Mazda News
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When you think GT racing, it's natural to think of the big guns: Porsche, BMW, Ferrari, and Corvette. Mazda, on the other hand, unless you're thinking of the RX-8, not so much. But that hasn't stopped the company from whipping up an MX-5-based GT racer to take on most of the above in the Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship's 2011 season. The MX-5 GT will face off against the best Aston Martin, Porsche, Lotus, and BMW have to offer. How will it fare? From the stats, it looks like it should do pretty well: weighing in at just over 1,700 pounds and getting to 60 mph in three seconds, the...
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Mazda Minagi Concept: 2011 Geneva Motor ShowWith its latest concept car, the all-new 2011 Mazda Minagi, Mazda is essentially giving us a preview of its replacement for the Tribute compact SUV. The aging Tribute is long overdue for an update and reports of a sharper and more dynamic compact crossover from Mazda date back to early 2007, so...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2012 Mazda3: SkyActiv Engine, TransmissionMazda's Sky-G line of engines was revealed back in September of 2009, but today, we get one of the first announced cars with the technology: the 2012 Mazda3 with somewhat differently-named SkyActiv G engine and transmission. So what's all this talk about sky? It's because the new engine cuts fuel...
Nelson Ireson -
2011 Mazda MX-5 Special Edition Live Photos: 2011 Chicago Auto ShowYesterday we brought you the details on the 2011 Mazda MX-5 Miata Special Edition, built to celebrate the 900,000th MX-5 sold. Today, we have live images of both the Sparkling Black Mica and Dolphin Gray Mica variants from the floor of the Chicago Auto Show. Built on the same underpinnings as the...
Nelson Ireson -
2011 Chicago Auto Show: 2011 Mazda MX-5 Special EditionMazda's MX-5 Miata recently got some (rare) bad press from EVO's Chris Harris, but that's not nearly enough to put a crimp in the 900,000-unit model run's style. To celebrate the milestone delivery reached earlier this month, a new Special Edition of the car is on show in Chicago this week. Only...
Nelson Ireson -
EVO's Chris Harris Lambastes The Mazda MX-5, Makes A Few Fair PointsCalling the Mazda Miata MX-5 "a machine which drives with all the precision of a boneless limb" is a harsh, and, among owners, enthusiasts, and the automotive press, unpopular statement. But EVO's Chris Harris actually makes a few fair points. His overall sum-up, that the MX-5 is equivalent to...
Nelson Ireson -
The Mazda MX-5, or Miata as it’s known in certain markets, has just set a new Guinness World Record for the "Best selling two-seat sports car". Interestingly, the MX-5 originally set the record when production of the car reached 531,890 units in May 2000. Guinness updated the record when production passed 700,000 and, later, 800,000 units. Currently, Mazda is reapplying to have the record updated to 900,000 units. The 900,000th example of the car was built earlier today in Japan and is destined for a home in Germany. This tally has been growing since the launch of the first generation...
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Career Counseling For Oscar Night Losers"Oh, it's an honor just to be nominated." That's what they say on Oscar night, all the nominees in their borrowed finery, shuffling past the paparazzi and self-proclaimed fashion police. (Seriously, why does Ryan Seacrest get to comment on anyone's outfit?) But deep inside, we know they're nervous...
Richard Read -
2011 Geneva Motor Show Preview: Mazda Minagi ConceptJust hours after today’s earlier leak of the new Minagi Concept, Mazda has released full details for its latest concept and confirmed that it will be appearing for the first time at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show in March. The concept is said to be a preview of a brand new compact crossover from...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Leaked Mazda Minagi Concept Previews New CX-5 CrossoverThe aging Mazda Tribute is long overdue for an update and reports of a sharper and more dynamic compact crossover from Mazda date back to early 2007, so it’s not at all surprising to see that the Japanese automaker is working on just such a model. Previewed here today in concept form, the new...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
d3o Bullet-Proof Gel Could Lead To Safer Cars Of The FutureHave you ever seen the experiment using custard to demonstrate increases in viscosity with force? When you run your hand through the substance it acts like a liquid, but quickly apply a force and it hardens. Fill a swimming pool with custard and you could feasibly run across without sinking in. Wet...
