Every March for the last few years, drifting fans nationwide stay glued to the Internet for news and videos of their favorite drifters and teams. With the Formula DRIFT season opening up in April on the Streets of Long Beach, teams all over the nation are out testing their off-season changes, new cars and even new drivers. The Bergenholtz Brothers, Ron and Ed, are no strangers to high-horsepower motorsports. They made groundbreaking changes to the world of FWD drag racing, capturing two NHRA Pro FWD championships while campaigning their Mazda 6 race car. But recently they’ve been searching for a new challenge and with drifting gaining speed, momentum and more importantly, sponsors, the Bergenholtz Brothers turned to a new automotive passion.

Recently they announced the signing of Joon Maeng to their team in order to pilot the RX-8 that they built last season. Joon Maeng had been a privateer with his Nissan 240SX for the past couple of years, making some noise amongst all the high-profile competitors that all carry heavy sponsors. It seemed like a great fit when it was announced that Joon Maeng would be piloting the Bergenholtz Racing Mazda RX-8. It was even cooler when they announced their title sponsor would be Full Tilt Poker along with Nitto Tires.

While drifting started out being coveted with Japanese rides from Toyota and Nissan, when it made its splash stateside, domestic muscle has taken center stage. The rumble of the V8 against the screaming turbocharged four-cylinder made the crowd go wild and was something that no one else could witness anywhere. Not even Japan. So it’s great to see the Bergenholtz Brothers throwing a rotary into the mix, pushing over 600whp and 480 ft-lbs of torque to the rear wheels of this sideways machine. So let’s satisfy what the fans all want, check out the first testing video of the season after the break with Joon Maeng behind the wheels of the Bergenholtz Racing Full Tilt Poker Nitto Mazda RX-8. What a mouthful!

Mazda will reportedly add a brake override system to all of its future products. According to an article by Automotive News, Mazda will make the step towards added safety on the heels of Toyota’s recall woes and that automaker’s decision to begin installing a brake override system in all of its new models.

The system will work by giving priority to the brake when both the gas and brake are pressed. Nissan already uses such a system in most of its vehicles.

A spokesman for Mazda said he isn’t aware of any issues of unintended acceleration or sticking gas pedals with its vehicles, but is taking the move to be proactive and avoid any unwanted bad publicity – a burden a smaller automaker like Mazda might not be able to shoulder so easily. The estimated cost of the system will be $50, which is likely to be built into the price of future Mazda models.

It is not clear if this new system will debut in the new Mazda2 model due out later this year, or if it will start on all new models to follow.

[Source: Automotive News via Autoblog]

Mazda unveiled a limited edition MX-5 at the Geneva Auto Show, celebrating the car’s 20th anniversary.

Only 2,000 units have been announced, each equipped with a uniquely-numbered scruff plate. Unfortunately for us in North America, those 2,000 models are exclusive to Europe.

The 20th Anniversary Edition MX-5 will be available in three colors, the new Aurora Blue as well as the classic Crystal White and True Red (the blue model in the photos is the 20th Anniversary edition, the red one in the gallery below is the first generation MX-5). The Anniversary edition model also gets a special styling package featuring a chrome grille and headlight facia, chrome handles and silver-look fog lamp fascia. Other touches include an alloy pedal set and 17-inch aluminum rims with a special finish.

Gallery: 20th Anniversary Mazda MX-5

Mazda unveiled the second generation Mazda5 at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show.

The Mazda5 gets a slight facelift with elements Mazda’s “Nagare Flow” design. The new Mazda5 might even look especially happier and smilier than usual.

Under the hood is a 2.0L direct injection gasoline engine with Mazda’s i-Stop system. According to Mazda, the new engine has 15% lower CO2 emissions than the previous 2.0L powerplant. The Mazda5 will also be available with a 1.8L gasoline engine with six speed manual transmission.

Gallery: Mazda5

Mazda doesn’t appear to be keeping any secrets for the Geneva Auto Show in March. The Japanese automaker has already divulged photos and specs on the new Mazda5 and facelifted Mazda6, and now it has given us a first look at the MX-5 20th Anniversary Edition.

Celebrating the car’s 20 years of inexpensive fun, we expected a little more from this package. Then again, at least the 20th Anniversary Edition will be affordable. Just 2000 will be built for Europe (the model is not confirmed for North America), based on the less-powerful 1.8-liter engine with a 0-60 mph time of 9.9 seconds. Added goodies include a new brace for the front suspension, some badging and stainless steel kick-plates with the model’s production number. It will be offered in three colors, ‘True Red’, ‘Aurora Blue’ and ‘Crystal White Pearl’.

Click here for AutoGuide’s live 2010 Geneva Auto Show coverage starting Monday, March 1st.

Mazda has just released photos and details of the 2010 Mazda6 model (known as the Atenza in Japan), which has undergone a mid-cycle refresh. As a part of the update is the usual facelift, with the 6 now featuring a front-end design more in keeping with the Mazda3 – although not nearly as smiley. Out back, there’s also a new rear bumper, taillights and exhaust pipes. Inside, the Atenza now gets a monotone interior.

As for engines, the 2010 Atenza gets a new direct-injection 2.0-liter to replace the old 2.0-liter, significantly increasing fuel economy and making models equipped with this engine eligible for tax breaks in Japan. Both a 1.8-liter and 2.5-liter are also offered, although the 1.8 won’t be available in Japan.

The Atenza will continue to be offered as a sedan, 5-door hatchback and wagon. New features include adaptive lighting, hill start assist, as well as modified steering and suspension setups to help deliver an even more responsive and dynamic ride.

