Mazda Previews 2016 Miata Global MX-5 Cup Racer

The MX-5 Cup is going worldwide in 2016 as the MX-5 Global Cup, and all of the racers are getting behind the wheel of the upcoming fourth-gen Miata, similar to the gorgeous redhead pictured above.

"It has long been our goal to see Mazda fans around the world competing in identical MX-5s, and the launch of the 2016 MX-5 Miata is the perfect time to make this goal a reality," said Masahiro Moro, Managing Executive Officer in charge of Global Sales, Marketing and Customer Service for Mazda in the company's announcement.

The racing version makes its grand debut at this year's SEMA show, although at the moment it's really more of a concept. Mazda confirms that the racer uses the 2.0-liter SkyActiv four-cylinder, but the other important parts like tires, suspension and safety equipment are not yet determined. The cars "will be sold ready to race from a single supplier," according to automaker's announcement for the series.

The company has time to figure all of that out, though. The first of these one-make racers won't hit the track in the MX-5 Global Cup until 2016 with a series of identical cars running in North America, Europe and Asia. The world championship will be at a Global Shootout at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The grand prize will be a test in Mazda's prototype running in the United SportsCar Championship.