Mazda BT-50 pickup: top-level
IN 1991, Mazda became the first Japanese manufacturer to win the famous Le Mans 24-hour endurance race. They did so with a rotary engine and that record remains to this day, the only non-piston powered engine to do so.
In 1995, the Miata made its debut and eventually cemented itself in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s bestselling two-seater sports car. How does that affect the Mazda BT-50 pickup? In the ways that matter it does.
The BT-50 is distinctively Mazda, fully bearing the brand’s sporty design language. The wedge-shaped front profile projects a flowing sense of speed similar to that of the company’s sedans. The rear does its best with function following form as dual-cab pickup specifications dictate. There’s the bed, the obligatory large badge on the tailgate, and rear lights that do their best to continue the visual link to those on the sedans.
The passenger car theme continues on the inside. Being responsible for the driving position of the Miata, that effort is put into the BT-50 with an asymmetric layout offering the space and comfort of a sedan. Seating, front and rear, is comfortable for all and there’s plenty of storage spaces throughout the cabin. The driver-focused instrumentation makes operation as simple as reaching out one’s hand, aided by an unpretentious spread of controls across the dashboard. In base trim, the BT-50 is rather sparse instead delivering rough and rugged workmanship-like