Ward’s Auto released their 10 Best Engines List for 2012 today, and no surprise here but direct-injection and turbocharging – the two big trends for today’s automotive era – are heavily represented. The Ford Mustang Boss 302′s big 5.0L V8, with natural aspiration and good-old port injection managed to make the list, but pretty much…
Car and Driver’s annual 10Best Cars awards are back and while other publications focus on the best new cars of the year, what makes Car And Driver’s 10Best unique is its consideration of all vehicles that are currently on sale. The rules of the 10Best list state that winners from the previous year get an…
To go with the supposed 1.3L turbocharged powerplant the next-generation MX-5 will be getting, Mazda‘s MX-5 development boss Hirotaka Kanazawa also revealed that the 2014 MX-5 will go to a back-to-basics approach towards being a fun sportscar, just like the 1989 original model. “We will return to the original. It will be lightweight and the…
The last time Mazda offered a coupe model based on the underpinnings of its mid-size sedan, it was called the MX-6. It was quite popular in its day, and two-generation of models had been produced before Mazda pulled the plug on the sports sporty car back in 1997. Now a unnamed senior company source has…
The Tokyo Motor Show has come and gone and won’t be back for another two years. If you missed out on all the excitement (and wacky concept cars) then watch AutoGuide’s video wrapup, with ten short spots highlighting all the most exciting new models. If you’re after more in-depth coverage, then see our Tokyo Motor…
A while back, we reported that the next-generation Mazda MX-5 would be going on a major diet and could be powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged powerplant rather than the 1.8L or 2.0L naturally aspirated motor used today. Now reports are coming in that the new MX-5 will likely sport a 1.3L turbocharged four-cylinder, with Mazda’s…
As Honda and Toyota soldier on with the same old designs, Mazda has taken heed of the attractively styled products coming out of Korea these days and decided to fire back. Using the brand’s new Kodo design language the Takeri Concept is a look at the next-generation Mazda6. Based on an all-new platform and powered…
If a single rotary powered sports car were to materialize (there’s speculation it could be a hard top convertible in the idom of the Mercedes-Benz SLK, or possibly offered in both piston and rotary powered forms), it would be a ways off.
Kicking off the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, Mazda unveiled a stunning new concept car that will eventually head to production as the next generation Mazda6 family sedan. A shot at the bold styling direction of brands like Hyundai and Kia, Mazda’s new Kodo design language is certain to bring much needed attention to Mazda dealerships…
Mazda aims to build a vehicle assembly plant in Russia as the automaker recently announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Russian firm Sollers for a new joint venture. Sollers, Russia’s industry giant, worked with many automakers, both domestic and foreign, to set up production and distribution channels throughout the country. Mazda’s future…
There was a time in North America that the letters “TDI” and the word “diesel” was unknown. In fact, most American consumers wouldn’t even understand the idea of a diesel-powered passenger car, save for the dreadful Oldsmobile diesels of the 1970′s. But times have changed, or rather gasoline prices have skyrocketed, and more and more…
When Mazda unveils its new Takeri concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show next week, the company will be showing off more than just some shiny sheetmetal. Underneath that sleek new bodywork will be a new engineering solution in the war to conserve fuel and boost fuel economy. Called i-ELOOP, Mazda’s new regenerative braking system,…
Mazda unveiled their latest entry into the compact crossover market at the Los Angeles Auto Show Wednesday, with the 2013 CX-5. The CX-5 will be the first vehicle to use a full suite of Mazda’s SKYACTIV technologies, designed to reduce weight and increase fuel economy without compromising the sporty character of Mazda’s offerings. A 2.0L…
MINI has announced that they will be entering the B-Spec racing class in 2012, with MINI of Charleston, a franchise owned by Hendrick Automotive Group. The B-Spec car will be a base Mini Cooper Hardtop with a 1.6L 121-horsepower engine. The car will weigh 2,535 lbs and KW Variant 1 coilovers, upgraded brake pads and…
While Thailand is mostly known for sandy beaches, fake watches and other pleasures that need to be paid for in cash, Thailand has a strong manufacturing base, with many automakers producing vehicles and components in the developing nation. October’s flooding, which ravaged the Southeast Asian country, made a major dent in the production figures of…
Reports are coming in that Mazda is planning to overhaul four of its existing models by 2014. The four models up for redesigns are the Mazda3, Mazda6, MX-5 and CX-9. We’ve already seen the new patent drawings for the upcoming MX-5 refresh, which will hopefully come in 2013 along with a new Mazda3 and CX-9….
It’s plenty of fun even with just 100-hp, but Mazda isn’t called the Zoom Zoom brand for nothing. Revealed today at the 2011 SEMA Show is a tuner car concept dubbed the Mazda2 Turbo. Rather than some bolt-on turbocharger this sub-compact gets a complete swap from its big-brother, the Mazdaspeed3. Borrowing that 2.3-liter direct-injection 4-cylinder,…
Aping the roof structure of the Porsche Boxster Spyder, Mazda has unveiled its own lighter-weight drop-top at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Using a light-weight tarp-like design, the Spyder’s top is affixed in the front to the top of the windshield, while the rear buckles into mounts located in the truck. Mazda has yet…
If you aren’t familiar with the gravely rumble of a diesel powered vehicle you probably will be soon. They’re commonplace in Europe thanks to better milage and will be in the same position on American shores thanks to increasingly stringent government standards. Jeff Breneman, executive director of the U.S. Coalition for Advanced Diesel Cars,…
Mazda has just released teaser images of two of its 2011 SEMA Show cars, both of which we desperately wish were heading to production. No details have been released, but the names of each car reveal the most important features. Up first is the MX-5 Spyder, sporting a Porsche Boxster Spyder style soft-top roof designed…
With a planned debut for the Tokyo Auto Show, Mazda has released a selection of images of its new Takeri concept car, previewing the next-generation Mazda6 family sedan. Using the brand’s new Kodo design language, the car stays true to the Shinari concept and shares styling similarities with the upcoming CX-5 compact crossover. Riding on…
More than just one of the stars of TV’s Grey’s Anatomy, Patrick Dempsey is also an accomplished race car driver, who knows all too well the dangers of motorsports. With this weekend’s tragic accident at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, claiming the life of Dan Wheldon, Dempsey is joining a growing number in the tight…
The Sports Car Club of America’s B-Spec class is meant to give automakers and racers alike a relatively affordable platform to go racing with machines similar to those available from the factory. While safety and chassis modifications are allowed, engine power is restricted to keep the playing field even. Honda and Mazda were among the…
For the past decade, China’s economy has continued to expand with little sign of slowing down. Volkswagen took advantage of an opportunity to continue offering its past models such as the Volkswagen “Jetta King” (Mk2 Jetta), the Volkswagen Bora Classic (Mk4 Jetta), as well as various Audi vehicles in the Chinese market in order to…
