Rotaries may seem like a thing of the past these days, especially with Mazda preparing to retire the RX-8. But the Wankel-powered sports car won’t be the last Mazda to get the odd powerplant, thanks in part to a recent breakthrough. A recently big step forward for Mazda’s engineers is a newly developed laser ignition...
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Mazda has given a facelift to the Mazda2 including a minor facelift and the first production application of the automaker’s direct-injection, 1.3-liter SkyActiv gasoline engine. This very fuel-efficient engine has a compression ratio of 14.0:1 and an intelligent start/stop system that requires less fuel to re-initiate the combustion cycle, making the Mazda2 capable of achieving 58.8...
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A report on Inside Line states that Mazda engineers have been saddled with the substantial task of shedding 720 pounds from the current curb weight of the Mazda MX-5, as development of the 4th generation car nears completion. The current MX-5 weighs just under 2,500 pounds, and the new target of around 1,780 pounds would...
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Mazda will shift production of their mid-size Mazda6 from the current AutoAlliance International plant (a joint venture with former owner Ford) to Mazda’s facility in Hofu, Japan. “Currently, production of the Mazda6 [known as Atenza in Japan] exists in three locations,” said Takashi Yamanouchi, Representative Director and Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of Mazda Motor...
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Mazda‘s new CX-5 crossover will arrive at dealers next year, expanding the brand’s crossover range to three models. With a spate of auto shows between now and then, the brand’s smallest ‘ute could debut at any venue from Frankfurt in September all the way to the New York Auto Show the following March. The car...
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Several weeks back Mazda announced it would return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year, showcasing its 787B race car, which took the overall win back in 1991. Now the Japanese automaker has announced that driving the car will be done other than McDreamy himself, Grey’s Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey. While best known...
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Mazda will cut ties with Ford and cease production of vehicles in the U.S. around 2013, relying instead on its manufacturing facilities in Japan and Mexico. The automaker is reportedly looking to end its joint venture with Ford Motor Co., as it looks to make major changes in its production system. Currently both Mazda and...
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Bad news for Mazda rotary engine enthusiasts – the company has no plans to build the RX-9 hybrid sports car, contrary to recent rumors. Even worse, minimal sales of the RX8 may jeopardize the Mazda rotary engine all together. Production of the Mazda RX-8 is drawing to a close, with U.S sales of just 291...
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Mazda announced today they have reached a production milestone of three million Mazda3 units as of April 26, 2011. The car is built in three factories (Japan, China, Thailand) and sold in roughly 90 countries and regions. In North America alone, over 1.1 million Mazda3s have been sold, becoming the fastest-selling model in Mazda’s...
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Here’s a fun question for your upcoming pub quiz: name the only hybrid rotary car ever produced. If you named the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid, then congratulations! But next year you might be able to name the RX-8’s successor, the aptly-named RX-9, as another car that’s hybrid Wankelin’. According to Mazda’s Hiroshima headquarters, the...
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Mazda and Chinese joint venture partner Chang’an are reportedly developing a new sub-brand for the Chinese market, with their first offering based on the outdated but still excellent 1st generation Mazda3. Mazda still sells the older Mazda3 in China, while importing the current Mazda3 hatchback. The current car will be joined by a Chinese made...
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Marking the 20th anniversary of Mazda‘s victory in the world’s most demanding endurace race, the 24 Hour of Le Mans, Mazda has brought the winning Mazda 787B back from the dead. Since winning in 1991, the Mazda 787B has been on display at the Mazda Museum in Horishima, Japan. The car has been carefully restored...
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This Fall Mazda will introduce the 2012 Mazda3, sporting the first use of the automaker’s new SkyActiv technologies in North America. Full details about the engine aren’t yet available, but it is a 1.6-liter and uses direct injection. That car won’t, however, be the first ever model to receive a new SkyActiv engine, with Mazda...
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Contrary to earlier reports, Mazda will not be ending production of its Mazda6 midsize sedan. Earlier reports suggested that the slow-selling model would be axed after reports emerged that production of the vehicle at Mazda’s Flat Rock, Michigan plant may cease. While Mazda confirmed that the Mazda6 would remain in the lineup for some time...
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Two separate Japanese automakers are planning similar fates for their underperforming vehicles, with both the Subaru Tribeca and Mazda6 set to be discontinued in the near future. Both models are nearing the end of their production cycles, (or have arguably exceeded them), and neither will live to see a second generation reports the Nikkan Kogyo...
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Mazda confirmed that their previously unveiled Minagi concept will go into production as the Mazda CX-5, a small crossover intended to slot beneath their mid-size CX-7 and full-size CX-9. The CX-5 will be the first Mazda vehicle to come with a full suite of SKYACTIV fuel-saving technologies, among them an all-new engine designed for maximum...
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Debuting the car at the New York Auto Show today, Mazda has just confirmed that the 2012 Mazda3 will match the Hyundai Elantra as the most fuel efficient compact car on the market with a 40-mpg highway rating. The first vehicle to make use of the brand’s new SkyActiv fuel saving technologies, the 3 will...
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First debuting in concept form at the Geneva Auto Show in March, Mazda has now confirmed that its Minagi Concept will be badged as the CX-5 when it goes into production. That will be quite soon, with Mazda set to reveal more details on the Minagi and its SkyActiv engines at the New York Auto...
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The world of racing is often only focused on getting to the podium, but at the this weekend’s Grand Am series race at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., three Mazda race teams will be doing their part to help raise funds for American Red Cross for Japan relief. The teams in question are Dempsey...
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The New York Auto Show will be a big one for Mazda, as the company prepares 3 big unveiling that will pave the way for the company’s future on the engineering front. Mazda will show off the Minagi concept for the first time in North America and debut the refreshed 2012 Mazda3 in America (after its unveiling...
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Coming up on August 5th and 6th at Eastern Creek Raceway in Sydney, Australia will be the World Time Attack Challenge presented by Yokohama. This year, they are working on gathering some of the world’s most prestigious time attack cars along with throwing on a drifting exhibition with some of the world’s best. The goal...
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Yesterday, we told you about the rising influence women of different ethnicities have when it comes to vehicle purchases. And now, R.L. Polk & Co. has released new information about the correlation between women and the Asian automakers. The Asian OEMs in question are Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Acura, Hyundai, KIA, Nissan, Infiniti, Subaru and Mazda,...
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Mazda is planning to close down their assembly plants again, while stopping orders from dealers in the United States for their made-in-Japan vehicles. The Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda5, MX-5, RX-8, CX-7, CX-9 are all affected. Only the Mazda6 and Tribute will remain in production at their American plants, although the situation could change in light of...
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The MX-5 GT is the lightest and most powerful version of the sports car Mazda has ever built. Making 275-hp from a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, it weighs an astonishingly low 1,874 lbs. Sadly, it isn’t street legal, but a full roll-cage-included race car, designed to compete in the Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship this year. The...
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