Antony Ingram -
d3o Bullet-Proof Gel Being Explored By AutomakersAn emerging technology that could have a major impact on the way cars are designed in the future is currently being developed, with the new technology having the potential to save thousands of lives in serious car crashes. The new technology is a special gel called d3o, which was developed by...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Rumors, reports, and ruminations on the next generation of Mazda's RX line of cars have never been in short supply. But now Mazda is stirring the pot via its Facebook fan page. The latest locus of loco is a question asked of Mazda's fans: "If you were to design a new RX model, what key features would you add?" The responses range from a revival of the RX-7 to turbo rotaries to regular piston engines in place of the Wankel. But we're looking at it from a different angle. Mazda shouldn't be asking what features we'd like added, but which we couldn't do without. Bulk up the RX line with every...
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2010 LA Auto Show: 2012 Mazda Mazda5 Live PhotosPut on a happy face--that's what Mazda is doing with the Mazda5, the pert little Euro-sized MPV that's been refreshed for the 2012 model year. The Mazda MPV is on display this week at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show, wearing the new grinning front clip that's related to the smiley faces on the...
Martin Padgett -
2010 Los Angeles Auto Show: Mazda Shinari Concept Live PhotosMazda's Shinari Concept points the way toward the future of the carmaker, and we have to say: it looks good. These live photos bring the concept to life, fresh from the floor of the Los Angeles Auto Show. It was supposed to show at the Paris auto show, and we saw official preview images then, but...
Nelson Ireson -
2010 L.A. Auto Show Preview: 2012 Mazda5, Shinari ConceptThe leaves are turning, weather is getting cooler, and that smell is in the air. Yep, it's almost time for the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show, and the previews are flowing. Mazda will be bringing its new Shinari concept and the Nagare-influenced 2012 Mazda5. The Shinari Concept, originally unveiled at...
Nelson Ireson -
Report: Mazda RX-9 Will Develop 300 Horsepower From New Rotary EngineAs we reported last month, Mazda has no plans to abandon its Wankel rotary engine despite the automaker struggling to meet new fuel economy and emissions standards with its latest designs. The Mazda RX-8 is currently the only production car on the market with a rotary engine but it will be phased...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2010 SEMA: Mazda Shows Off Fleet Of Race Track Inspired ModelsMazda is taking its “zoom zoom” philosophy to a whole new level at the 2010 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show, which is taking place in Las Vegas this week. Mazda’s product lineup of sedans, sports cars and crossovers already offer consumers plenty of thrills in...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
With the RX-8 sports car expected to be discontinued after the current model year, Mazda, the last bastion of the Wankel rotary engine, will be without a car in its lineup featuring the free-spinning engine. Why the predicament? Because Mazda just can’t seem to engineer the rotary to meet its own internal fuel economy and emissions standards. The rotary engine is a love-it or hate-it piece of engineering. Marvelously simple and compact yet viciously inefficient, variants of the spinning triangle have seen use in Mazda's cars for over 40 years. But that robust classic tech won't do the...
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Mazda previews next-gen vehicle technology with new SkyActiv rangeAlmost exactly one year ago Mazda gave us a preview of its next-generation of drivetrain technologies, revealing new designs for a highly efficient direct injection gasoline engine, clean diesel engine and an automatic transmission. The Japanese automaker is now revealing the next chapter of its...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Mazda2 Drives Mayer Hawthorne's Nationwide TourMazda has always been a slightly quirky brand -- just offbeat enough to develop a community of rabid fans. So it's fitting that the automaker would choose to sponsor a nationwide tour for the equally quirky musician Mayer Hawthorne. If you don't know about Hawthorne (nee Andrew Mayer Cohen), you...
Richard Read -
Video: Mazda Gives A Glimpse At Kodo-Themed Mazda2, Mazda3The audio sounds like the background to a James Garner TV montage, but the visuals are pure cutting-edge Mazda design. Wrapping the Kodo design theme around a compact three-door hatchback model, the video gives us an idea of what the next Mazda2 or Mazda3 could look like. While we're big fans of...
Nelson Ireson -
Mazda SKY Rotary Engine Under DevelopmentThe rotary engine is a love-it or hate-it piece of engineering. Marvelously simple and compact yet viciously inefficient, variants of the spinning triangle have seen use in Mazda's cars for over 40 years. But that robust classic tech won't do the job anymore. The next Mazda rotary will have to be a...
Nelson Ireson -
Mazda Shinari Kodo design concept debuts at 2010 Paris Motor ShowLooking an awful lot like the Tesla Model S crossed with Infiniti's Essence Concept, the Mazda Shinari might not be entirely unique, but it's certainly attractive. Today, Mazda released the full official details on the 'Kodo' design thesis to be unveiled at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, along with a...
Nelson Ireson