Whitten Brothers Mazda

Remember back in 1991, when Mazda claimed a world record as the first Japanese automaker to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans? The winning car driven by a team comprised of Johnny Herbert, Volker Weidler, and Bertrand Gachot was the Mazda 787 No. 55. It made the world take notice that Japanese automakers are fully capable of upping the competition on the world stage.

Twenty years later, Mazda is commemorating their historic victory in '91 with the release of a dedicated limited-edition MX-5 Miata. Appropriately dubbed the '55 Le Mans Edition, it will be available in four exterior colors…

Maybe you remember back in 2000 when Canadian born Jeremy Wotherspoon earned a title in the Guinness Book of World Records for his 500 M. sprint on ice in just 14 minutes and 22 seconds. Well, it looks like Mazda might have taken a cue or two from this record-breaking speed skater. They've opened the 2011 motorsport season on Swedish ice.

That's right, Mazda invited racing enthusiasts to Sweden to participate in the February MX-5 Ice Race. A total of 20 modified MX-5's tuned for driving on the ice and wearing spike ice tires, were piloted by…