To celebrate 35 years of the Mazda MX-5, four Mazda MX-5s – one of each generation – drove a 1,000-mile route from Land’s End to John O’ Groats using sustainable fuel. Powered entirely by a 100 per cent biofuel from SUSTAIN, the world’s best-selling two-seater sports car became the first car to complete the end-to-end drive across the UK using sustainable fuel.
Launched at the 1989 Chicago Motor Show, the Mazda MX-5 has always been the benchmark pure lightweight sports car with driver engagement at the centre of its appeal. To date more than 1.2-million MX-5s have been produced at Mazda’s Ujina plant in Hiroshima, with over 135,000 of these being sold in the UK. The four cars completing the 1,000-mile drive were from the Mazda UK Heritage Fleet – a 1990 1.6-litre Mk1 from the car’s launch year in the UK, a 10th Anniversary Mk2, a 25th Anniversary Mk3 and a 30th Anniversary Mk4 – each one representing a key landmark in the MX-5’s history.
Each generation Mazda MX-5 completed the journey using SUSTAIN 100 RON E5, which is a second-generation biofuel from Coryton that contains zero fossil fuel and is manufactured from agricultural waste and by-products from crops which can’t be used for consumption. With no modifications to the cars required, the drop-in fuel utilises carbon that already exists in the atmosphere, which the plants absorb as they grow, recycling it, rather than releasing additional CO2, as fossil fuels do.
The 1,000-mile journey travelled to four pioneering organisations showcasing the power of sustainable technologies (see Editor’s notes). While the 100 per cent biofuel used is not currently publicly available to buy, other SUSTAIN fuels are, demonstrating the role sustainable fuels can play in de-carbonising both modern and classic cars, and further highlighting how sustainable fuels could complement Mazda’s Multi-Solution approach to achieving climate neutrality.
The Land’s End to John O’ Groats drive is just one example of Mazda’s commitment to demonstrate the role sustainable fuel can play in de-carbonising motoring. Since June 2023, the Mazda UK Heritage Fleet has been fuelled by SUSTAIN Classic 80 sustainable fuel, which is commercially available to the public. While in 2022, the Mazda MX-5 was the first-ever vehicle to drive 1,000 miles across the UK and lap a circuit in each home nation powered by sustainable fuel.
Commenting on Mazda’s latest sustainable fuel achievement, 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. Furthermore, it’s highly appropriate that a car famous for driver fun has highlighted the part sustainable fuel can have in de-carboninsing classic motoring in the future”.
He continues, “Mazda is committed to reducing CO2 emissions from every car and believes that all options available must be used to achieve climate neutrality. In the future through Mazda’s SKYACTIV Multi-Solution Scalable Architecture, continued electrification will go hand in hand with the development of advanced internal combustion engine technology. While, with the wide use of Mazda M Hybrid mild-hybrid, the all-electric Mazda MX-30, the unique Mazda MX-30 R-EV parallel hybrid, the self-charging hybrid Mazda2 Hybrid and the plug-in hybrid Mazda CX-60 PHEV, across Mazda’s current range this multi-solution approach is already clear to see”.
Adding, “in many regions of the world Mazda is investing in different projects and partnerships to promote the development and use of renewable fuels in cars. In Japan, Mazda is involved in several joint research projects and studies as part of an ongoing industry-academia-government collaboration to promote the wide-spread adoption of biofuels from microalgae growth and bio-diesel from used cooking[BM1] oil, while in Europe, Mazda was the first OEM to join the eFuel Alliance”.
David Richardson, Director at SUSTAIN, said: “Achieving the first-ever drive from Land’s End to John O’ Groats on 100% sustainable biofuel is something we’re extremely proud of. It’s particularly poignant to be teaming up with Mazda on the MX-5s 35th birthday. 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. Over the 1000-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.
Adding, “Electric vehicles are increasing in numbers, but there are many millions of combustion engine cars on our roads – it surely makes sense to reduce the emissions from those vehicles if we can. Yet many people don’t realise it’s an option or know how sustainable fuel works. There are a lot of misunderstandings. We need support from those in power to enable sustainable fuel production to be scaled up, which could happen relatively quickly. There is no silver bullet solution to tackle the environmental impact of the automotive sector – we should be using all the available technologies to give us the best chance to make a real difference.”
