There is no shortage of special edition Mazda BT-50 versions around the world. Locally, we have the 4x4 Pangolin and the 4x2 Black Edition. But over in Australia, things are a little bit different. Over there, there are off-road ready variants that make you wish it was sold here too.
The most recent special edition BT-50 sold in Australia was the XTR LE. It’s got a chunky alloy bumper at the front with a sports bar at the back to give it more cred on the trail or on the road. But this time around, Mazda has leveled that it with a pair of new variants.
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Dubbed the SP Pro and Thunder Pro, these BT-50 pickups are far from cosmetic upgrade packages. These are real, trail-ready versions of the said pickup truck.
Starting with the SP Pro, it features something called a ‘Nitrocharger’. It’s a shock absorber from Old Man Emu that features a twin-tube system that aims to give it better off-road capability. It also gets a 50mm lift kit, 18-inch alloys, and a grille-mounted LED light bar to illuminate the trails.
But for those who want a little more visual punch, then the Thunder Pro is the BT-50 to get. It’s a bit like the previous XTR LE, but with more goodies. Like the XTR LE, is has a beefy alloy bumper at the front but finished in gloss black. On top of that, it gets additional underbody protection to prevent damage when hitting the trails.
For added water wading capabilities, the Thunder Pro also gets a fender-mounted snorkel. Like the SP Pro, the Thunder Pro also gets a 50mm lift and Nitrocharger dampers, but it can also be adjusted depending on the demands of the trail. Topping off the goodies in the Thunder Pro is a gloss black sports bar and more powerful LED driving lights.
