Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of the Mazda MX-5

Many of you (and some of us) don't think the current MX-5 went far enough in distancing itself from its cutesy predecessor, but design director Lauren Van den Acker wants to change that for 2012 and give the iconic convertible "more balls" in the process. If you're worried that the amazing handling characteristics of the MX-5 could be in danger, Van den Acker insists that the razor-sharp roadster will keep its core character. Stricter CAFE standards and customers demanding more mpg means that the next MX-5 will also be lighter and more efficient than the current model.

With the next MX-5 still a few years out, no design has been given the green light, but Mazda designers think the more dynamic designs that were shot down for the current-gen car would be a good place to start. A newer, ballsier, more radical MX-5 sounds good to us, as long as the changes don't mess with the cut on a dime handling that we've come to love.


[Source: Auto Car]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Kesselman Mazda CX-7.

From afar, our first reaction was: what's a Matrix doing at the Mazda booth? Upon closer inspection, the dumped wagon you see above revealed itself as a tuned Mazda CX-7. Unfortunately, our Russian is about as good as our Swahili, so we weren't able to get any definitive details on what exactly has been done to Mazda's mid-level CUV. But the upgraded intercooler, ultra-low stance, gaudy body kit, stripped interior and six-point roll cage is proof that Russia's Kesselman tuning excels at answering questions that no one asked.

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Mazda Kazamai concept.

Mazda pulled out all the awkwardly executed stops for the reveal of the Kazamai concept, including four sets of dancers, guys in neon-pink shorts on roller skates and a 40-man Russian singing troop in Soviet-style dress. We couldn't make this stuff up if we tried, but what better way to kick off our coverage of the Moscow International Auto Salon.

Despite the strange theatrics, the Kazamai is one of our favorite Nagare-themed concepts since the Furai and Kabura. Then again, we're suckers for two-door crossovers. The Kazamai blends the "flow" theme we've seen on several other concepts with a more aerodynamic body and a slightly toned-down demeanor. Could this be a hint at the future of the CX-7? Don't count it out. But if it does head to production, we'll take it in a three-door package equipped with the MS3's drivetrain... and all-wheel-drive.

New spy shots of the refreshed Mazda3 have surfaced, lending credence to the future-Mazda images we've seen oozing out of places like an EU harmonization office, and a Japanese toymaker. It looks like the doors remain largely unchanged, with the nose and tail receiving the bulk of the work. The front end will pick up new headlamps that mimic what big-brother 6 now wears. The black-tape ruse is not effective at disguising a C-Pillar that remains kinked forward, but the taillights are successfully obscured with adhesive applique. It won't be long before we see all the tape pulled off the refreshed 3 as the car show season heats up.

[Source: Car and Driver, Photo: Michael Cervantes/Priddy]

Click to view more renderings of the 2009 Mazda MX-5

Automakers go to great lengths to keep their upcoming products secret, but sometimes leaks are out of their control. Case in point, the recent leak of the upcoming redesign of the Mazda3 and now a facelift for the Mazda MX-5/Miata. With the roadster's full replacement reportedly delayed until 2012, Mazda is apparently going to give the current model a mid-cycle refresh with some more aggressive styling tweaks.

The leaked image, which Mazda apparently filed with the European Union Office of Harmonization for the Internal Market (OHIM), shows a restyled front end and that's it. The new mesh grille borrows from the Mazdaspeed3, the headlights grow a more aggressive slant, the foglights are restyled into eye-shaped surrounds, and the turning indicators are moved to behind the flared wheel arches. Other changes to the car's design may be in store as well, however the images, which you can view in the gallery below, show only the front end. Sources suggest the revised MX-5 may hit the market later this year or early the next, with a possible unveiling at the Paris Motor Show this fall.


[Source: Autoblog Spanish]

Since the Mazda3 hit the streets in 2004, it's proven to be a very strong contender in the small car segment. The compact sedan and hatch has been winning customers over with great styling, athletic ride characteristics, and equipment that typically isn't found in small cars. Its rich mix of standard features and options has helped keep transaction prices high, which will be very important as the self-proclaimed Zoom-Zoom automaker looks to downsize its lineup and make as much money as possible from every sale.