The four classic Mazda MX-5s that drove from Land’s End to John O’ Groat’s will join six other MX-5s at CarFest 2024 as part of the event’s track show, where they will again be powered by sustainable fuel from SUSTAIN.
Notes for Editors
SUSTAIN was launched by Coryton, part of the ASPEN Group, in 2021 as part of its mission to create a cleaner future. The pioneering brand focuses on developing responsible and sustainable fuels that contribute towards the push for net zero impact, without compromising on performance or engine protection.From biofuels to e-fuels, the SUSTAIN range uses a combination of the latest sustainable technologies as they mature.
The fuels currently derive predominantly from second-generation biofuels manufactured from agricultural waste, such as straw, by-products or waste from crops which wouldn’t be used for consumption. The drop-in fuel utilises the carbon that already exists in our atmosphere, which the plants absorb as they grow, recycling it, rather than releasing additional CO2, as fossil fuels do.
Through products such as SUSTAIN Racing and SUSTAIN Classic, SUSTAIN has already celebrated some fantastic milestones in the motoring industry and it plans to continue this success long into the future. Tested in the deserts of the Dakar Rally to the waters of Windermere, the bespoke fuels are designed to meet the performance and sustainability criteria outlined by various governing bodies in the motorsport and transport sectors.SUSTAIN Classic became the first publicly available sustainable fuel when it launched in 2023. It can currently be purchased at Bicester Heritage, although further stockists are imminent. The range includes three different levels of sustainable content to suit a range of customer needs and price points – from 33% to 80%.An even greater range of SUSTAIN Racing fuels are available, including fuels with up to 100% sustainable content, in order to meet the requirements of different racing teams and competitions.
Information on the Land’s End to John O’ Groats stop locations:
The route of Mazda and SUSTAIN’s Land’s End to John O Groats visited four pioneering organisations showcasing the power of sustainable technologies in the UK. Each location also served as our fuel stops to top the MX-5s up with SUSTAIN fuel.
Stop 1: Motor Spirit, Bicester Heritage Centre, Oxfordshire
Motor Spirit, originally Classic Oils, has grown in stature and reputation across the country. From a small unit in an industrial estate, the company has become a respected one-stop-shop for anything liquid or semi-liquid for interesting machines. Motor Spirit was one of the first companies to move into Bicester Heritage in the summer of 2015, an ex-RAF site which is now the country’s Centre of Excellence for classic motoring and aviation. In 2023, Motor Spirit became the first distributor for SUSTAIN Classic, the UK’s first publicly available sustainable petrol, designed specifically for classic vehicles.
Stop 2: Translational Energy Research Centre (TERC), Sheffield University
The Translational Energy Research Centre (TERC) is a world-leading pilot-scale research centre, working with industry to test and develop green energy solutions for a de-carbonised future. With full capability to test, optimise and demonstrate technologies at scale, TERC has everything needed for commercially focused, mission-oriented research and development. Its expertise covers hydrogen, bioenergy, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), as well as renewables and the wider energy system.
Stop 3: Windermere Boat Club (WMBRC), Lake District National Park
Windermere Motor Boat Racing Club (WMBRC) is the oldest powerboat racing club in the world which is still active, with Sir Henry Segrave and Donald Campbell CBE amongst its famous past members. Based on the picturesque shores of Windermere in the Lake District National Park, the club operates from a landmark country house designed by Charles Vosyey in 1899.As well as celebrating its rich heritage, WMBRC also works hard to build a better future for motorboat racing and regularly showcases green technology’s future in the sport. In 2023, it hosted the 51st annual Coniston Powerboat Records Week which saw Cox Marine set two new speed records using 100% sustainable fuel. Following this, in 2024, the club delivered the first-ever sustainable handicap powerboat racing event in the UK, powered by SUSTAIN fuels.
Stop 4: Celtic Renewables and Caldic, Grangemouth, Scotland
Celtic Renewables is a pioneering technology-led producer of green chemicals, contributing to the sustainability of manufacturing and industrial processes. Their efforts contribute significantly to creating a truly circular economy on a global scale.
For more information on any of the companies above, please contact Becky Mann/Shona Nutter on corytonpr@Perfect-storm.co.uk / 07743 417 093 / 07714 953919.
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