Straightline

Mazda doesn't have a booth at SEMA and is displaying only two cars. The 2.5-liter MZR four-cylinder in the Mazda 3 sedan (top photo) is fitted with a turbo kit from Tri-Point Engineering, the company that builds Mazda's racecars for the World Challenge Series. The kit utilizes a cast-iron exhaust manifold that feeds a Garrett GT2871R turbo tuned to pump out 10 psi. The car also uses Mazdaspeed 3 brake rotors and calipers up front and Mazda 5 rotors and calipers out back.

The lower photo is a very mildly tuned Mazdaspeed 3 that's fitted with Stoptech brakes and an AEM intake. Both cars use forged 19-inch wheels from the RX-8 R3 and 225/40-19 Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires.

We're told the sedan will be available for testing soon.

Josh Jacquot, Senior Road Test Editor

Categories: Mazda,SEMA Show

More than a few of us on the Inside Line staff have a jones for a built first-gen Miata. We keep thinking about making one a project car/used long-termer, sort of like we did with the Ferrari 308, the E46 M3 and the Evo GSR all rolled into one. Only the Miata is dirt cheap. If you do much of the work yourself and live without a few luxuries, total cost to build one into a little Japanese Cobra could be well under $10,000 (including the car with hardtop).

The gang at Mike Burlas Design Inc. (www.mikeburlas.com) out of Rialto, CA understand what I'm talking about. They built this clean and simple wide body Miata I came across today at the SEMA show. It's powered by a turbo rotary engine, wears a fastback-style carbon roof and it sits just like it should. That, my friends, is stance. Mike, just lose the big rear wing and the car is right on.

And so now my Miata jones is like really off the chart. Thanks, Mike.

So what do you think? Should we do it?

Continue reading Turbo Rotary Mazda Miata Attacks SEMA.

Categories: Classic Cars,Convertibles,Mazda,SEMA Show,Sports Cars,Trends,Tuners and Modifications

Today was not a day to get all immersed in technical details about Mazda's new global direct-injected Sky-G gasoline and Sky-D diesel four-cylinder engines. But we now know that the Sky-G gas engines will range in displacement from 1.3 liters to 2.0 liters and will debut in Japanese models in 2011, with a worldwide launch coming shortly after.

The Sky-D turbocharged diesel-4 will be a 2.2-liter only, so far as we know, and it will be clean enough to enter the U.S. market without an AdBlue urea tank. The particulate filter alone will suffice, company officials tell us. This is a fully modern diesel with an all-aluminum block and a two-stage turbocharger. The Sky-D goes on sale worldwide in 2012; it will be the first diesel Mazda has ever offered for sale in Japan.

New engine technology always sounds good, but if it's stuffed into increasingly heavier cars, is it really a net gain? It appears the Sky engine family will be if Mazda sticks with its new diet. The company announced today it will slash curb weights by 100 kg (220 pounds) for each next-generation model starting in 2011. "In addition," says Mazda, "from 2016 we think it will be necessary to reduce weight by a further 100 kg or more."

The Mazda 2, it says, will serve as the model for this intitiative, as this car proves weight can be cut without swapping in all sorts of expensive materials.

More on the diet and the Sky-Drive automatic transmission after the jump.

Continue reading Mazda Sky-G, Sky-D, Sky-Drive and Sky's the Limit Dieting at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show.

Categories: Diesels,Green Tech,Mazda,Tokyo Motor Show

Looks cool. But what's it powered by?

More after the jump.

Continue reading Spotted at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show.

Categories: Mazda,Tokyo Motor Show

Nothing like a hometown crew to get the best access. Looks like MotorMagazine in Japan has already been up close and personal with several of the cars debuting at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show in a couple of weeks. The Toyota FT-86, Honda CR-Z, Mitsubishi PX-MiEV, Nissan Leaf and Mazda Kiyora are all laid out for your inspection. Enjoy all of their hard work.

MotorMagazine

Categories: Concept Vehicles,Coupes,Future Vehicles,Green Tech,Honda,Mazda,Nissan,Sports Cars,Tokyo Motor Show,Toyota

Mazda will show two engines at the Tokyo Auto Show, and both should end up being a very big deal in the U.S. market. You'll see them in Mazdas, and very likely, in Fords, too. 

First off, there's a new direct-injected version of Mazda's global 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder called the Sky-G. At least, that's what Mazda will call it during the Tokyo show. In addition, says Mazda, the engine block is revised to reduce mechanical friction and achieve the most optimal air-fuel mixture. Together, these improvements yield a claimed 15-percent improvement in fuel economy. This would enable a Mazda 3 to return mileage on par with a Mazda 2, according to the company.

The second engine is a new 2.2-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder. Yep, it's called Sky-D. It, too, has a new block that's less susceptible to friction. It also has piezo injectors and a two-stage turbocharger not found on Mazda's current European-market diesel. Total fuel economy improvement here is said to be 20 percent. This means you could drive around in a diesel Mazda 6 and get Mazda-2-like fuel economy, says Mazda. If this turns out to be true in real-world driving, the company will have to find a way to get this engine cleaned up for the U.S., as it could be a real help in meeting the 2015 CAFE standards.