Mazda will now execute the Mazda3 strategy across its entire line to boost profits while giving customers the standard features they crave. For example, the all-new 2009 Mazda6 will be equipped with disc brakes at all four corners in every trim level while some of the competition continues to use rear drum brakes on their base models. Mazda has already proven that adding standard content can raise transaction prices while at the same time increasing sales, now the Ford-controlled automaker needs to prove that it can accomplish the same feat across its lineup. If Mazda makes all of its vehicles as competent as the Mazda3, that shouldn't be a problem.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring

If you keep up with the print mags, it would be easy to think that every journalist, PR flack and blogger loves Mazda's CX-9. Automobile Magazine made a spot for it on their All-Stars list, Motor Trend named it Sport Utility of the Year, Car & Driver thinks its one of the 5 Best Trucks of 2008, SEAMO crowned it their Family Car of the Year and USA TODAY even went as far as calling it "about perfect." We put 380 miles on the 7-seater in our best attempt to debunk the CX-9's mythical aura of SUV perfection and found most of the legend true.


All photos Copyright ©2008 Chris Tutor / Weblogs, Inc.

Click above for more renderings of the 2010 Mazda3

Sure, it has happened where a toy manufacturer accidentally reveals a new car, but we don't believe this is one of those times. These renderings of the redesigned 2010 Mazda3 were posted in a thread over on carspyshots.net under the auspice of being toy renderings, but our colleagues from Autoblog Spanish did some digging and discovered that Mazda actually owns these images, not some Japanese toy manufacturer. Thus, it's more likely that these are actual renderings of the real, full-scale 2010 Mazda3. Of course, we could all be wrong and these renderings may have been made by a kid in his mother's basement, as the perspective and scale seems off in some areas. Then again, the design they show, which takes a few styling cues from the new Mazda6 and refreshed RX-8, is right in line with what we're expecting. Thanks for the tip, Galvin!


[Source: Carspyshots.net]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Mazda Taiki concept.

The rotary engine is world-renowned for many things, but fuel-efficiency isn't one of them. Mazda wants to make Wankel's masterpiece the poster child for its hydrogen-powered endeavors, so it's considering offering a dual-fuel version of the engine in its next RX-badged offering.

According to AutoExpress, Mazda's RX-8 Hydrogen RE vehicle will evolve into a new model, dubbed the RX-9, and is rumored to be motivated by a hydrogen-gasoline powertrain that will offer 20 percent better fuel economy and emissions over a traditional gasoline-powered Rotary. The rear-wheel-drive coupe will take styling cues from the Taiki concept and a dash-mounted switch allows drivers to toggle between gasoline and hydrogen fuel systems. For city driving, the hydrogen setting will be employed, which will reduce fuel consumption (at the expense of a 20 percent drop in power), while the gasoline system can be employed when drivers desire more performance.

Mazda's goal is to make the rotary engine's performance, fuel economy and emissions up the level of gasoline-electric hybrids, and if AE's sources are to be believed, the hydrogen-powered RX-9 should arrive in 2012.


[Source: AutoExpress]

Ford's 33.9-percent stake in Mazda, enough to give the Blue Oval control of the Japanese automaker, could come up for grabs if Ford is not able to turn its dire financial position around in short order, according to BusinessWeek. Such a move would likely cause major headaches at both automakers, as the two jointly develop many of their products and combine research and development costs between themselves. In fact, many of Ford's best and most important cars in the U.S. are built atop Mazda's midsize sedan platform. What's more, the cash infusion of Mazda's sale would only net Ford around $2.5 billion, barely more than what the automaker received for its stake in Jaguar and Land Rover. That amount would only allow Ford to stretch a little while longer without returning to profitability. In other words, it would hardly be worth the trouble and is therefore, we're hoping, rather unlikely.

[Source: BusinessWeek]