generation is being offered in this latest form, which Mazda evidently hopes will help expand its appeal further.

Mazda UK announced the pricing of their new folding hardtop version of the MX-5, dubbed the RF, which is set to go on sale from March 4, 2017.

With production already having startedat the Ujina plant in Hiroshima, the first examples of the new Mazda MX-5 RF are scheduled to reach first Europe and North America.

The UK arm of the Mazda will offer a six-model range to its customers, with a limited-to-500 units Launch edition to sit on top of it. This will come only in conjunction with the 158hp 2.0-litre petrol engine, featuring a unique two-tone roof, BBS wheels, black door mirrors, black rear spoiler, Recaro seats, Alcantara trim and the Safety Pack as standard.

Unlike the rest of the range, customers of the Launch edition will be able to choose the Soul Red or the Machine Grey metallic paint options free-of-charge. If you want these paint options but gunning for a lesser model, prepare to fork out £670.

“With the all-new Mazda MX-5 RF we freed ourselves from traditional ways of thinking and took on fresh challenges in order to create something new. Our aim was a convertible sports car with gorgeous fastback lines when the roof is closed and an exhilarating open-air feeling when open,” commented Nobuhiro Yamamoto, Mazda MX-5 Programme Manager.

On Launch edition models, the retractable hardtop will have its front and middle roof sections finished in piano black, contrasting the Soul Red or Machine Grey paint. As for the rest of the range, UK customers will be able to choose between the entry-level versions that come with the 129hp 1.5-litre and a manual gearbox and the 158hp 2.0-litre with either a manual or an automatic transmission.

The 2.0-litre models come with a limited-slip differential, 17-inch gunmetal alloys and piano black door mirrors as standard. Sport Nav models gain a Bilstein sport suspension, a strut brace, 17-inch Bright alloys and body-colored door mirrors.

Pricing kicks off at £22,195 for the 1.5-litre SE-L Nav model, with the 2.0-litre Sport Nav model asking for £25,695. Add the automatic gearbox on this and the price tag becomes £27,095. Finally, the limited Launch edition models ask for £28,995.

The North American division of Mazda announced today that all 1,000 units of the MX-5 RF Launch Edition allocated for the US market have been spoken for.

During the first week, more than 500 loyal customers placed their deposits for the range-topping and limited edition of the 2017 Mazda MX-5 RF. When ordering opened to the general public, the remaining cars were sold out in just 13 hours, proving the popularity of the upcoming retractable fastback version of the world’s best-selling roadster.

A massive 67 percent of the people that ordered an MX-5 RF Launch Edition opted for a manual transmission, but then again this is the driver-focused Miata we’re talking about. Unlike Europe, US-bound Launch Editions are only available in Machine Grey over Auburn Nappa leather, with the roof hand-painted in black and some special badging. That specific combo is only available to these models and is not possible to be replicated in lesser, regular-production models. Each car will also come with its own, individually numbered Tourneau 42mm MX-5 RF Launch Edition watch.

“The 2017 MX-5 RF Launch Edition preorder program was created to reward loyal Mazda customers with exclusive access to some of the first MX-5 RF models to be sold in the U.S., as well as to ramp up anticipation for what was arguably the star of the 2016 New York International Auto Show,” said Robert Davis, senior VP, U.S. Operations. “By every measure, this program was a success, and we’re excited to be that much closer to getting these cars into the garages of customers from all over the U.S.”

Those interested in the folding hardtop version of the MX-5 can now look at the Club and Gran Touring versions, with the latter also available with a six-speed automatic transmission. Club models equipped with the six-speed manual have the option of the Brembo/BBS pack that includes a front shock-tower brace, side sill body extensions, forged, lightweight BBS 17-inch wheels and Brembo front brakes with red-painted calipers and wider brake pads for greater heat dissipation ‘during spirited driving’.