The photo here shows you the Sky-G engine. You can take a look at the Sky-D after the jump.

Continue reading Tokyo Preview: Mazda's New Direct-Injected 2.0L I4, 2.2L Turbodiesel Engines.

Categories: Diesels,Green Tech,Mazda,Tokyo Motor Show,Trends

Updated: To readers dismayed by our re-reporting on a concept car that made its global at the 2008 Paris Auto Show, note that the 6-speed "Sky-Drive" transmission used on this "car" is new to the 2009 Tokyo show. Apologies for the lack of clarification in the original posting.

Mazda has released photos and information on the Kiyora concept it will show at next month's Tokyo Auto Show. It reminds us a bit of the Honda CR-Z, but less attractive. At least the car looks happy wearing Mazda's corporate saccharin-sweet smile.

Most likely, this is a design study for the next-generation Mazda 2, as Mazda says the Kiyora has the company's 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine, which is the base engine for the Japan-spec Mazda 2/Demio. It's also an engineering study, though. The Mazda Kiyora is apparently 220 pounds lighter than a three-door Mazda 2. That's a big deal for a subcompact.

The weight savings, along with a new six-speed automatic tranmission called Sky-Drive (also making its world premiere in Tokyo), yields a considerable improvement in fuel economy. Mazda claims 32 km/liter on the Japanese test cycle, which works out to over 75 mpg, which is not at all relevant to anything EPA-related.

Apparently, the transmission's lockup clutch works faster than on the company's current automatics -- improving mileage and that all-important sensation of responsiveness.

More photos after the jump.

Continue reading Tokyo Preview: Mazda Kiyora Concept.

Categories: Concept Vehicles,Coupes,Hatchbacks,Mazda,Tokyo Motor Show

Did you see the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe powerslide in our recent comparison test with the Mazdaspeed 3? Well, here's the full director's cut version with Senior Road Test Editor Josh Jacquot at wheel of the Hyundai. Yes, this is why you buy a rear-wheel-drive car.

After the jump, watch the "other" version of this video in which the Genesis Coupe doesn't want to cooperate. You'll hear commentary from Jacquot as he strategizes with videographer Evan Barthleman. Enjoy.

Comparison Test: 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 vs. 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8

Continue reading Behind the Scenes at IL: Hyundai Genesis Coupe vs. Mazdaspeed 3.

Categories: Coupes,Hatchbacks,Hyundai,Mazda

Mazda confirmed today at a dealers meeting in Palm Springs that it will bring its subcompact Mazda 2 hatchback to the United States in late 2010. That's only a couple months behind the Ford Fiesta, with which the 2011 Mazda 2 shares its basic platform architecture.

We'll get a look at the U.S.-spec Mazda 2 in early December when it debuts at the 2009 L.A. Auto Show. Mazda says it will get more specific about on-sale timing, pricing, specs and equipment at the show.

We don't yet know whether we will get the five-door Mazda 2 unveiled at the 2007 Geneva Auto Show, the three-door version unveiled last year, or both. Either way, we'll be getting a car that has won numerous awards in Europe and Japan. Lightweight construction is often cited as the key advantage of the Mazda 2 over other subcompacts. Company engineers put considerable emphasis on cutting weight (without compromising safety) to improve fuel efficiency and performance.

"You've asked us for it for a while now, and we've been studying the market to make sure we can make a business case for it across North America," Jim O'Sullivan, Mazda North American Operations' president and CEO, told the assembled dealers.  "As consumers' tastes and attitudes toward small vehicles have changed, we now believe strongly there is a place in our lineup for a car below our current least-expensive car, the Mazda 3."

Categories: Future Vehicles,Hatchbacks,LA Auto Show,Mazda

Mazda has a long tradition of bringing concept-ized versions of its Miata to auto shows. Mostly these are merely eye candy and don't have much influence on production Miatas.This Frankfurt show's entry in the category is the MX-5 Superlight, a sort-of speedster version of the basic car that looks damn cool. The German design team that conceived the Superlight have taken the MX-5 back to its lighter-weight, smaller-displacement roots. In place of the 167-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder the U.S.-spec MX-5 carries, the Superlight carries a lightweight 1.8-liter four with 125 horsepower.

But the team also slashed the MX-5's overall weight to 2,194 pounds, making it 250-300 pounds lighter than a production unit. That's an impressive trimming, although this being a concept car only, part of that was achieved by losing the windshield and convertible top. The silver-and-white color combo paired with the saddle brown leather interior trim is particularly tasty.

For a look at all the Miata/MX-5 auto-show specials, check out a Mazda blog post we did from an earlier Chicago auto show.

Categories: Concept Vehicles,Convertibles,Frankfurt Auto Show,Mazda

Initially, you might be taken aback by the idea of a comparison test involving the 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 and 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe. After all, the Mazda is front-wheel-drive. The Hyundai is rear-wheel-drive. The Mazda has a turbocharged and direct-injected, 2.3-liter inline four (263 hp, 280 lb-ft of torque). The Hyundai has a normally aspirated 3.8-liter V6 (306 hp, 266 lb-ft). The Mazda is a five-door hatch. The Hyundai is a two-door coupe.

