Major new fuels will keep petrol and diesel cars 'on the road for many years to come'

The 100 per cent sustainable fuel from SUSTAIN ensured that the four models became the first car to complete the length of the nation using a biofuel with zero fossil fuel content.

More than 135,000 MX-5 models have been sold in the UK since the car was first launched at the Chicago Motor Show in 1989.

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The Mazda UK Heritage Fleet has been powered by the SUSTAIN 100 RON E5 biofuel since June 2023 in a bid to decarbonise their efforts quicker.

Mazda used a second-generation biofuel from Coryton, an industry leader in bespoke and blended fuels, and is manufactured from agricultural waste and by-products from crops that can't be consumed.

Despite the use of the new fuel, no modifications or changes were required for the vehicles, with it using carbon that already exists in the atmosphere.

While the 100 per cent biofuel used in the Mazda journey is not readily available on the market, other Coryton products are to help drivers decarbonise at their own pace.

Mazda added that it wanted to highlight the advantages of using sustainable fuels to decarbonise modern and classic cars.

The Japanese brand also confirmed that sustainable fuels would complement Mazda's "Multi-Solution" approach to achieving climate neutrality and net zero ambitions.

Jeremy Thomson, managing director at Mazda Motors UK, said: “The MX-5 is Mazda’s brand icon and it embodies all that is great about our products.

"Mazda’s unceasing commitment to refining the vehicle over its 35-year history has always focused on its core mission of delivering driver engagement and fun from behind the wheel.

"It’s great that it was a quartet of MX-5s that became the first cars to drive this famous route using sustainable fuel, as it’s always been a sports car that delivers efficiency through its lightweight and compact design."

Thompson added that Mazda's Japanese division was involved in joint research projects to promote the "wide-spread adoption of biofuels from microalgae growth and bio-diesel from used cooking oil".

Mazda has been embarking on larger challenges to prove the viability of biofuels, including the MX-5 becoming the first vehicle to be powered by sustainable fuel to travel 1,000 miles across the UK and lap a circuit in each home nation.

David Richardson, director at SUSTAIN, added: "Sustainable fuel is a genuine way we can keep vehicles such as these on the road for many years to come, whilst reducing their environmental impact.

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"Over the 1,000-mile trip, we calculated that around 981kg of CO2 was saved by using SUSTAIN in the four MX-5s to replace fossil fuels. Imagine the difference we could make if more motorists followed suit.