Already on sale in Japan, we expect Mazda to show the facelifted 6 at the Geneva Auto Show in March, with sales in Europe commencing thereafter and the North American version coming in the Fall.

Click here for AutoGuide’s live 2010 Geneva Auto Show coverage starting Monday, March 1st.

GALLERY: 2010 Mazda Atenza, 2011 Mazda6

Official release after the jump:

Mazda pretty much owns the MPV market on this side of the Atlantic, but it faces stiffer competition in Europe and is about to get more rivals in North America from models like the Ford C-Max and Chevy Orlando. So to stay ahead of the competition, the Japanese automaker will debut an all-new second generation Mazda5 model (called the Premacy in some markets) at the Geneva Auto Show in March.

Mazda gave the 5 a facelift in 2008 and while this model looks only like a cosmetic tweak (like the new Mazda3) there’s more to it than that. In Europe the new 5 will be offered with either a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder or a 2.o-liter 4-cylinder with direct-injection and Mazda’s i-stop start-stop technology, which will reduce emissions by 15 percent. Both engines will come with a 6-speed manual transmission as standard.

As for the aesthetic changes, they include some swoopy lines on the side of the car, inspired by Mazda’s recent concepts like the Nagare and Furai. In addition, it’s hard to miss the aggressive (or, as some might, say, excessively happy) front end.

Once it arrives in North America, we expect to find the company’s 167-hp 2.5-liter engine under the hood, most likely mated to a six-speed manual transmission as standard.

Click here for AutoGuide’s live 2010 Geneva Auto Show coverage starting Monday, March 1st.

GALLERY: 2011 Mazda5

Official release after the jump:

After covering all the major tuner and manufacturer booths located inside the Makuhari Messe’s Convention Center, we decided to wander the Tokyo Auto Salon’s floor to see if we could spot anything that interested us. It didn’t take long before this Abflug “Pink Spider” FD3S Mazda RX-7 really caught our eye.

Easily considered extreme by some, this RX-7 is an example of quality workmanship. The paint job is magnificent and we really love the wheels. More respect has to be given to the owner for the immaculate engine bay. North America may not have seen much of Mazda’s FD3S chassis over the recent years, but in Japan they are still one of the most respected tuner vehicles around.

GALLERY: Abflug FD3S RX-7

Last week any future cooperation between Ford and Mazda seemed unlikely after Ford president Mark Fields announced the two companies would no longer share platforms. Now company execs on both sides are reasserting a “long-term partnership.” Both Ford CEO Alan Mulally and Mazda CEO Takashi Yamanouchi have been in talks to discuss future collaborations.

News of a separation between the U.S. and Japanese automaker came as little surprise, as recently Ford sold off much of its stake in Mazda, reducing its portion of from 33 percent to just 11 percent. The partnership is the longest running in the auto industry, dating back to 1979. Initially Ford benefited tremendously from Mazda’s Japanese technology and work practices, however, more recently, Mazda has been the benefactor, as Ford propped it up when an effort to take on Honda and Toyota in the mainstream auto business failed.

“Our strategic alliance will remain intact,” said Mazda’s VP of manufacturing Masaharu Yamaki. Ford execs weren’t quite as strong worded with Ford CFO Lewis Booth quoted as saying that, “The strategic relationship continues. The business relationships continue. And they continue on the basis that they’ve always continued. Where it works to the benefit of both companies, we do things together, and where it doesn’t, we don’t.”

Ford’s business plan has seen it sell off its shares in other automakers and it is currently looking to find a buyer for Volvo. This plan is in many ways the reason that Ford avoided bankruptcy as it not only created a huge influx of cash, but it did so at the perfect time, when the luxury brands it sold off (like Jaguar and Land Rover) saw massive sales declines. There is still an unwillingness to set Mazda entirely free, however, as Ford relies on the Japanese automaker for some of its most important products: the mid-size Fusion being based on the Mazda6 and the sub-compact Fiesta based on the Mazda2.

“We’re still dependent on each other,” said Ford’s global product boss Derrick Kuzak. “You cannot change that overnight.”

Still, as Kuzak suggests, Ford is looking to separate itself from Mazda and despite all the reassuring words of a partnership between the two companies, Ford isn’t recanting on its “no platform sharing” statement. And so while there are still opportunities for the two automakers to work together on certain products, Mazda isn’t sitting around and waiting for Ford. Recent reports have suggested that Mazda has begun a partnership with Toyota that will see Prius hybrid technology go into use in a future Mazda3 model.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Mazda has reached a general agreement with Toyota to use its hybrid technology for future products. According to a report in Japanese English daily Yomiuri Shimbun, Toyota will sell Mazda parts like the electric motor, control system and other major components of its industry-leading Prius. Like Toyota, Mazda’s electric components will come from Panasonic.

The paper’s source suggests the first model to get the hybrid technology will not be a new vehicle, but a version of the Mazda3 – sold as the Axela in Japan. It is expected to hit the market by 2013.

Since Ford Motor Co. recently broke many of its ties with Mazda the small automaker has been struggling to find partners in the industry in an effort to stay current. Under Ford control, Mazda was using hybrid technology from the American automaker, but since Ford sold off much of its stake in Mazda, the Japanese company has been on its own.

Along with the amount paid for the Toyota parts, Toyota will benefit in the deal from reduced parts costs due to a larger scale. A formal deal is expected soon.

With Suzuki recently announcing a partnership with Volkswagen and rumors that Mitsubishi would join with Peugeot Citroen, it has been suggested that Mazda is looking to join with a large player in the auto industry. There are, however, no reports of a larger asset agreement between the two Japanese automakers.

[Source: Yomiuri Shimbun]