Get past all that, though, and you realize you really ought to be looking at both cars if you want a quick, agile car for $25,000-$30,000. Both pack in serious amounts of fun per dollar. And believe it or not, they put up really similar acceleration numbers.

But one of them has much sharper control feel that gives it a big advantage on highly technical roads, Senior Road Test Editor Josh Jacquot writes. And this would be our winner.

Comparison Test: 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 vs. 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8

Categories: Coupes,Hatchbacks,Hyundai,Mazda

The MX-5 Miata has gotten bigger, heavier and more complicated over the years, so for the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show, Mazda gave the designers at its R&D center in Oberursel, Germany, a current-gen MX-5, and told them to take some of that out. They created the Mazda MX-5 Superlight Concept. It debuts in Frankfurt next week, but images of the car and what's apparently a press release leaked out onto the web today.

The starting point was European-spec MX-5 with a retractable hardtop. The top was the first thing designers removed, along with the windshield, air-conditioner and anything that might constitute sound insulation. The Euro-spec 1.8-liter engine (124 hp, 123 lb-ft) and five-speed manual gearbox remain, though a cold-air intake has been added.

Biggie-size four-piston calipers are a must on the auto show floor, so the track is 2 inches wider than stock front and rear to make room. Bilstein B16 coil-overs drop the ride height 1.2 inches, and Eibach antiroll bars would presumably reduce body roll. Unusually for a concept car, the 17-inch wheels and tires are stock.

You can get a good look at the MX-5 Superlight Concept's bodywork in the photos after the jump. And indeed, those leather-upholstered racing seats are carbon-fiber at the core.

The total package weighs 2,194 pounds -- curiously close to the curb weight of the 1990 MX-5 (2,116 lbs) we had around our offices recently. The apparent press release says the weight loss is enough to shave a full second of the car's 0-60 time. Well, that is, assuming the MX-5 Superlight is drivable. The action shots suggest it is, but with show cars, there's always more than meets the eye.

More photos after the jump.

Carscoop via Autoblog

Straightline -- 20 Years of MX-5: Then and Now

Continue reading Frankfurt: Mazda MX-5 Superlight Concept Photos Leaked.

Categories: Convertibles,Frankfurt Auto Show,Mazda

Mazda's MX-5, better known as the Miata, is in its 20th year of production in 2009 (we know, we know, 2010 models are already here). Still, we think it's appropriate to recognize the little Japanese roadster for what it is...and what it was.

Continue reading 20 Years of MX-5: Then and Now.

Categories: Convertibles,IL Track Tested,Mazda,Sports Cars

No one knows if the momentum will last, but most automakers did well in August, particularly those with plenty of models qualifying for the Cash for Clunkers (CARS) program.

Hyundai/Kia broke 100,000 in monthly sales for the first time ever, and the Honda division had its second-best month ever -- and its best ever August. Toyota sold more passenger cars in a month than it ever has before, though this was balanced by continuing declines among its trucks and SUVs (save for the RAV4). Mazda had its best sales month since August 2003, and 58 percent of customers went home with a Mazda 3. (Alas, Miata sales were way down year over year, as hyperrational buyers evidently have no use for roadsters.)

Audi was one of the few premium-brand automakers to see a significant bump in sales (+26% over August 2008). More significant is that the automaker estimates the CARS program accounted for less than 10 percent of the increase. Similarly, there's Subaru: Undoubtedly, much of its 52 percent year-over-year increase had to do with CARS, but Subaru's sales are still up 11 percent for all of 2009.

Ford was the only one of the domestics to see a significant increase in August, as GM and Chrysler simply didn't have a good stock of fuel-efficient models to attract customers.

Interestingly, hybrid sales didn't rise as much as you'd think in August. Prius sales were way up, but most other gains were modest. "Few models did as well in August as in July," says Green Car Advisor John O'Dell, "an indication that when fuel costs are soft, as they have been much of the summer, and a program like C4C effectively softens the price of other, conventional vehicles, hybrids still are in second place on most Americans' shopping lists."

Auto Observer: Post-Clunkers Second Half Becomes Huge Sales Question Mark

Green Car Advisor: Hybrid Sales Up Again in August, Carried By Clunker Cash and Slow-Growing Acceptance

Categories: Audi,Auto Industry,Chrysler,Ford,General Motors,Honda,Hyundai,Kia,Manufacturers,Mazda,Toyota

This long list of events is your chance to throw away your inhibitions and lay down some rubber. Some of the track days make you bring your own vehicle, while others provide you with a machine to pilot. Either way, find the right event and brush up on your driving skills by booking some track time at the links below.

Continue reading Hit Up the Track With These Events.

Categories: Audi,BMW,Bentley,Chevrolet,Chrysler,Consumer Track Events,Dodge,Ferrari,Ford,Infiniti,Jaguar,Jeep,Lamborghini,Land Rover,Lotus,MINI,Maserati,Mazda,Mitsubishi,Porsche,Saab,Scion,Subaru,Toyota